Braxton Jones didn’t expect any of this, never dreamed of it.
He was not the type of kid bent on making it to the NFL, and that would’ve been an outlandish goal while growing up outside Salt Lake City and playing for a high school that rarely attracted big-time college scouts.
It was really as simple as him loving football — and basketball — and pushing relentlessly to perfect his skills. That’s how he has approached his rookie season with the Bears, too, and it has served him well during his climb from being a relatively anonymous fifth-round pick from Southern Utah to taking control of the race for the starting left tackle job.