When Nazair Jones was a junior at Roanoke Rapids High, he woke one morning to find his legs were no longer working. After having played a game the night before, Jones tried to get up and walk to the bathroom, but his legs wouldn’t take him there. His back tightened, pain shot through his legs and he was stuck standing in place.

This was the beginning of a journety that would take him from one doctor to the next, through batteries of tests and hospital stays until finally a diagnosis was reached: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a rare condition impacting the nervous system that is chronic but manageable with medication and therapy.

Suddenly football took a back seat to simply being able to walk again. Jones lost nearly 50 pounds before a stay at a Ronald McDonald House and countless hours of rehabilitation and therapy gave him back his strength and the use of his legs.

Jones refused to give up on his dream, and eight months after waking that morning unable to walk, he was finally given the clearance to play football again. He was offered a scholarship to North Carolina where he became its top defensive lineman and leader on defense.

Jones returned to the Ronald McDonald house again, this time as a volunteer and a source of hope and inspiration.

Last Friday, Jones was drafted in the third round, 102nd overall, by the Seattle Seahawks. It’s a remarkable achievement and example of the power of the human spirit.