Chris Jones crying before kickoff? Kansas City Chiefs fans say that’s a good sign

NEW ORLEANS — Between the whistles, Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones is a terror on the football field, capable of single-handedly altering the outcome of a game.

But TV cameras and social media have taken notice of a softer side of the big man: As Kansas City’s recent playoff runs have brought the Chiefs to the Super Bowl in three straight years, Jones has become known for shedding tears at emotional moments — especially during the national anthem.

And he’s not shy about it. In media appearances ahead of this week’s Super Bowl, Jones has taken to a running gag.

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“As you guys know, I get emotional during the game. I’m an emotional guy. I wear my emotions on my sleeve,” he told reporters, smiling as he adopted the celebrity pitchman impersonation. “Thankfully, I have my partners Kleenex here with me. So when I have a tear falling down, I can take a Kleenex and wipe it off and keep going.” (Kleenex’s parent company did not respond to a request for comment.)

Kansas City fans have come to see Jones’ tear-stained cheeks during the anthem as an auspicious sign for the game to follow. And it’s hard to dispute that theory: The Chiefs have not lost a playoff game since the 2022 season, and Jones has been a crucial part of the team’s success.

Over the past three years, Jones has been named to the AP All-Pro First Team each season and logged a total of 34.5 sacks and nearly 100 quarterback hits. At six-foot-six and 310 pounds, he’s a physically intimidating presence on the field.

“You never see a grown man, especially at that size, cry,” said rookie teammate Jaden Hicks. “But it’s an emotional game, especially to him.”

Jones’ teammates, who see him when the cameras aren’t around — in the locker room, at practice, off the clock – uniformly say Jones has a buoyant personality, always quick with a laugh or smile.

“He’s never had a bad day. He always seems to be in a great mood,” said defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. “In the game of football, to have a guy as passionate as Chris is huge. And I think other guys feed off of that.”

From the moment he embraced NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell with a bear hug after being drafted by the Chiefs in 2016, Jones has been demonstrative with his feelings. But the on-field tears are a more recent development, he acknowledges. Jones, who is now 30 years old, attributed that to getting older.

“I think it’s being comfortable in your skin, understanding that other opinions don’t matter,” he said. “As athletes and as men, I think it’s challenging at times to be that vulnerable, especially in front of the world.”

He is one of only five players who’ve been with Kansas City during the entirety of the Chiefs’ remarkable seven-year run. Sunday’s game will be his fifth Super Bowl appearance.

For Jones, the national anthem has become a chance to pause and reflect on his path to the NFL.

He grew up in Houston, Miss., a rural town of about 3,000 residents. His mother worked 12-hour shifts as a nurse to provide for Jones and his two younger sisters. And for a time, his whole extended family lived together in his grandmother’s modest home, where he slept on the couch.

Now, he’s in his ninth NFL season. Last year, he signed a $159 million contract. He’s been a Pro Bowler six times. And of course, there are those three Super Bowl rings — and a fourth on the line Sunday.

“Whether it was year one or year nine, I’m super appreciative and super humbled to be here. And emotions get to flowing,” he said.

That level of success could make another player complacent, said Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis. But to see Jones so moved has been an inspiration, he said.

“When a guy has had all that success… and this much passion, and [they] show that, they wear it on their sleeve, you can’t help but have that too,” Karlaftis said.