PHOENIX — Preparing to play in Super Bowl XLIX brings New England defensive end Chandler Jones the kind of public attention that is just business as usual in his family.
Jones came into the NFL in 2012, two seasons behind his brother Arthur, who was a fifth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2010.
Another brother, Jon “Bones” Jones, is the UFC light heavyweight title holder.
“I know it’s two different sports, but (Jon) is a world champion,” Chandler Jones said. “… There were conversations about (life in the spotlight), so this is my time, I guess — our time as a team.”
Chandler Jones gets his shot at a championship of his own Sunday, when the Patriots meet the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
Unfortunately for the Jones family, Chander Jones’ path to Arizona crossed with his brother’s, because Arthur Jones is now a defensive lineman with the Indianapolis Colts, who the Patriots eliminated in the AFC Championship Game.
“It was a good time,” Chandler Jones said. “That was my second time having the opportunity to play against my brother in the AFC Championship, so having that opportunity was great. It was a good family gathering, and congrats to us on beating them.”
The Jones clan grew up in Endicott, New York, a town that also has a faint sports connection to Seattle.
“There’s not really much of the city out of Endicott, New York, or the 607 area, but there’s a guy named Isaiah Kacyvenski,” Chandler Jones said. “A lot of you Seahawks fans might know who he is. He was a special teams captain here a while ago. … Growing up in Endicott High School, you’d always see him coming in the gym. He’d just put a big smile on your face. Now that I have the opportunity to play at the same level as he did. It’s a great feeling. Like I said: Go 607.”
Rude awakening
A fire alarm at the Patriots’ luxury hotel in Chandler, Arizona, went off for about 10 minutes at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday local time.
There was no fire, just a problem with the alarm.
“I slept right through it,” tight end Rob Gronkowski said. “I slept great last night. I’m glad I didn’t hear it.”
Meanwhile, it probably wouldn’t have made much different to defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who made it clear that he doesn’t need much sleep anyway.
“Four hours is a good night,” he said, “I enjoy sleep, but there’s just not a lot of opportunity to get it. It depends. It could be a couple hours or an hour. It could be three. Four hours is nice, but it doesn’t happen all of the time.”
Extra points
Quarterback Tom Brady sent good wishes to Patriots fans enduring the winter storm back in New England. “Everyone’s pretty hunkered down,” he said. “There’s a lot of snow, causing a lot of problems in a lot of cities. So hopefully everyone is OK.” Meanwhile head coach Bill Belichick expressed appreciation for fans traveling down to the desert. “We have great support from our New England fans,” he said. “They’ve been there all the way through the season — some cold games, some not great weather games at the end of the year, but they’re always there for us. We’re happy to see them.” … Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich will celebrate his 31st birthday on Super Bowl Sunday. “My family is here,” he said. “So I’m going to enjoy that time with my family and take it all in.”
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