"I was undersized": When Daniel Jones recalled his struggle-filled journey of finding a scholarship at Duke

Daniel Jones took part in the Senior Bowl in 2019 following a successful four-year college football career at Duke. The quarterback was projected to be a top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, which made him receive a lot of attention from the media and NFL teams in Mobile, Alabama.

During one of his interview sessions at the event, Daniel Jones disclosed what his journey to Duke looked like. The quarterback wasn’t heavily recruited during his high school days, but he eventually got the opportunity to play for the Blue Devils.

“In high school, I decided I really want to go to Duke and at the time, I was undersized and kind of struggling to be recruited,” Jones said. “But through my senior year, Coach Cutliffe offered and put me on scholarship in January if one opened up sooner… One actually opened up sooner.” (2:00)

Daniel Jones discussed what he learned from David Cutliffe

Working under the legendary coach David Cutcliffe at Duke, Daniel Jones learned a lot as a quarterback. Cutcliffe's offensive system made Jones thrive in college football and played a role in his overall development. He discussed this in an interview at the Senior Bowl in Mobile.

“One of the things I think Coach Cutliffe teaches well is the responsibility of playing the position,” Jones said. “On offense and as the quarterback, you’re in charge.”

“If we’re not clicking or we’re not moving the ball, it’s on the quarterback’s shoulders to make corrections and get it right. His expectations of a quarterback’s game management and understanding of an offense was huge for my development.” (0:26)

Jones played 33 games for Duke across three seasons. He threw for 8,201 yards and 52 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,323 yards and 17 touchdowns during his tenure with the Blue Devils.

Daniel Jones believed David Cutcliffe prepared him well for the NFL

With his level of play and development under David Cutcliffe for four years in Durham, Daniel Jones was confident about his preparedness for the NFL during the Senior Bowl.

"In the NFL, you’re expected to execute as a quarterback in offenses," Jones said. "It’s somewhat predicated on how well you play. I think Coach Cutcliffe prepared me well for that and his expectations of me as a quarterback on the field are always demanding." (1:14)

Jones was eventually selected as the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He was the second quarterback selected in the draft after Kyler Murray, who was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals.