The shift from college football to the professional ranks can be one of the most difficult transitions an athlete makes in his life. Maryland wide receiver Jeshaun Jones has seen his share of adversity during his tenure with the Terps, and he hopes to use that experience to make a career for himself in the NFL.
The 6-foot-1, 188-pound graduate student out of Fort Meyers, Fla., has been with Maryland since 2018, putting up 151 receptions for 2,040 yards and 14 touchdowns in a career that spanned five seasons and six years. He’s been with the program in some of its hardest times, but he’s also seen the program rise up to where it is today: a competitive program that has won its last three bowl games. Jones believes these moments have greatly shaped him overall.
“Everything’s not always good. So, you’ve got to fight through those things,” Jones said on Glenn Clark Radio March 11. “… I feel like those situations and circumstances made me who I am today and it made me the man and football player I am today. So, I’m thankful for the experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
While Jones is not currently projected to hear his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft, he believes that his experiences at Maryland make him better equipped to face these challenges and succeed at the next level in spite of them. Jones suffered season-ending ACL tears in 2019 and 2021.
“I think I’ve been through a lot of things that a lot of guys in my position haven’t been through,” Jones said. “Just having that, having been through that, kind of knowing how to handle those things and how to navigate through that adversity and tough times, I feel like it has helped me a lot.”
While some believe Jones may be the next in a long line of talented Maryland receivers to be overlooked by scouts and mock drafters, Jones himself believes that things will work out if he puts himself in the best position given what he’s seen from peers who have made it in the NFL.
“Being that I’ve been in a room with NFL guys for probably all five or six of my years here, to see how it all works out has definitely been tough to watch,” Jones said. “They’ve kind of helped me. [Both] the ones with the successful stories and the ones with the not-so-successful stories have all helped me navigate through it all and helped me prepare to be in this moment.”
Jones credits his optimistic and determined mindset to one of the greatest lessons he learned while with the Terps.
“This may sound cliché, man, but I have to say, just control what you can control and everything happens for a reasons. You may not understand, you may not like what happens, but everything happens for a reason,” Jones said.
It was this mindset that helped Jones make the decision to play in the Terps’ most recent bowl game, a 31-13 victory against Auburn in the 2023 TransPerfect Music City Bowl. While some draft-eligible players choose not to play in bowl games, Jones saw it as a prime opportunity. For him, it was a no-brainer.
“I made my decision based off of what I’ve been through,” Jones said. “I’ve had two ACL [injuries] and I’ve had to miss two whole seasons. Why would I sit on an opportunity when I’m good and healthy enough to play? Why would I miss out on that opportunity? Man, I feel like I missed enough games in my time here in Maryland. So, why not go out there and finish in the right way and finish what I started?”
As Jones leaves the Terps, he has high hopes that Maryland can become a force in the Big Ten and close the gap with the conference’s elite teams.
“I feel like it’s just consistency and stacking days. That’s the biggest thing I feel like we missed on last year,” Jones said. “Losing those games to Northwestern, to Illinois — we had no business losing those games and we still did. … Then you see we come out there and play the national champions to the fourth quarter.”
Jones will leave Maryland with three degrees (one undergrad and two masters). He believes his intellect and high skill level will speak for themselves and make him an asset to any team that takes a chance on him.
“I’d say [I’m] a tough, smart and reliable football player,” Jones said. “… I feel like I can learn any playbook. I can compete with the top dogs at the next level. I’ve competed with the top dogs in the Big Ten and in college football while I’ve been here. I feel like I’m ready for that next step and I can help whatever locker room that I’m put into.”
For more from Jones, listen to the full interview here:
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