Chandler Jones' Christian Faith and Family Brought Him to New England Patriots
Chandler Jones, 22-year-old Christian and younger brother of UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones and Baltimore Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones III, was recently drafted in the first round to the New England Patriots.
The youngest Jones brother managed to make history and defy expectations after being chosen by a team that competed in the 2012 Super Bowl. After being chosen with the Patriots' 21st overall pick, Jones became the first former Syracuse University student to be drafted during the first round in a decade.
However, Jones said he owes his success to his faithful and athletic family.
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"I always tell people I had the biggest advantage in the world: my brothers," Chandler said in a Yahoo! report.
Arthur Jones Jr. and Camille Jones, the parents of Chandler and his brothers, said they were not worried about their youngest son having issues adapting to the life of professional sports because of the faith instilled in him. Arthur Jones Jr. was a pastor and said his children learned the importance of making God and family their priority.
"They know the importance of prayer. They know the importance of family. And they know the importance of God," Mr. Jones said in a Syracuse.com report.
It seems Chandler learned from his father, and has used his faith as an influence in his career. On his Twitter page, Chandler's biography reads, "with God anything is possible..Jesus is real!"
After he was chosen in the first round for the NFL draft on Thursday, Jones went to church on Sunday where he tweeted about receiving a surprise cake from his house of worship. For the youngest Jones brother, the entire ordeal is a dream come true.
"I know it sounds clique, but since I was a little kid it's always been a dream for me to play in the NFL," Jones told NFL cameras.
