LOS ANGELES _ He made a name for himself this preseason, though very few of his teammates _ still today _ probably do not know his actual name.
It's JaNardreon. JaNardreon Quonshun Jones.
"People kind of butcher my first name," the Chargers wide receiver said. "So I go by JJ."
He has to be one of the more unlikely players to make a 53-man roster to open this season, Jones having played at West Georgia and, before that, Itawamba Community College in Mississippi.
Listed at 5-foot-10, 173 pounds, he went undrafted, the Chargers drawn to him because of his speed. Jones said he ran a 4.2-second 40-yard dash on his pro day.
He flashed that speed most notably on a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown against Seattle in the second preseason game. That was the play when Jones "came on my radar," coach Anthony Lynn said Monday.
"We tried to upgrade the speed on this football team," Lynn explained. "He brought that speed element and points. We need to score points from everybody, not just that offense. We need points from everybody."
Lynn said he wasn't sure if Jones would be employed as a returner Sunday in the opener against Kansas City. He did acknowledge Jones has the ability to bring back both punts and kickoffs.
Producing a moment like he did last month against the Seahawks in the regular season certainly would further establish Jones, even though JaNardreon isn't likely to catch on anytime soon.
"It's just something my mom came up with that she thought was fascinating, I guess," Jones said. "But, seriously, just call me JJ."
