If you were a fan of Ohio State football, the winter of 2014 felt like a fever dream. You probably remember where you were when J.T. Barrett went down against Michigan. The season seemed dead. Finished. Then, out of the tunnel at Lucas Oil Stadium stepped a 6-foot-5, 250-pound behemoth with a cannon for an arm and a Twitter history that made the administration sweat.
Cardale Jones wasn't supposed to be the guy. He was the third-stringer. He was the "we ain't come to play school" kid. But in a three-game stretch that defies logic even a decade later, he became an immortal in Columbus.
The Most Improbable Run in College Football History
Honestly, looking back at the stats from that 2014 postseason, it still feels fake. Cardale Jones didn't just step in; he vaporized the competition. His first career start wasn't some early-season tune-up against a MAC school. It was the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin.
Most people expected a conservative game plan. Instead, Urban Meyer let "12 Gauge" hunt. Jones completed 12 of 17 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. The Buckeyes won 59-0. Wisconsin, a team that had the nation’s second-ranked defense at the time, looked like they were playing in slow motion.
Then came the Sugar Bowl against Alabama.
Everyone figured Nick Saban would confuse the kid. Instead, Jones threw for 243 yards, including a moon-shot to Devin Smith, and scrambled through Tide defenders like they were made of paper. By the time he hoisted the trophy after a 42-20 win over Oregon in the National Championship, Cardale had gone from a benchwarmer to a projected first-round pick in about 40 days.
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The Twitter Legend and the Reality of Play School
You can't talk about Cardale Jones without mentioning that infamous tweet from 2012. You know the one: "Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain't come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS."
It's basically the most famous tweet in the history of the sport. It's been in textbooks as a "what not to do" for student-athletes. But here’s what most people get wrong: Jones wasn't failing out. He was actually frustrated because he got a "B" on a sociology exam. He felt he’d studied too hard for a grade that wasn't an "A."
He eventually owned the narrative. In 2017, he graduated from Ohio State with a degree in African-American Studies, and he famously wore a graduation cap that said: "I actually did come here to play school."
Why the NFL Didn't Work Out
There’s always been this debate about whether he should have turned pro after the 2014 title run. His stock was at its absolute peak. Instead, he stayed for the 2015 season, which turned into a messy three-way quarterback battle with Barrett and Braxton Miller.
The rhythm was gone. The magic felt forced.
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When he finally did enter the 2016 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills took him in the fourth round. He had all the physical tools—the size of a linebacker and an arm that could out-throw Josh Allen—but the "pro" part of pro football never quite clicked. He was a project. NFL teams usually don't have the patience for projects when they aren't early first-round picks.
He bounced around:
- Buffalo Bills (2016): Played one game, threw for 96 yards.
- Los Angeles Chargers (2017-2019): Mostly a backup/practice squad role.
- Seattle Seahawks (2019): Short stint.
- XFL / DC Defenders (2020): He actually looked great here before the league shut down due to the pandemic.
Basically, Cardale was a victim of his own lightning-in-a-bottle success. It’s hard to develop "touch" and "processing speed" when you spent your college career just being bigger and stronger than everyone else.
Where is Cardale Jones in 2026?
If you walk around Columbus today, Cardale is still a king. He didn't just disappear into the sunset after the NFL. He’s become a massive figure in the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) landscape.
He's currently the General Manager of The Foundation, a non-profit NIL collective that supports Ohio State athletes. He’s essentially using his experience of not being able to get paid in 2014 to make sure current Buckeyes have it better. Just recently, in late 2025, he was named a Team Ambassador for the Columbus Aviators, a new UFL expansion team.
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He’s basically the "Mayor of Columbus" without the official title. He’s involved in cancer research through his fund at the James Hospital and is a constant fixture at Buckeye games.
What Fans Can Learn From the 12 Gauge Era
The Cardale Jones story is a reminder that in sports, timing is everything. Had J.T. Barrett stayed healthy, we might never have known what Jones could do. He would have been a footnote. Instead, he’s a legend.
If you’re looking to follow his path or just stay connected to the Buckeye legacy, here are a few ways to engage with what he’s built:
- Support The Foundation: If you want to see Ohio State continue to land top recruits, checking out the NIL collective Jones manages is the first step.
- Watch the UFL: Keep an eye on the Columbus Aviators as they launch their season; Jones is the face of that franchise's connection to the city.
- Follow the Philanthropy: His annual celebrity softball game for adolescent cancer research usually happens in the summer—it's one of the best ways to see former Buckeyes in person.
Cardale Jones proved that you don't need a four-year starting career to leave a permanent mark. You just need to be ready when the lights get the brightest.
Next Steps for Buckeye Fans:
To get involved with the projects Cardale Jones is currently leading, visit The Foundation's official website to see how NIL is being used for charitable causes in Columbus. You can also track the Columbus Aviators' schedule to see Jones in his new ambassador role at Ohio Stadium.