They called him “Too Tall Jones” because when he first came out to the field in his equipment he looked like someone had hung a football helmet from a fence post. Skinny and towering over the other 10-year-olds, the coaches told him he’d be a defensive end — just like the Cowboys Hall of Famer.
Orleans Darkwa didn’t want to play that position. He wanted to be like Steve McNair and Eddie George, the Titans players who were dashing around the field with the ball in their hands while he was growing up in Nashville. But he was excited just to be playing.