Years before NFL spotlight, Mac Jones was starring in a very different role

Mac Jones might be stepping back into the spotlight this week. With San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy nursing an injury, Jones could find himself starting in NFL Week 2, a far cry from his days hawking costumes for Party City.

Before football took over his world, the Jacksonville kid was actually making a name for himself in front of cameras. Jones appeared in local commercials and print ads for businesses like Adventure Landing Water Park, building confidence that would serve him well later.

"I used to be a child model/actor, or whatever, and that was fun," Jones said during an appearance on WEEI 93.7 radio in 2021. "There are a few commercials out there you guys could try and find. I think a lot of people know."

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Jones has talked openly about how that short-lived modeling career helped shape his confidence and poise under pressure. While he never expected it to become a long-term thing, those skills translate better to football than you might think.

A handful of pictures resurfaced around the NFL Draft, showing a young Jones who was clearly comfortable in front of cameras.

He shared that his parents never pushed him toward sports specifically, they wanted him to try different things first. So, he hit the runway and did photoshoots as a kid.

Family and friends remember Jones as a "ham" who was always natural in front of cameras. His ease and cheerfulness made him a favorite for commercial shoots and even occasional runway appearances.

Some of those commercials, especially the Halloween-themed ones, ran for years locally, making Jones a recognizable face in his community long before football fame hit.

Makes one wonder how different things would have been if Jones had stuck with that career path. We'd still be seeing him on TV, just on a completely different channel.

Now, a few years into his NFL career, Jones is waiting in the wings as the 49ers deal with Purdy's injury situation.

He could be starting his first game of the 2025-26 season soon. The same coaching staff considered Jones seriously during the 2021 NFL Draft. They're now counting on that composure, media savvy, and spotlight readiness he developed during those childhood photo shoots and commercial tapings.

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