Aaron Jones motivated to carry on his father's legacy

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"I cherish all of them because the next day or hour is not promised to any of us," said Alvin Sr. of watching his sons' games in January 2020. "(I) cherish any minute I get to spend time with our kids and our favorite time to spend with them is watching them play."


With his family firmly behind him, Jones has become one of the game's most exciting running backs during his first four NFL seasons. In 2020, the former fifth-round pick became the first Packers running back since Eddie Lacy to record back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons.


Jones, 26, has done so while averaging 5.17 yards per carry, the fifth-highest average in NFL history among running backs with at least 600 career carries.


Jones' parents have been there for almost all of them, with only the pandemic keeping Alvin Sr., Vurgess and the rest of the Jones family out of Lambeau Field most of last season. The couple was able to attend Green Bay's two playoff games, though.


And family is what Aaron credits for helping him get through the past two months. And when Vurgess or his twin brother, Alvin Jr., couldn't be there, Aaron leaned on his teammates.


"I have a locker room full of brothers here who are making sure that I'm OK," Jones said. "Some nights, I'm there with them on their couch and different things like that. … I'm thankful for all those guys in the locker room, to the upstairs management who's made sure that I'm OK and continued to check on me."


Back in Green Bay for OTAs, Jones is excited about the upcoming 2021 season and the one-two punch he looks to form with second-year bulldozer AJ Dillon in the Packers' backfield.


As difficult as the past two months have been, Jones knows his father would want him to press forward. He plans to proudly wear his family name on the back of his jersey once again, while striving to reach the goals he and his father quietly set together.


When pregame warmups are over, Jones doesn't plan on doing anything differently than he always has.


"I'm still going to go have my moment with him. I know he's still going to be there," Jones said. "He has the best seat in the house. I know he's up there watching me and it's going to be special."