Most Chicago Bears fans remember Thomas Jones for his exploits on the field. He was the central focal point of their offense during their two great seasons in 2005 and 2006, culminating in a Super Bowl berth. The next year they inexplicably traded him to the New York Jets, a move they ended up regretting as Cedric Benson floundered while he went on to the Pro Bowl.
Thankfully the arrival of Matt Forte ended the pain but it’s clear the Bears lost something when Jones left, particularly in terms of leadership. He finished his career strong and eventually faded away into retirement. While many players prefer to take it easy, resting on their laurels, it seems Jones was not the type to remain idle.
He apparently found his next profession: acting. Starting in 2013 he found minor roles in shows like Shameless, Being Mary Jane, and Hawaii Five-O and even the blockbuster hit movie Straight Outta Compton. Those exploits were enough to garner interest from Marvel Studios, who wanted to cast him on their popular Netflix series ‘Luke Cage’.
Thomas Jones clearly has chops because his role has expanded
Initially, it looked like Jones was going to be a supporting character named Comanche, a prisoner who met the main character Carl Lucas in prison. His job was to test Lucas as a possible recruit for a fighting ring inside the prison. However, his strong performance seemed to impress the writers because they’ve begun to expand his role in season two.
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Jones has now appeared in eight episodes total, continuing to build his profile as a quality supporting actor. It’s unclear where this latest opportunity will take him, but one thing is for sure. Jones won in his football career and is now winning after it. If you people haven’t gotten the chance yet, log on Netflix and go watch him. It’s worth the time.