Bengals cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones has a great deal of experience in the criminal justice system. He hopes to use that experience to help young people.
Jones, who has been arrested several times, most recently last month after an altercation with a woman at a Cincinnati bar, told USA Today that he’s speaking to children in the hopes that they’ll listen to him and avoid the same mistakes he’s made.
“The only thing I can talk about are true life experiences,” Jones said. “I’m going to be honest with them and whatever questions they ask me, I’ll answer. Be accountable and responsible for all your actions. School is cool, guns are not. Just keep working hard, enjoy your childhood.”
Despite that recent arrest, Jones says he’s not the same person he was early in his career, when a series of off-field incidents caused him to miss the entire 2007 season and the entire 2009 season.
“I don’t do the things that I used to do,” he said. “I don’t hang with the guys that I used to hang out with. I’m a father, I have a great fiancée, I work hard every day and I try to lead by example. In the past, I was a little wild, wanted to be out every night, all night. There are better things in life, you know what I mean? And thank God for my beautiful two little girls. They really changed my outlook on life.”
That positive outlook on life is what Jones is now trying to pass on.