Mike Chappell

mike.chappell@indystar.com

When it comes to payback, the Jones brood is true to their word.

"We broke a lot of furniture growing up and we're paying our mom back for it now,'' offered Arthur Jones III, the eldest son of Arthur II and Camille, and one of the newest editions to the Indianapolis Colts.

That's the byproduct of a household featuring three youngsters with unbridled spirit and raging athleticism.

Arthur III, 27, signed a five-year, $33 million contract with the Colts. Jon, 26, is the reigning UFC world light-heavyweight champion. Chandler, 24, was the New England Patriots' 2012 first-round draft pick. He, like Arthur III, is a top-level defensive end who attended Syracuse.

Dad chuckled. Yes, Arthur III, Jon and Chandler could be downright rowdy in the living room of their Endicott, N.Y. home.

"Tore up the piano stool,'' Arthur II said in a telephone interview with The Star. "Broke the sofa, broke windows, broke the bannister up the stairs, knocked things off the wall.

"Yes, they tore things up quite a bit.''

J.J. Stanbro was aware of the frequent carnage. He has retired as wrestling coach at Union-Endicott (N.Y.) High School, but helped shape Arthur III and brother Jon into New York state wrestling champions. Arthur III is one of two Union-Endicott wrestlers with a pair of state titles while Jon earned one. They were wrestling workout partners and often shared their home-wrecking stories with their coach.

"They used to beat the house up in a bad way,'' Stanbro said. "Their mom used to get so upset.''

Imagine, those formative years.

"Man, constant competition growing up in my household,'' Arthur III said. "If the lights were going to be off or on. The last piece of chicken or a cookie, we were fighting over it. For pecking order on the video games.''

The brotherly brouhahas produced impressive results.

"It built so much character,'' Arthur III said. "We just love each other. It's no type of jealousy or anything like that. We all strive for greatness and making our family name great and that's what we're continuing doing, building our legacy.

"Even now, we still compete for silly things. Whose car can look better or how much money one of us is making. It's a joke going on how I was the brokest Jones.

"Now, I'm the richest one."

It was apparent to Stanbro that the Jones boys were something special, even when they were in junior high school.

"They had that different drive as far as athletics,'' he said.

Stanbro considered the man Arthur III has grown into: 6-3, 315 pounds.

"Obviously when he was younger he didn't look the way he does now,'' Stanbro said with a soft chuckle. "He had a much smaller frame, but he kind of looked like a pear because he had a big butt and narrow shoulders.

"But he could move so well. He had such good agility, such good hip speed. And we knew he was going to get bigger. When he was 12, 13 years old he was wearing size 13 shoes.''

Stanbro also knows whom to credit for the Jones brothers competitive – combative? – spirit.

"I think their dad instigated it,'' he said. "He used to wrestle when he was in high school. He always wanted to wrestle around with the boys.

"He was always challenging them, right up to their senior year. Now, not so much.''

Arthur II, 56, declined to take full credit for everything, although he's quick to offer he posted a 24-2-1 record on the mats as a senior.

"They've got a tough mom, too,'' he said. "She's a warrior.''

There have been difficult times, though. The Jones' oldest child, daughter Carmen, died just prior to her 17th birthday due to a brain tumor.

"She was so protective of her brothers,'' Arthur II said.

Now and then, the brothers are more than capable of fending for themselves.

Arthur III spent the past four years with the Baltimore Ravens – 118 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 46 career games, 20 as a starter – and became an unrestricted free agent Tuesday.

When his agent informed him the Colts had an interest in signing him, Jones narrowed his options to one. He was eager to reunite with coach Chuck Pagano, his defensive coordinator with the Ravens in 2011, and Cory Redding, his Ravens teammate in 2010-11.

"When I found out Indy was one of the teams interested in me, it was really a no-brainer,'' Jones said. "I told my agent, 'You need to get this thing done. This is where I want to be.'''

Although the Jones brothers have branched out, they always seem to intersect. Arthur III and Chandler have met twice in the NFL. That includes the 2012 AFC championship game, a Ravens' win that sent them on to Super Bowl XLVII where they defeated the San Francisco 49ers.

And the 2014 schedule has the Colts and Patriots meeting in Lucas Oil Stadium.

"We're excited about coming to Colts games because I've always like their coach (Pagano) and I like their quarterback, Andrew Luck,'' Arthur II said. "And of course Chandler's on the other side, in the AFC.

"Looks like they're still going to be battling.''

Report has Nicks visiting Colts: Former Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks told ESPN he is flying to Indianapolis Thursday and plans to meet with the Colts on Friday. Nicks also has drawn reported interest from the Chargers and Panthers. In 2012 and '13, he caught 53 and 56 passes for 692 and 896 yards, respectively.

Call Star reporter Mike Chappell at (317) 444-6830. You can follow him on Twitter at @mchappell51.