The Giants have brought Chad Jones back to New York.
The rookie safety seriously injured last week in a car wreck was transferred yesterday to New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center from the LSU Public Hospital in New Orleans. The Giants arranged for the flight with MedjetAssist of Birmingham, Ala.
Jones was accompanied on the flight by his girlfriend, Jade Newman. He is expected to require plastic surgery on his left leg and possibly additional orthopedic procedures.
A two-sport (football and baseball) star at LSU, Jones was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft and the Giants were excited about his potential, not only in the defensive backfield but also as a kick returner.
After reporting to the offseason program slightly overweight, Jones eventually gained praise from coach Tom Coughlin following the June 15-17 mini-camp. Jones and the other rookies stayed one more week for training and then were free to leave.
Jones was only days away from attending the NFL’s rookie symposium in Carlsbad, Calif., when disaster struck. He was the driver in a serious accident early last Friday morning when his Range Rover slammed into a street-car pole in New Orleans.
The two passengers in the vehicle escaped with minor injuries but Jones suffered multiple fractures to his left leg and underwent eight hours of surgery to improve the blood flow in his left foot.
Jones won’t be able to play football this season and perhaps never again, although his agent, Rocky Arceneaux, has stated he believes Jones will be able to return to professional sports, if not football than perhaps baseball, where Jones was a left-handed pitcher on LSU’s 2009 national championship baseball team.
“Chad has received outstanding medical care from the doctors and nurses in New Orleans since his accident. They’ve shown great compassion,” said Ronnie Barnes, the Giants’ vice president of medical services. “After consulting with our doctors, Chad’s doctors at LSU and his family felt like this move to New York was the next logical step in his care and recovery.”
Jones’ parents, Patti and Al, have been with their son since Saturday and yesterday flew to New York on a commercial flight, accompanied by Charles Way, the former Giants fullback and currently their director of player development. Way was dispatched to New Orleans soon after the accident.