So far, Sheridan Jones' senior season has been filled with adversity.
Clemson's most experienced cornerback was supposed to provide a veteran presence in the Tigers' secondary, but due to suffering two different stingers, Jones was forced to miss three consecutive games.
Jones made his much-anticipated return over the weekend in the Tigers' 38-24 win over Florida State, but getting to that point was not an easy task.
"It's definitely been tough," Jones said. "You know, body feeling ready to go and then just watching your brothers go out there and play hard, play physical and just not being out there to help them."
The first stinger came early in Clemson's Week 3 win over Louisiana Tech, with the second coming in practice. While stingers aren't all that uncommon, suffering two so close together was a little concerning, causing Jones and the Clemson training staff to be extra cautious.
“It’s definitely scary,” Jones said. “It’s not something to play around with. We had to be smart and take it day by day. We wanted to make sure everything was good before I came back.”
"You go a little like numb in the shoulder, get a little tingling going down the arm. Your shoulders get a little weak and then the feeling starts to come back. But you know playing around with that, like the nerves and everything, that's nothing to play with."
Jones' absence forced the coaching staff into having to rely more heavily on sophomore Nate Wiggins and freshman Toriano Pride. Since he couldn't be on the field helping his teammates, Jones found another way to contribute.
"I try and be a helping hand to those guys all the time," Jones said. "Whether it's off the field, on the field, like going through the day in the film room, watching film with other guys making sure they know the tendencies and the tips. And then even like the home game that I missed, being on the sideline, coaching them up, really making sure I'm into the game and not just being out there."
Jones played a season-high 79 snaps against the Seminoles, and his return helped stabilize a Clemson secondary that had sorely lacked experience in recent weeks.
"Sometimes you do have hesitation, but I told myself, if I'm gonna be out there, it should be no hesitation," Jones said. "If I got cleared to go and I feel like I'm mentally and physically good enough, there should be no hesitation. Just go out there and trust that you are there for a reason, you've been cleared for a reason."
"Anything can happen, honestly, but you’ve got to keep the faith and go out there and make plays.”
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