When Elin Jones stepped in entrance of the Brick x Brick cameras two seasons in the past, he was simply one other hungry HBCU soccer participant within the Johnson C. Smith College (JCSU) soccer locker room—underrated, ignored, and combating for one thing extra. Now, he’s headed to the FBS.
One of many centerpiece athletes of HBCU Gameday’s hit docuseries, Jones wasn’t only a soccer participant. He was the man on protection over the primary two seasons—the vocal chief, the motivator, the heartbeat. Now, the JCSU soccer standout is transferring to Western Kentucky College, the place he’ll play out his remaining yr of eligibility on the FBS stage.
Nevertheless it wasn’t simply good TV. It was grit solid in adversity. Earlier than the lights, cameras, and historic win streak, Elin Jones was simply one other underdog Atlanta-area prospect with no D1 affords and one final shot.
“Man, the campus was like two buildings and a few gravel,” he stated, recalling his first school cease at Virginia College of Lynchburg. With restricted assets and barely a weight room to coach in, Jones did what he’s at all times executed—made one thing out of nothing.
“I attempted my finest to make it one thing out of it,” he stated. “I acquired a bit movie, pushed my GPA, and simply went to work.”
VUL was small, however it gave him a crack on the recreation. And when nobody else was calling, that mattered. Even whereas enjoying in opposition to NAIA and D3 competitors, Jones handled each rep like a job interview. It wasn’t glamorous, however it was actual.
From Rugby Hopeful to Actuality Verify
His uncooked expertise quickly translated to a unique area—rugby. After a DM on Twitter requested if he’d ever performed, Jones discovered himself on a membership group that traveled the South and finally certified for a nationwide championship in Kansas Metropolis.
“We had been so good that they flew us out for nationals,” he stated. “We made it to the finals. Misplaced a troublesome one, however it all occurred for a motive.”
That efficiency earned him consideration from the College of Georgia’s rugby program, the place he skilled and competed with the squad in hopes of strolling on to the soccer group.
“I used to be figuring out with the UGA rugby guys. And beloved it. Competing, grinding… however then they instructed me I needed to get accepted into the varsity.”
Sadly, his GPA wasn’t excessive sufficient to clear admissions. The window closed earlier than it ever actually opened.
“I had the chance from UGA Rugby. However I didn’t even make it to the applying. I used to be crushed.”
One other door closed—however the work by no means stopped.
Answering the Name from Coach Flowers
Jones’ story may have ended there, however one other alternative was ready, due to somebody who had believed in him earlier than: Coach Maurice Flowers.
“I didn’t don’t have any dwelling after my freshman yr,” Jones stated. “Coach Flowers provided me a shot when nobody else did.”
Flowers had first linked with Jones throughout his time at Fort Valley State, even internet hosting him on a recruiting go to. That relationship paid off when Flowers took the reins of JCSU soccer and introduced Jones into the fold.
“He instructed me, ‘Something you need—simply work for it and compete.’ And that’s what I did.”
Tone Setter
In a program rebuilding beneath new management, Elin Jones shortly emerged as a tone-setter—one whose hearth, power, and relentless motor helped gasoline a cultural shift at JCSU.
“We had been undefeated, man—kings of Charlotte. However once I went down, one thing was lacking. That power on the sector wasn’t the identical.”
He clawed his means into the JCSU soccer lineup, helped lead the group throughout its 8-0 run to start out the 2024 season, after which, simply when it felt like all the pieces was coming collectively, he suffered a devastating damage.
“I tore my MCL and meniscus, and we didn’t even know the severity,” Jones stated. “I used to be making an attempt to make a soccer play, and certainly one of my teammates rolled up on me.”
The Second It Turned
“I instructed myself, ‘It’s both kill or be killed,’” he recalled. “If it’s my final shot, I’m going to present this factor all the pieces I acquired.”
Regardless of being sidelined, Elin Jones by no means stopped main. Even when he couldn’t stroll, he stayed engaged—texting teammates, displaying up on crutches, and pushing via bodily remedy with relentless drive. Behind the scenes, he was additionally battling for an additional yr of eligibility. And when the NCAA granted it, the script flipped.
That’s when Mike Walker, a revered coach, acquired wind of his story and helped amplify it. Inside 24 hours of spreading the phrase, Jones’ telephone lit up with calls from the likes of the College of Maryland, Georgia State, and Missouri.
Brick x Brick Turns into a Launchpad
HBCU Gameday’s Brick x Brick sequence didn’t simply doc his ache—it helped rewrite his future.
“Brick x Brick was nice publicity for me,” Jones stated. “Each coach I met at Western Kentucky instructed me they’d seen my power on HBCU Gameday—each apply, each recreation day. That mattered.”
It wasn’t simply hype. The movie backed it up. His tape confirmed a dominant inside pressure who led by instance. The docuseries featured a younger man who by no means give up, by no means gave up, and by no means stopped believing—even when he had each motive to.
“It wasn’t simply what I did on the sector. It was how I led. They noticed that, they usually needed that.”
From Smith to the Hilltoppers
Finally, Western Kentucky made it official. The teaching employees, moved by his story and backed by references from throughout HBCU soccer, provided him a full scholarship. Inside days, Jones was on campus—smiling, wholesome, and locked in.
“After I noticed the campus, met the employees—I knew I had a brand new dwelling,” he stated.
He signed on the spot.
Undefeated ‘Til Loss of life
Now seven months faraway from surgical procedure, Jones is again the place he belongs: within the trenches, working towards Saturdays, chasing greatness. However he’s additionally carrying one thing extra—proof that DII HBCU athletes, given the platform and the highlight, can shine at any stage.
His season motto? A scripture: Galatians 6:9—”Allow us to not develop weary of doing good, for in due time, we are going to reap a harvest.”
For Elin Jones, the harvest is simply starting.
“It’s actually easy,” he says. “Undefeated ‘til dying. You win if you strive once more.”
