Dion Jordan's NFL career wasn't going as planned.
After an astonishing deal that sent Miami's third overall deal in exchange for the third overall pick for Miami's first and second rounds, the Miami Dolphins drafted it in 2013 with the third overall pick. Jordan was once known as the next great defensive talent.
However, his time in Miami was eroded by a massive disappointment.
Jordan only played two seasons with the Dolphins, recording only three sacks in total.
His struggles were spreading across the field. He missed the entire season after repeatedly violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
After leaving Miami, he spent several seasons with the team in the West, but his performance never met any high expectations, and Dolphins fans were unable to decide or deliver to trade up in the draft He did not allow both decisions.
Jordan, who is now 34 years old and coaches college football, openly reflects his turbulent early career.
In a candid interview with former Dolphins receiver OJ McDuffy and former media relations coordinator Seth Levitt about “The Fish Tank,” he said, “I was not in my life in order. My life outside the ball is It wasn't balanced. You know, it wasn't what you need to match it all, I struggled, man. I struggled to get in. Understand the plays and playbooks I had a hard time doing it.
“When I left the facility, I was partying, so that didn't help. I enjoy the money I have and just put myself behind the eight balls. I'm hurt, you know. Sometimes I miss my rehab, so that doesn't help.”
Jordan is now using his experience as coaching a defensive lineman under the former Dolphin Randy Starks at Eureka University in Illinois, using his story as a lesson in attention.
“It's not the fault of others,” he said, acknowledging his own responsibility for his early mistakes. “And now I'm looking at these kids and realising I'm ruining them.”
Surprisingly, despite his overwhelming on-site performance, he recalls unexpected support from Dolphin owner Stephen Ross.
“He'll always find a way to get to me wherever he is,” Jordan said. “At the end, when I had to say goodbye, he was the last person I had to say goodbye. He's a really good guy… he got a lot of money But he's still human. He cares, I can tell you a lot of it.”
This honest consideration with his past served as a powerful warning, and now Jordan hopes to avoid the pitfalls he once sacrificed.
