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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
The Observer

God led Jonathan Jones to Notre Dame

Senior linebacker Jonathan Jones may not have ended up at Notre Dame if God hadn’t led him here. Jones was considering multiple schools, but there were multiple signs that told him that Notre Dame was the right fit for him. 

“Every big decision in life, I pray and ask God for guidance to take me where I want to go. It came down to a few schools — Michigan, Duke, UCF, Syracuse and here. I prayed that God would show me the right way to go and shut down any doors that I wasn’t supposed to go through,” Jones said.

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Irish senior linebacker Jonathan Jones sings the Alma Mater after Notre Dame's 52-20 win over Navy on Nov. 16 at Notre Dame Stadium.
Irish senior linebacker Jonathan Jones sings the Alma Mater after Notre Dame's 52-20 win over Navy on Nov. 16 at Notre Dame Stadium.


Jones was seriously considering going to Duke before a large storm prevented him from visiting.

“I was supposed to go to Duke on an official visit and it stormed like crazy,” he said. “I couldn’t even get on the plane because the storm was so bad, so I couldn’t even see Duke. That took them off the list.”

Jones said after weighing all his options and lots of prayer, he knew Notre Dame was the place for him.

“The most logical place was to come here,” Jones said. “And also it’s Notre Dame. You can’t really turn down Notre Dame. So here I am.”

Jones plays a crucial role on the defensive line for the Irish, and has also played his share on special teams squad. During his four years as a part of Notre Dame football, Jones has enjoyed watching his younger teammates and fellow classmates excel on the field.

“I love seeing a lot of young guys and guys in my class make plays and see their story develop,” Jones said.

Jones also mentioned one of the favorite parts of every game is when the 1812 Overture plays at the conclusion of the third quarter.

“I really like in the fourth quarter when they play the 1812 Overture,” Jones said. “I love when the students are throwing up their hands. I love that.”

Off the field, Jones has enjoyed participating in the Camp for Kids program that the football team participates in every offseason.

“I really enjoyed when we would do ‘Camp for Kids’ with middle schoolers and elementary kids,” Jones stated. “It was in the offseason, and we would break up in our groups and take these kids and play with them. They loved it and we enjoyed it. That was probably my favorite experience.”

Jones, once a resident in Knott Hall, said he loved his time there.

“That was hands-down the best dorm on campus. It wasn’t one of the newer ones, but for its time, it is pretty modern as it had AC and everything you needed,” Jones said. “Shout out to my man PK for holding it down at Knott. He’s the head RA there. Great guys, and everybody is really accepting and everyone is about their business but knew how to have fun, so I love it there. It was a great experience.”

Jones is a native of Orlando, Florida, and is pursuing a major in Film, Television, and Theatre.

“First I was a graphic design major in visual communication. I could picture what I wanted, but I couldn’t put it on paper, so my parents and I decided that I would be better at speaking, public relations and media-type stuff, so I decided on FTT,” Jones said.

Jones said he has especially enjoyed his FTT classes his senior year.

“Right now, I have had to do a lot of critical research essays about the media world, and I’ve really enjoyed gaining knowledge about that and putting it in project form,” Jones said.

After graduation, Jones plans to take a year off before going into the Navy.

“I have planned to take a year off and go home and enjoy my family for awhile,” he said. “Then after that. I am going to join the Navy for a couple of years and then from there see where life takes me.”