Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Three things to know about Ronald Jones

2. He Draws Inspiration from the Passing of His Father

The newest Buccaneer running back is Ronald Jones II. His father, Ronald Jones Sr., was an Army veteran. However, he also served as the inspiration behind his son’s football career. He got his son into the game, taking him to his first-ever NFL game when he was ten years old. Unfortunately, he had heart problems later in life and was on a transplant list. He was never able to receive the transplant, then passed away from a heart attack in 2012.

Since his father’s passing, Jones II has turned that emotion into energy on the field. He wants to continue making his father proud in the game that they often enjoyed together. An article from Sports on Earth detailed the inspiration he draws from sharing a name with his father:

"But as his football career blossomed in the wake of his father’s death, Ronald Jones II grew, too. He wrote a eulogy for his father and planned to read it at the funeral, but when the time came to deliver it, he was too emotional. Attendees were able to read his words instead. “Ronald Neville Jones. We both share the same name,” he wrote. “But to me, your name is Dad, you are my father. I am your son. That’s something that will never, ever change.” He outlined a promise that’s largely defined his life since: He’d make his dad proud of him in every way he could. He’s done everything he can in the five years since to do just that."

When he’s missing his father the most, Jones II wears a necklace with dog tags that he inherited from Ronald Sr. Sharing a name with his father is something he takes very seriously, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him don “Jones II” on the back of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey.