Adam Jones was the unlikely speaker at this year's NFL Rookie Symposium. The troubled corner has certainly had his run-ins with the law, most recently getting arrested earlier in the month for allegedly striking a woman with an open palm. The cornerback pled not guilty and then appeared this week to speak with the upcoming NFL class of rookies. After reportedly 'keeping it real' with the players, he made an impact on several players, including Geno Smith.
Jones and Smith can relate to one another. Both are West Virginia alums and both have been placed under heavy media scrutiny during their time in the league. Smith was impressed with what Jones had to say and according to the New York Jets quarterback, this was not the first time they have spoken.
"Adam, he's a West Virginia guy so I've had many conversations with him. He's always been a guy who preached don't make the same mistakes he's done. He's made a lot of mistakes in his career, but he's still standing strong and working hard. He's using his past trials and tribulations to help us as rookies. You see how those decisions will affect him," Smith said.
If there is any player in the league the Jets would prefer not to mentor Smith, it would likely be Jones, but Smith seemed to take away a lot of positives from what Jones had to say. Smith said he realized that just because someone has a lot of talent in the league, football can still be taken away from them with one bad decision.
Jones will be entering his fourth season with the Cincinnati Bengals. He has had a roller coaster of a career, including suspensions and arrests, but the cornerback felt his circumstances would really speak to the rookies.
"Guys tend to run away when they feel pressure. I had the chance to run way...I refuse to do that because the guys need to know really what is happening out there. Not what you want to hear, not the cut message. It needs to be really uncut so guys can know what guys are going through and what situations they need to stay away from," Jones said.
