Chandler Jones '18 Recruiting Profile

Chandler Jones,
NCAA ID: 1608568835

Who I am? Well let’s start with, the fact that figuring this out is just as difficult, varied and complex as the statement suggests for any teenage male.  I am first a student, athlete, and a friend but foremost I a brother and a son.  Family is the most important and most influential part of my life. I owe who I am to my parents and siblings to grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  Without their nurturing, support and guidance I could not be here who I am in this moment.  Growing up is always hard no matter who you are, but my brother and I started out 7 weeks early at 5.4 lbs. and 3.3 lbs. respectively and very lucky to both have made it into this world.  From the start life has always been a bit of a struggle, due to twin to twin transfusion syndrome which normally takes the life of one or both twins. I know that its life’s trials and how one handles them that defines and shapes the person you are and who you will be. I have watched my sister struggle with Autism, I see where she triumphs when others would fall and it helps me push on to be a better person, player and son.

I was very active in scouting achieving the rank of Life Scout before High School.  Through scouts I learned many great lessons on how to preserver, be kind and helpful to those around me, but most of all I learned to be strong, brave and self-reliant.  My family instilled in me that helping other people and being part of the community is important.  This year I have been a member of the Link crew which are older students helping the incoming freshmen as they transition into High School by being mentors and guides.

My parents have always encouraged me to find my passion, and to be active in school and the community as well as sports.  As my dad says nothing teaches life lessons better than playing a team sport.  I started out my sports journey on the ice at age five; however I soon found out that while I was a good skater I hated the cold, then again honestly how many five year olds are fond of the cold ice?  Soccer came next while I had fun, I never really liked to play the game and I knew it would never be my passion.  Neither basketball nor Baseball was just ever my thing, no matter how many times my dad wanted to shoot hoops or play catch.  It was at eight when we could start playing football here in our local league, and it was then that I finally found my passion and I can say that after eight years my passion for the game is burning hotter every passing day.

I started playing center and long snapper because nobody else wanted to play that position and soon found out I was pretty good at it.  I clearly remember my third season playing football; we call that age group Pee Wee’s here we had a new coach to Jordan that year that would change my life forever.  During tryouts the coaches were looking running backs, quarter backs etc. The new coach however was looking for a center; he knew that the A team would take the players they wanted first and he had to start building off his line.  Everyone overlooked me as I was the smallest of the linemen at that time, but my dad encouraged me to walk over and talk to the coach; to tell him that I play center and that I am the best center on the field that day.  Coach Scott looked at me with a warry eye as anyone else would have when one of the smallest boys one the field says that he can be the key player on the offensive line.  He lined up and had me snap a few, then he backed up and had me snap some more.  I can remember to this day his question to me… Will you snap like that every time for me? I did and we went on to an undefeated season outscoring our opponents 236 – 21 over the course of the year. Coach Scott gave me the boost in confidence I needed to propel me forward as a player.  Most of all I learned to trust myself and I have lived by his motto ever since; “Do your best forget the rest” as long as I give my best effort and even if I fail I know that I did everything I could do. Sometimes in life your best is not good enough at that moment but if you learn from your failure and work on the weakness it exposes, through effort and perseverance that failure will become strength.

My academic goal first is to first graduate from High School with minimum of an Advanced Diploma and as many AP credits earned as I can.  I have not completely decided yet what I want to be when I grow up, as in High School I am exploring many areas of interest.  I really enjoy journalism and work on the school paper and the yearbook staff, so journalism is not off the table.  I find that I am really good at math and might want to look into Engineering, then again once I get to college and start my general education I might find my real passion.  I know some things for sure will graduate from College, I will play football  for the school  I attend, and what I do for a living after that… Well that is next part of the adventure that I can't wait to experience…