New York Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones is officially a superstar. He’s on the back page of every newspaper, is the main talking point on sports radio and the focus of seemingly endless segments on television.
Jones’ magical comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3 has been discussed by national news outlets, warranted a segment on NPR and has made him the talk of the town — and by town, we mean country.
So, how has Jones’ life changed in the aftermath of his successful starting debut? It hasn’t.
“It’s the same thing. I go home and then I come into work every day. I don’t feel like it’s changed a whole lot,” Jones told reporters from East Rutherford on Wednesday. “I think you’re aware [of the growing fame] to some extent . . . but I’m trying to focus on this week, what we’re doing here and preparing myself to play as well as I can.”
The always humble, centered and grounded Jones didn’t give a second thought to his growing celebrity, instead choosing to focus on the Washington Redskins and his own personal growth as a player.
“There’s a number of things we need to work on and that I need to clean up, certainly. We’ll focus on that also, but it’s always easier to do that when you win,” Jones said.
As impressive as Jones was in his starting debut a week ago, he did lose two fumbles and had what should have been a pick-6 dropped. During film review, those three things loomed large in his mind and he’s determined not to make the same mistakes against Washington.
“We weren’t perfect by any stretch, but I thought we competed for four quarters. There’s a whole lot to clean up. Hopefully I can play better, hopefully we all can,” Jones said.
It’s clear that Jones is wise well beyond his years, has his head in the right place and manages his emotions much like Eli Manning, who never lets himself get too high or low.
Both on the field and off of it, Jones is proving beyond a shadow of a doubt why he was worthy of the No. 6 overall pick.
