Perhaps that tendency to ignore what is behind the public facade comes from the common misconception that once a football player has fortune and fame, happiness is never far behind. Their fame and fortune almost disconnects them from the rest of the world, except in the case of CFL linebacker Tyrone Jones. At the end of his life, his “blessings” as he called them, only sought to propel him ever deeper into the heart of humanity.
What follows is a summary of Tyrone Jones’ football career and the story of how I came to know the man behind the #35 jersey.
Summary of Tyrone Jones’ Career
Linebacker Tyrone Jones started out in the late 1970’s playing Camden County High School football in his native Saint Marys, Georgia. From there he went on to play at Southern University for four years before moving on to such NFL and CFL teams as the Arizona Cardinals (1988), BC Lions, Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Inducted into the WFC Hall of Fame in 1999, Jones is celebrated as having made 98 sacks in his career with the Blue Bombers earning him the venerable distinction of a Winnipeg Career Sack Record.
Considered a 5 time division all-star, Jones can also lay claim to several other records and titles including Grey Cup MVP in 1984 and CFL top Defensive Player in 1985. He saw his team to two Grey Cup Championships before hanging up his #35 jersey in 1993.
Afterward, his true zeal for the sport did not diminish. In the mid 1990’s Jones parlayed his two great loves, football and family, into one when he accepted a coaching position at Morgan University under his cousin Stump Mitchell. He then went on to serve as a guest coach with his beloved Winnipeg Bombers in 1999.
Always known to be a skilled game changer, in January 2005 Tyrone Jones received news that would forever change his personal life. Doctors diagnosed him with a cancerous, inoperable brain tumor that was expected to take his life sooner rather than later. Defying the issued odds much like he had done while playing football, Tyrone surpassed the life expectancy he was initially given. He would eventually slip from this mortal coil in June 2008, but not before uniquely touching the lives of the people in one Southeast Georgia community. I had the pleasure of being one of those people.
Getting to Know the Man behind the Jersey
Tyrone Jones entered my life in the winter of 2008. At the time I was working as the Director of Social Services at a healthcare facility and as such became his social worker. A remarkable man with an unending compassion for others and an unwavering desire to inspire, Tyrone was unlike any client I had ever worked with. He did not concern himself with his grim prognosis, wallow in self-pity or spend hours reliving his “glory days.” Instead he chose to focus on making the world a better place to live in one hour at a time.
Normally watching an ailing person dragging a series of health sustaining equipment behind him would elicit pity, but Tyrone Jones would have none of that. He didn’t need or want people’s pity. He needed their attention because he was a man with an urgent message to deliver.
He told me that his life had been full of more blessings than any man could ever hope for. Among those blessings was a successful football career, beautiful children, good friends and a loving family to support him. He went on to explain that he longed to talk to people in the hopes that doing so would make them realize that they too had blessings to be thankful for. He wanted to show as many people as he could that life’s moments, no matter how infinitesimal or seemingly painful, were meant to be cherished.
Tyrone asked me to help him get his message across by finding him people to talk to and organizations to volunteer for. I obliged with his wishes and before long Tyrone was spending as much time uplifting others and volunteering as his cancer ridden body would allow. His delivered his message with such infectious enthusiasm that before long others who had all but given up on life started following his lead. Soon others in the healthcare facility also started volunteering and spreading Tyrone’s message.
In the end, his final efforts raised both funds for the American Cancer Society and awareness of the sanctity of life’s moment. Now that he has since passed on, many people remember certain aspects of the football legend in their own way. For me, one thing about the man will always remain clear. Whether he was on the football field or off, Tyrone Jones never lost sight of the ball.
Additional Information
After Tyrone Jones’ death the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers started a scholarship in his honor. Those that would like to learn more about the Tyrone Jones Scholarship and the Never Alone Foundation should log onto the Winnipeg Blue Bombers website.
Author's Note: This article originally appeared on Yahoo! Sports. All publishing rights now belong to me.
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