Few people ever get to meet their heroes in a lifetime. New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore clearly was one of the lucky ones after running into Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones.
Barmore has looked up to Jones ever since he was a kid. He admired his game from afar and hoped to one day emulate his success at the NFL level.
When the Patriots played against the Chiefs in Week 15, Barmore finally came face-to-face with his favorite player and was given a jersey at the end of the game. It was a special moment that nearly brought the Patriots’ star defensive player to tears.
“Chris Jones, that’s my favorite player,” Barmore said, via NESN’s Dakota Randall. “Chris Jones to me, he’s got the best hands I’ve ever seen. He’s so quick. He’s big. He’s so dominant, especially in the run. And his hands, I like how (he uses) his hands.
“…He gave me a jersey. I was about to cry. I looked up to that man, especially when I was young. That man was so dominant. I’ve seen him in college. I love his style.”
Jones, a two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time All-Pro, is still one of the best in the game, and Barmore isn’t too far behind. He recently compiled three sacks on Russell Wilson in the Patriots’ Week 16 win over the Denver Broncos.
One day in the not-so-distant future, another young player might be sharing his own Jones-like moment with Barmore.
