COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Justin Jones didn’t expect to get a call from an NFL team on Day 2 of this year’s draft.
The defensive tackle out of North Carolina State said he had a barbeque planned for a small gathering of family and friend on Saturday, the final day of this year’s draft.
After bowling earlier in the day, Jones said he went home to shower and watch the rest of Day 2 of the draft at home.
But while in the shower, Jones’ phone rang. On the other line was Chargers GM Tom Telesco with the news that the Chargers had selected Jones at No. 84 overall in the third round.
“We were bowling, and I was bowling mad hard,” Jones said. “And my girl was like, ‘Yeah, you ain’t smelling the best.’ So I go take a shower or whatever, and I’ve got the suds going on.”
Jones said the phone rang and he hopped out of the shower, but he had trouble answering the cell phone because his hands were wet. You can listen to the call here:
Sometimes draft calls go like Uchenna Nwosu's and sometimes they go like Justin Jones' 😂🤣😂
— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) April 28, 2018
🔈 ON | Watch till the end. | You are all welcome for this. pic.twitter.com/Y9cHxyu4QB
“I finally get the phone to swipe and I run downstairs, but then I run upstairs to get pants though because I can’t come downstairs without no pants on," he said. "So I get to the living room and I’m talking to coach, and my mom is right there listening. Obviously, when they say my name on TV, everybody starts going crazy. It sounded like there were 100 people in the room, but there was only five of us.”
Jones was one of four NC State defensive linemen taken in this year’s draft.
Defensive end Bradley Chubb went No. 5 to the Denver Broncos. The New York Giants selected defensive tackle B.J. Hill in the third round with the No. 69 overall selection. And defensive end Kentavius Street was selected No. 128 overall in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers.
“We competed every day,” Jones said. “And the competition got so childish we’d get up in the morning and start running to the door to see who would get there faster.
“Even in the weight room, if B.J. is benching and he hits 400 [pounds], I’m trying to hit 405. If Street squats 615, I’m trying to hit 630. Those competitions led to when we got to the game, we were just overpowering people.”