A Foundational Culture Changer
Texas State offensive lineman Nash Jones follows his faith and the foundation and cultural values instilled in him by his coaches to fuel NFL dream
Texas State offensive lineman Nash Jones has begun his journey to the NFL by participating in the East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, Texas this week, pitting himself against some of the nation’s elite prospects.
He’s not a prospect many casual fans are going to recognize, but you wouldn’t know it from how he carries himself.
“Coming from a smaller school and going against bigger schools, I’m trying to prove I can hang,” Jones said. “I feel like I’m doing pretty good for myself.”
Jones is a local DFW native who began his college career at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio and later transferred to Texas State. Now, he is trying to show he belongs in the NFL. While it’s a high-stakes situation as far as the implications for his career, Jones does not feel any internal pressure when it comes to performing well.
“From a scout’s perspective, I need to prove something, but from my perspective, I don’t,” he explained. “I am who I think that I am. I come in with the confidence that I can play with these guys. I know I could’ve gone to those schools if I chose to, but God had a plan for me to play at Texas State, so that’s what I did.”
Jones credits his college coaches for helping him set a firm foundation — on the field and in life. While he did transfer programs, unlike most other transfers, he played most of his career under the same coaching staff and can use that as an advantage as he pursues the NFL.
“I was able to have two head coaches and one position coach for all five years,” he reflected. “… I could just grow in the system and learn in the system. I’d see what they wanted out of me, and I knew what to do every single day instead of having to fight all these different techniques in my head from all these different coaches. They gave me a great foundation to lean on.”
Jones continues to lean on that foundation and his faith in God as he moves toward the next steps of his football career. He is an incredibly self-aware and faithful person, which has led him to plenty of success as part of winning programs over the years.
“I think that speaks volumes to what I do,” Jones said. “I change cultures. I set foundations, and I stayed there long enough to build something. I’m not just going to be going for the best thing ever. I’m going to do what God tells me and stay where God tells me to stay. Be where my feet are and build the best I can possibly build.”
The NFL Draft process still has a long way to go. But one thing seems certain. Whichever team picks Nash Jones will know exactly what kind of player it is getting in its locker room, and he looks to leave no doubts on the field as well.