INDIANAPOLIS – Less than four months before he signed his National Letter of Intent to play football at Ohio State, Dawand Jones was thinking about signing with Kent State to play basketball instead.
As a kid, Jones didn’t dream of being the next Orlando Pace; he wanted to be the next Shaquille O’Neal or Dwight Howard. Basketball has long been Jones’ favorite sport, and as his senior football season at Ben Davis High School neared its end, he still hadn’t yet received any offers to play football from major programs.
When Jones finally received his first Power 5 offer to play football from Mississippi State on Oct.