Former Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones will be facing Green Bay for the first time this weekend as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. This is the first time Jones returns to Green Bay since being released from the Packers in the offseason.
Aaron Jones is 29 years old. He was drafted by the Packers in the fifth round (182nd overall selection) in the 2017 NFL Draft out of UTEP. Jones was with Green Bay for seven seasons before signing with the Vikings this offseason on a one-year deal.
Former Green Bay Packers Running Back Aaron Jones Reveals Story He Did As a Rookie
Aaron Jones wrote a special column in The Players’ Tribune about his time with the Packers. He wrote many different stories in that message alone. In the article, there was a very interesting story about a mistake he made as a rookie. Aaron Jones said:
“I’m also very grateful for the Packers organization, and the way they had faith in me as a person. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was as a rookie: I got cited for driving with marijuana in my system, and suspended by the league for the start of my second year. I was so embarrassed after it happened. They say you represent the G at all times, and I hadn’t held up my part of that. I felt like I’d let everyone down who gave me a chance as a fifth-round pick — and for a guy like me who wasn’t established yet, a lot of teams might’ve said “let’s just cut him.” It definitely could have gone either way … but the Packers had my back. Their mentality was, This mistake isn’t you. It’s only you if you don’t learn from it. They made sure I walked around our building with my head held high, even when I was feeling really low.”
When someone makes a mistake like that in the league early, it sometimes could be devasting to a player. Luckily. Aaron Jones learned from it and was able to turn the corner for himself as a player and a person. There was a reason why later on he became one of the fan favorites in Green Bay.
First Two NFL Seasons
During his first two NFL seasons with the Packers, he showed signs of potential. Jones rushed for 448 yards on 81 carries and four touchdowns, along with averaging 5.5 yards per carry in 12 games played. He only caught nine passes for 22 yards receiving and zero touchdowns, along with averaging 2.4 yards per carry and 18 targets.
During his second NFL season, Aaron Jones rushed for 728 yards on 133 carries and eight touchdowns, along with averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He also caught 26 passes for 206 yards and one touchdown, along with averaging 7.9 yards per catch, and was targeted 35 times in 12 games played.
After that, he had three of the next five seasons of over 1,000 yards rushing with the Packers. Aaron Jones was able to hold his head high because of learning from adversity. This is why he is still playing in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings.
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