Jaylon Jones has had a lot of eyes on him in the past week. The second-year cornerback made a splash on Sunday, snagging his first two career interceptions against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears as a crucial part of the Colts' first win of the 2024 season.
On Wednesday Jones was recognized as the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts, becoming the first Colts player to earn the title since fellow cornerback Kenny Moore II in 2023. So, naturally, Jones has gotten a lot of attention – and lots of people standing at his locker wanting to talk to him.
Every time Jones speaks to the media, he makes a point to thank his "vets" at least a couple of times. He credits his older teammates and coaches for instilling confidence in him and helping him adjust to – and succeed in – the NFL.
But there are other vets Jones also credits his success to: his parents.
Jones grew up in a military household, as his father Virgil and mother Alisha both served in the United States Navy – in fact, that's how the two met. Jones was born in Jacksonville, Fla. and lived in Miami and Japan before the family settled in Cibolo, Texas when he was in elementary school.
"It gave me a different perspective on life," Jones said. "Both my parents, they helped me get to this point, so definitely just having a disciplined household, a household that's tight-knit, I think that's helped me get to where I am in life now."
Jones, like most young boys, began playing football when he moved to Texas. And, like most young boys, he was disciplined by his parents.
"When you're younger, you don't really know nothing," Jones said with a smile. "But as you get older, you start seeing the things that your mom and dad was doing. It just kind of feeds off you going into adulthood and for me, going into manhood."
As Jones grew up, the direction he received from his parents turned into self-discipline. The biggest thing Jones picked up from his parents was seeing them have the discipline to keep a routine every day, and it was something he began to emulate.
"Just seeing them on a routine, day-to-day basis, seeing them stay on a routine, stay consistent, provide," he explained. "I think that was the biggest thing that helped me, definitely."
Having that kind of example soon became an integral part of Jones' life, especially as he began to grow more serious about playing football. He was a two-way player in his time at Byron P. Steele High School, making his mark as both a wide receiver and cornerback. By the time Jones' junior year rolled around, offers were coming in from colleges all over the country.
"It helped out tremendously just because I feel like as any pro athlete, and I feel like just in general, when you join the working force and as you get older, staying disciplined and staying consistent is what will get you through life and gets you to the goals that you want to get to," Jones said.
Programs like Georgia, Alabama, Texas and Ohio State all extended offers to the five-star recruit – Jones had a total of 16 offers come his way. Some schools were thousands of miles from home, and some were less than three hours away. Some programs wanted Jones for his abilities as a receiver and some wanted him for his defensive prowess.
As a junior in high school, Jones had a big choice to make, and a lot of things to consider. But there was something about being a part of a tight-knit group – like his own family – that Jones knew he wanted to find. And there was just something about playing defense that had always drawn him in.
"The brotherhood," he called it. A special kind of family.
So, Jones chose Texas A&M. His first family was less than three hours away in Cibolo. He found his second family in College Station. It couldn't have worked out any better.
"I had my options on a lot of places, but man, there's not a university like Texas (A&M), man," Jones said, a grin spreading across his face. "I really, within myself, didn't have no choice but to choose that just because it's very family-like. Aggies take care of Aggies, man."
"And you know, people would like to call it a cult, but I tell them all the time, it's a great cult to be a part of," Jones added, laughing.
Jones played cornerback for the Aggies, becoming a starter his freshman year. In the 32 games he played in college, Jones totaled 98 tackles (72 solo), two tackles for loss, 17 passes defensed, three interceptions and one fumble recovery. He was also a two-time Aggie Team Defense Attitude Award winner.
It was that attitude – modeled by his parents – that was part of what made Jones appealing to the Colts when they selected him in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
"He's always been that kind of guy in my mind as far as, this is a respectful kid, in part because of the military background," Colts defensive backs coach Ron Milus said. "There has never been an issue as far as that, him doing the ABCs before he gets to the back of the alphabet. That's the thing that he did bring to the table, and that's what I do love about him."
"Here's one thing you get with JJ – you can get after JJ, and he ain't going to be affected and go into the tank," Milus added. "Because I'm sure with the military background, there was some things with Mom and Dad that you probably had to do, or else."
So, even when Jones struggled in the first two weeks of the 2024 season – he had a penalty in Week 1 that took away a Colts interception and had multiple missed opportunities to force incompletions and/or interceptions – he wasn't going to stop trying. No shot.
"I think he's even gotten better as far as the approach, last week in particular," Milus said. "In my mind, it was a lot more focused."
Jones wasn't the only one to double down on his approach in Week 3; Milus said everyone in the Colts' defensive backs room was more intent on fixing their mistakes and preparing for their next game. For Jones, though, what came from that preparation was especially rewarding. It meant that the discipline he lived his life with, the hard work he put in and the trust he kept in himself was starting to pay off.
"(I) always had the player in me, you know, just had to go out there and display it," Jones said. "Coaches, vets, God himself just helped me out."
Emphasis on vets – each and every one of them.
