It seems like we have been talking about it non-stop for two days, but we can now finally say that Canadian Football League star Brett Jones, an offensive lineman, is a member of the New York Giants. The team made the signing of the 23-year-old official Wednesday afternoon.
Jones, 6-foot-2 and 315 pounds, played the last two seasons for the Calgary Stampeders. In 2013, he won the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award. Last year, he won the league's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award.
"It has always been a goal and a dream of mine to play in the NFL," Jones said today after signing his contract at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. "This is the first step, and I look forward to taking many more."
Calgary's head coach is John Hufnagel, who was offensive coordinator of the Giants from 2004-2006.
Jones knows that he will face an adjustment from the CFL to the NFL.
"I am coming from the Canadian style, where they are one yard off the ball," he said. "I know that there is going to be a learning curve to that. I went right from the CIS to the CFL, and it is a big difference from college to pro. Hopefully my pro experience will help me, but I understand there is going to be a learning curve and I look forward to that."
Jones is the fourth University of Regina alumnus currently on an NFL roster, joining defensive linemen Akiem Hicks (New Orleans Saints) and Stefan Charles (Buffalo Bills) and punter Jon Ryan (Seattle Seahawks).
NOTE: The Giants also officially released running back David Wilson, who was forced to retire before the 2014 season due to a neck injury.