COSTA MESA, Calif. — Cornerback Jack Jones has been smiling since the Raiders opened training camp last week at Jack Hammett Sports Complex.
Only a small part of his happiness is because the Raiders have relocated to a few miles down the freeway from where he grew up in Long Beach.
“This Cali weather,” Jones said. “You can’t beat this.”
The true source of his positive energy comes from finally discovering a football home with the Raiders. That came after a nomadic career that included stops at three colleges and a midseason release last year in his second season with a Patriots organization that was never a culture fit.
Jones plays best when he can be himself, and nobody understands the true Jack Jones like Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, who coached him at Long Beach Poly High School and Arizona State.
“It means a lot to me that he’s my head coach,” Jones said. “He gave me this opportunity, and I don’t take that for granted. I can’t even put into words what it meant to me.”
But it wasn’t just Pierce who made Jones feel at home after he joined the Raiders following his release from New England.
“I think it’s bigger for the team to accept the player than the player to accept the team coming in because it’s 52 vs. 1,” Jones said. “And when I came in here, it was love from the jump. I loved being here, and I’ll always love being here. They showed me love and gave me a helping hand. I’ll always appreciate that, and it’s probably why I’m standing in this position today.”
It’s perhaps why Jones looked so comfortable on the field down the stretch last season, finally playing consistently to the level he had shown just flashes of in the past. He returned both of his interceptions for touchdowns and matched up with top receivers in his seven games with a Raiders team that took big steps forward with his addition.
Not living in the past
But Jones knows what he did in less than half a season with the Raiders doesn’t mean much if he can’t build on it. That’s what he’s trying to accomplish during training camp.
“It doesn’t matter what you did last year. It doesn’t matter what you did yesterday,” he said. “It’s about what you do today. You have to wake up like that every day. If you’re not willing to attack the day, you’ve already lost. So that’s what we’re doing.”
Still, Pierce doesn’t want Jones to forget that his career has been filled with several twists and turns on and off the field.
“You learn from hopefully your mistakes more than the positives,” Pierce said. “Everybody’s going to talk about the plays he made, but what me and Jack have always talked about in his career is what are the things you’ve done wrong. And let’s not repeat those mistakes. As (Jack) matures and gets better as a pro and understands who he is and what he’s able to do and what he’s not able to do, he’ll be a better player.”
Jones has dominated early in camp. He’s making plays and isn’t afraid to let everyone know about it.
“We got ‘The Jack Jones’ over there,” receiver Jakobi Meyers said. “He’s a guy you go out there and your antenna goes way up. He’s just such a spunky-type player. He wants to have his eyes in the backfield and jump the route every time. But I think it’s the IQ and demeanor that really help him.”
Jones said the team’s elite defensive line is making his job much easier.
“They are getting back there so quick,” he said. “Sometimes we won’t even have to cover.”
That could be why Jones is looking to add to his game as a kick returner. He’s been putting on a show during practices.
“I’m an athlete,” he said. “In my head, I believe I can do every position, so I just go out and do it, let it fall how it falls.”
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