Former Ohio State star Cardale Jones has taken long road to the XFL — but carries no regrets

Tom Schad | USA TODAY

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. — In the 72 hours after Ohio State won the 2015 national championship game, Cardale Jones had a life-changing decision to make.

Jones had played in only three college games, but the early returns had been impressive. He had gone from third-string backup to Buckeye folk hero. NFL scouts were intrigued by his potential, and prognosticators pegged him as a possible first-round pick. It was assumed that he would leave college early and declare for the NFL draft.

Instead, the quarterback who had once tweeted that he "ain't come here to play SCHOOL" decided to return to Ohio State. He spent another year in school, slipped to the fourth round of the NFL draft the following year and took only 11 snaps in the NFL. He's now the expected starting quarterback of the XFL's D.C. Defenders.

When Jones officially joined the startup league in October, former NFL wide receiver Antonio Bryant tried to portray the 27-year-old quarterback as a cautionary tale of sorts. "He woulda (sic) been a top 10 pick in the 2015 NFL draft," Bryant wrote in a tweet that has since been deleted.

Jones, though, has no regrets — about how his football career has unfolded, or the 2015 decision that might have contributed to it.

"Everybody’s going to make a decision based on what they think is important to them, what they value, what they want to see their life end up (like) in the long run," the Ohio State graduate told USA TODAY Sports after a practice at Maryland's Cole Field House last week. "You’re not wrong or right for declaring or leaving early, or going back. It’s just what you think was right for you at that time in your life and your career."

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It's easy to look at the trajectory of Jones' career and view his decision to return to Ohio State as a missed career opportunity. His draft stock was never higher than it was in the brief time period after that 2015 title game, when he led the Buckeyes past Marcus Mariota and Oregon. In an otherwise underwhelming class of quarterbacks, his size and arm strength would have been enticing for NFL teams.

But to view Jones' decision purely through the lens of football is to ignore what happened afterwards. Jones continued working toward his degree in African-American Studies, with a minor in financial planning. He became fascinated by the generational influence of being raised in one culture versus another — "experiences (that) can benefit or hold the kids back, depending on their background," he said.

After being drafted by the Buffalo Bills, Jones spent the following spring commuting to Columbus, Ohio to finish his final two classes. He even timed his graduation date for the spring, rather than the winter, so his lasting memory of Ohio Stadium could be walking across the stage to get his diploma, rather than playing football. (Ohio State's winter graduation ceremony, he explained, is held in the Buckeyes' basketball arena.)

"It meant a lot to me and my family. I’m the first one to graduate from college," Jones said. "And like I said, I put as much work into my academics as I put into my body and my athletic career. I felt like if I hadn’t finished that, I would’ve always felt like it’s something I worked hard on and didn’t finish, or didn’t succeed in."

In Buffalo, Jones found himself behind Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel on the depth chart before he was traded to the Los Angeles Chargers for a conditional seventh-round pick. He spent 2017 as Philip Rivers' backup, and 2018 on the practice squad.

The Chargers cut him at the conclusion of the preseason this year, and he had a brief stint with the Seattle Seahawks before signing with the XFL.

"It’s shocking that he didn’t make the team and that he’s not on an NFL roster," said safety Tyvis Powell, who was Jones' roommate at Ohio State and is now on the Denver Broncos' practice squad. "But I think for him right now, I think he just wanted to go to the XFL and prove his point — that he’s a great quarterback and he’s a great leader. I think he’s tired of getting bounced around."

Jones said he had some opportunities to be on NFL practice squads, but he valued the stability that the XFL will provide. He pointed out that between Ohio State and stints with three NFL teams, he hasn't been a full-time starter since high school or his postgraduate stint at Fork Union Military Academy in the fall of 2011.

With the Defenders, who will officially kick off XFL play with a game against the Seattle Dragons six days after the Super Bowl, Jones will not only be the unquestioned leader of a team — he has a chance to be one of the faces of the new league.

"(He's) a rare physical talent that ultimately needs just more time on task, playing the position — in particular in games," D.C. Defenders coach Pep Hamilton said. "(But) he has the potential to be one of the best 32 quarterbacks in professional football."

Jones said he doesn't spend time re-litigating his decision to return to school in 2015, nor wonder if he could've been a first-round pick in that draft. Nearly five years later, even after the twists and turns that football has provided, he's confident he made the right decision.

"I think your degree and your academic career, your academics, will take you further in most cases than your athletic career," Jones said.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

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