JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jarrian Jones appreciates the comparisons to former Florida State defensive stars, but he wants to make one thing clear.
Jones is unique, a 1 of 1 and aims to make his own path in the NFL with the Jaguars. Just how unique is the rookie cornerback? Jones may be in his own echelon when it comes to that.
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His nightly snacks are, like Jones, one of a kind. And that’s not Jones’ only quirky superstition. He wears a pair of socks just once before discarding them. That’s right, Jones wears socks once before he disposes of them, a tradition that he started during his junior year of high school.
“Every night I drink almond milk vanilla with chocolate chip cookies, pecan turtle delight cookies, and white macadamia cookies. About six or seven cookies every night with almond milk,” Jones said.
“And then this is the next one. The next one is I do not repeat socks. Like if I wear a pair of socks and I only like the ankle socks. So, like I don’t repeat socks. So, if I take them off, they’re going in the trash can. Like, I’m not going to wash them and put them back. Like, I go buy new socks like every week. Packs of like 60 at a time.”
Jones has some unique choices in his nighttime snacks and socks, but the Jaguars are counting on him to be his own player on the field, too. He started his career at Mississippi State before transferring to Florida State, where the tradition of elite defensive backs runs deep.
Jones knows that tradition well, a DB pipeline that includes players like Jalen Ramsey, Terrell Buckley, LeRoy Butler, Deion Sanders and Derwin James to name a few.
Jones was a key player in the FSU secondary and was the first player in FSU history with a sack, tackle for loss, forced fumble, fumble recovery, and interception in a single game. In 2023, Jones was an All-ACC honorable mention, was named the FSU defense’s Most Improved Player, and received the Bobby Bowden Leadership Award. Now, Jones is ready to make his mark with the Jaguars.
“I don’t think there’s another Jarrian Jones out there, and I don’t want there to be another one. I want to put my own stain on the game. I want to put my own swag on the game. And I just want to be me. I want to be my own person,” he said.
Jones was selected by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2024 draft. He grew up a fan of Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jaguars and is looking forward to his future in Jacksonville.
“This is where I wanted to be. It’s close to Florida State. You know I feel like got a great organization, young team. We will be something to reckon with. You know, so I came to a great situation,” Jones said about the Jaguars.
Jones moved from outside cornerback to nickel in 2023, and he seemed to thrive there. But regardless of where he plays, Jones just wants to make an impact. And with new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, there may be a place for Jones in the defensive scheme.
“I just want to play football. No matter where I’m lined up, I feel like I can do a lot of good things with my skill set,” he said. “I just want to compete and help any way I can.”
Socks won’t be the only thing new this year as a rookie in the NFL, but Jones is up for the challenge.