Donald Jones was forced to retire last offseason after undergoing a kidney transplant, so the former New England Patriots wide receiver has switched sports.
Jones is playing baseball for the Atlantic League’s Somerset (N.J.) Patriots as an outfielder this season. The independent minor league includes the Sugar Land Skeeters, where former NBA star Tracy McGrady also is attempting a fresh start as a pitcher.
“My love of baseball started back when I was little,” Jones told MyCentralJersey.com.
“I played Little League, and I played all the way through high school. But I just loved the football atmosphere, so I really stuck with football. Plus, it was a faster route to the NFL than baseball would have been getting to the big leagues. I liked scoring touchdowns and I liked dancing in the end zone, so I stuck with it. But I always loved baseball.”
Jones never made it to Patriots training camp after participating in minicamp and organized team activities last spring. Since his retirement, he’s also working as a motivational speaker, he’s begun work on an Internet startup and he’s opening a sports facility in New Jersey.
Photo via Twitter/@mashmore98
