Cleveland Browns rookie offensive tackle Dawand Jones doesn’t feel like he has to prove that he loves football to anyone.
Jones was a fourth-round pick of the Browns and is a freak athlete. At 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds, he has rare athleticism for his size.
But it was the pre-draft process that sunk his stock, with rumors circulating over his “love” for football and his alleged dreams of playing in the NBA rather than the NFL. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated had more details on the situation.
“Fourth-rounder Dawand Jones’s predraft process went as sideways as possible (constant weight questions, handling of the Senior Bowl and pro day, telling teams his dream was to play in the NBA, not the NFL), but the fourth round was a good place to bet on his immense talent,” Breer reported on May 2.
Dawand Jones on Rumors: ‘It Got Annoying’
Jones has taken issue with that, which he voiced on social media and spoke about during the first day of Browns rookie minicamp.
“I definitely feel like I did that a lot in college, to prove that I love football. I got that question asked in almost every interview—‘do I love football?’ I told almost every team to turn on the tape and you can just see it on my film,” Jones told reporters. “I play with that anger and aggression. It just comes from the heart. You just don’t want anyone to touch the quarterback and that’s my main goal.”
Jones admitted that having to defend himself was annoying but he felt that he had to speak out on social media to tell his side of the story.
“It got annoying, but my agent prepared me for it. I worked with a couple of GMs, they told me that they were going to ask the same question. It doesn’t matter where you go,” Jones said. “They are going to ask you ‘what is your passion and how much do you love football?’ I was just waiting for it every time, and that’s when that tweet came out. It just kind of caught me off guard. I talked about it in almost every meeting, that I love football. I would basically give my shirt off my back for football, and I just feel like it just didn’t get across. I feel like it finally got across when I tweeted.”
Browns to Train Dawand Jones for Both Tackle Spots
The Browns are hoping Jones can turn into a fourth-round gem. However, he has the luxury of not having to start right away since the team has veteran Jack Conklin at right tackle and former first-rounder Jedrick Willis at left tackle. As he waits in the wings, he’ll train to backup both tackle spots.
After dropping into the fourth round, Jones is motivated to prove his doubters wrong.
I just got to put my head down and work. It was shocking, in my opinion,” he said of his draft spot. “You got to control what you can control, honestly.”
Jones and the rest of the new Browns players will continue rookie minicamp over the weekend.
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Browns Rookie Dawand Jones Sounds Off Over Draft Drama