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Defensive Back, Tennessee Titans

On a sweltering July afternoon in Lithonia, Ga., 20 boys ages 8 to 16 participated in a football camp conducted by legendary high school coach, Oscar Dillard. As the future NFL hopefuls learned the fundamentals of running, catching and receiving, Adam "Pacman" Jones stood quietly on the sidelines as coach Dillard yelled instructions to his star pupils in the making. Jones, who played under Dillard while a student at Westlake High School in Atlanta, seemed intrigued by the familiarity.

Jones smiled slightly, perhaps remembering a simpler time in his own life when he was as carefree as the youngsters he was watching. Since being drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the eighth overall pick in 2005, Jones has been involved in several off-the-field incidents that have tarnished his once-promising professional career. The most infamous incident occurred on Feb. 19 when Jones decided to celebrate NBA All-Star Weekend at Club Minxx with rappers Nelly, JD, Remy Ma, and boxer Zab Judah.

Although details of what really happened on that night are still sketchy, the celebratory night ended with a club security guard being shot and paralyzed. NFL commissioner Roger Godell eventually suspended Jones for the entire 2007 season. Now with several pending cases and months of idle time on his hands, Jones must figure out where it all went wrong.

"I think the money was the difference for me," Jones says. "Coming from the inner city, I never really had anything. But when I signed my [NFL] contract, I could afford things and I could buy 15 cars and $3,000 worth of jewelry. Being young, I had to learn how to control my money, slow down and watch who was around me." Jones, who was raised in one of the roughest areas in Atlanta, has remained friends with many of the people he grew up with. "I was used to hang with 15 or 20 people whenever I went out," he says. "When I'm with 15 guys, one may get into a fight and everything comes back on me. If you're a big fish in a small pond, they come after the big fish."

With his NFL career in jeopardy, Jones believes that telling kids his story will encourage them to make the correct decisions in life. "I tell kids that they have to pick their friends wisely," he says. "I can't hang around my best friends because they want to be on the block and then come hang with me. Things happen fast. Where you are and who you are with can mess up your future." - amir shaw

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