LSU sophomore center P.J. Lonergan received a phone call June 25 around 6 a.m.Lonergan said a friend of his, a New Orleans fireman, said “‘We just cut Chad Jones out of his vehicle.'” “I was just thinking, “Are you serious?” Lonergan said.Lonergan kept news of the car accident to himself until word spread like wildfire.Jones, a former LSU safety and pitcher, was driving on North Carrollton Avenue in his 2010 Range Rover when he struck a light pole.Jones received hours of surgery to restore blood flow and save his left leg at LSU Public Hospital in New Orleans.Jones was later transported to New York where he underwent plastic surgery and orthopedic procedures.The New York Giants’ third-round pick returned to New Orleans on July 27.”All has gone well thus far for Chad, and he will return in probably six to eight weeks for another surgical procedure,” Ronnie Barnes, Giants vice president of medical services, said in a statement July 27.Jones was waived by the Giants, who placed him on the non-football injury list. NFL rules dictate the Giants are not required to pay any of Jones’ salary, but they must pay his $825,000 signing bonus.Senior middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard has kept in contact with his former teammate since the accident.”While he’s home, he’s just spending time with his family,” Sheppard said. “When I talked to him the other night, he just laughs and jokes around.”Their conversations rarely involve the accident.”We don’t even talk to him about it,” Sheppard said. “He’ll talk about his son or talk about something else off topic to keep his mind off [the accident].”Jones’ former roommate, senior defensive tackle Drake Nevis, has also kept in contact with Jones.”I never count him out. He’ll train hard, and he’ll be back,” Nevis said.LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis, who coached Jones in the prime of his career, was disturbed by the accident.”Things can be cut short in a hurry,” Chavis said. “Thank God that he’s alive.”The 231-pound, 6-foot-3-inch player started all 13 games at safety in 2009 and finished with 74 tackles. Jones received the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and Southeastern Conference special teams player of the week honors against Mississippi State . Then-sophomore cornerback Patrick Peterson led the way for Jones’ 93-yard punt return to give LSU a 30-21 lead. Jones later batted down an endzone pass in the waning minutes to clinch the Tigers’ victory.”He seems to have a great, great, great future ahead of him,” Chavis said. “I don’t know what the prognosis is right now. Hopefully he’ll have a full recovery.”Many players and coaches have reached out to Jones since the incident.LSU coach Les Miles visited his former defensive leader the night of the crash.Miles will welcome Jones to LSU if he doesn’t return to NFL form. Jones left LSU after his junior season and declared for the NFL draft.”We would love to have him back in Baton Rouge, let him continue and go to school and work out for us,” Miles said. “I think maybe that’s part of the plan.”Jones also became a key left-handed relief pitcher for LSU’s 2009 College World Series winning team”Chad’s a very smart guy,” Sheppard said. “He could come back to college and earn his degree and do great things.”—Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]
Chad Jones takes time with family, more procedures to come
August 21, 2010