Personal adversity has brought out the best in…
“This award was truly made for a guy like him,” Adams said. “I think there’s nobody in the league more deserving than him for this, especially with everything he’s gone through with his family over this offseason. You might as well etch his name in it for me. I don’t know how it’ll play out but he wins the award for me, for sure.”
Jones and his father began talking about Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year after attending the NFL Honors ceremony, when Calais Campbell was presented with the 2019 award.
For Jones, it wasn’t so much about winning it but just understanding the responsibilities that come with being one of the league’s top young running backs.
Jones already had been active in both the Green Bay and El Paso communities, visiting schools and raising money for charities, but listening to Campbell’s speech motivated Jones and his parents to establish their own foundation.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur has seen Jones’ off-the-field impact with his own eyes. One of his sons is on a youth football team with Jones’ training-camp bike kid. On a few occasions, the Pro Bowl running back has stopped to cheer him on.
“This guy is as selfless as I’ve been around, just everything he does for everybody else,” said LaFleur of Jones, who is also the team’s nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. “As talented as a player as we all know he is, I think it’s pretty obvious he’s an even better person. Just everything that he does and the support that he shows, not only for the local community but everything he does outside of here.”
Professionally, the 2021 season has brought its own series of challenges on the field for Jones, who was among the multitude of Packers players hampered by injury this year.
Prior to the team’s Week 13 bye, a knee injury sidelined Jones during Green Bay’s 34-31 loss to Minnesota in Week 12. He returned the following week against the Los Angeles Rams but was limited to just 10 touches.
In addition to the Packers’ 36-28 win to improve to 9-3 on the season, Jones came out of the game no worse for wear and did not appear on the injury report Wednesday.
“I felt good enough to play,” said Jones of his return against the Rams before the bye. “I love going out there and competing. I love being out there with my brothers. It was a good Rams team and I felt like we needed that win. I felt healthy enough to play, which I was, and made it out of the game healthy.”
As the Packers continue to battle for the top seed in the NFC playoffs, Jones hopes to mount a serious bid for the Man of the Year honors – not only to honor his parents but also knowing how far a $250,000 donation could go for his charitable causes.
After placing Aaron’s trophy on the mantle, Vurgess was taken aback when she heard her son say a simple and courteous, “Thank you,” for everything she and her late husband did for Aaron and his siblings.
“She’s like, ‘What are you thanking me for? I didn’t do anything,'” Aaron recalled. “I looked at her and am like, ‘Are you serious? You didn’t do anything? I think you had a huge part in raising me into the man I’ve become today and the things that we’re doing. So, I just want to tell you thank you.’ She’s like, ‘Well, when you look at it like that, you’re welcome.’
“I love my mom. She’s my everything. I thank her for continuing to push through.”
https://www.packers.com/news/personal-adversity-has-brought-out-the-best-in-aaron-jones