The mannerisms tell all if you pay attention.
There was John Stephen Jones the afternoon of Dec. 17, shortly after leading Highland Park High School to a University Interscholastic League Texas state football championship in front of more than 35,000 fans at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium. He still had his football pads on but proudly wore a "Texas Tested" hat, the standard prize for athletes who win a UIL state title. He was also holding an offensive MVP plaque after a stellar performance.
Jones, a junior, led Highland Park to the school's fourth state title and first since 2005, back when a young gunslinger named Matthew Stafford was leading the team. Jones was interviewed after the game about his efforts, his team's efforts and the overall feeling of being a state champion.
And then, almost like clockwork, he was asked about his family. And the beaming smile dials back. Not significantly, but noticeably.
That conversation is practically inevitable every time Jones is interviewed. But when your grandfather is Jerry Jones—the owner, president and general manager of the Cowboys—and your father is Stephen Jones—the chief operating officer, executive vice president and director of player personnel for the Cowboys—what do you expect?
"I get those questions all the time. All the time," John Stephen Jones said. "You get used to it."
For John Stephen Jones, living the life of the family that owns one of the most recognizable franchises in all of sports is one he said he wouldn't trade for the world. He loves that he has a grandfather and father whom many consider modern-day football icons. And watching his favorite NFL team in person on Sundays is an added bonus.
Playing the majority of his playoff games in and ultimately winning state in the $1.2 billion home of the Cowboys—a mecca of sorts among pro football stadiums—is a highlight he'll have forever. Finding out weeks ago that his grandfather was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame is one of many indescribable feelings of joy he'll never forget.
But for a high school junior who hears something about his family every day, he made it clear on Dec. 17 that when it comes to his rise as a quarterback, it's his rise. It's his mission to be great. It's his goal to make a name for himself as John Stephen Jones—and not Stephen Jones' son or Jerry Jones' grandson.
And that's something his father truly supports.
"He's such a competitor, and he knows what he wants," Stephen Jones said of his son. "That's one of the things I love so much about him."
Earning it
In telling John Stephen Jones' story, you have to go back to last summer. He entered spring practices at a bit of a disadvantage, as he was the incoming junior competing against two worthy rising seniors, Michael Clarke and Jack Fain.
Additionally, he was also smaller than the other two. The eyeball test was in favor of both Clarke (6'2", 195 pounds) and Fain (6'4", 195 pounds). Not so much for Jones, who is listed at 5'10" and 175 pounds.
However, Highland Park head coach Randy Allen saw something in Jones and put him on the field in the team's season-opener against Rockwall High School. Jones silenced all critics with a dominant performance.
How dominant? Per the Dallas Morning News, he completed 18 of 22 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-21 win. By the end of 2016, Jones finished his first varsity season with 3,054 passing yards, 297 rushing yards and 31 total touchdowns (29 passing).
More importantly, Jones finished his junior year with a state title. He rushed for two touchdowns in a 16-7 win against Temple High School.
"We dreamed of this," he said. "Ever since you were a kid, you go to these Highland Park camps. They show you video of the 2005 team winning state. Just to be able to do that with your team, your brothers, out there, it's an incredible feeling."
And when the game was over, his dad was one of the first to congratulate him. For a proud father, watching his son win state in the house his family built was paramount. And even though Stephen Jones has been a part of three Super Bowl wins, he said the feeling he had on Dec. 17 topped them all.
"People are going to be shocked, but this is the best. This is absolutely the best," he said. "The Super Bowls were obviously amazing and special, but to watch my son win and the way it was done, that was second to none."
Football after high school?
A big Tony Romo fan, John Stephen Jones wore No. 9 during his junior year. He wore No. 15 as a sub-varsity player his freshman and sophomore seasons but said the varsity number was taken. To this day, he said he doesn't know who issued No. 9.
But know that he has all the respect in the world for the Cowboys' all-time passing leader. And that respect only heightens when he sees Romo in the stands watching his games with the Jones family.
"That's a big name around the NFL, no doubt," the young quarterback said of Romo. "It's always cool to have him watching."
Throughout the season, Jones made Romo-like plays, turning something into nothing and creating a buzz in the offense. His 36-yard touchdown run in the state final was one Highland Park fans are still talking about.
Despite being a smaller quarterback, Jones' elusiveness and game management skills are what make him a potential name to watch among college football recruiters. Jones is still looking for his first FBS offer. In fact, he's still without a profile page for many of the national recruiting websites.
"I'm not too worried about that," he said of recruiting. "I'm just worried about enjoying my high school experience and winning more games for the Scots."
Part of the slow start in recruiting may have been because of his proficiency in other sports. Jones is a solid lacrosse player and, per his father, had interest from programs like Johns Hopkins, Michigan and Princeton.
But recently, the quarterback decided to focus primarily on football. And his competitive edge may be what gets his foot in the door with college coaches, according to his father.
"Even when he was young, he's always shown himself to be a big-time competitor, someone you almost have to step in to keep him off the field," Stephen Jones said. "He seems to take to competition, and he had a knack for it.
"He's always been around ballplayers, and he has a great IQ for competing. Whether it was football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, he stepped up on the field. When he was younger, I knew he'd be a heck of a ballplayer."
One school that John Stephen Jones said he wouldn't mind hearing from is Arkansas. And why not? His grandfather, despite being undersized, was an all-conference offensive lineman and co-captain for the Razorbacks in the 1960s. His father was a linebacker and special teams standout for the Razorbacks in the '80s.
Following in their footsteps is something John Stephen Jones has thought about. But for now, he's enjoying being a quarterback at Highland Park.
And while he understands the focus will oftentimes turn to his father and grandfather, he's doing his part to create his own legacy.
"They're not Stephen Jones or Jerry Jones to me. That's Dad and Grandpa," he said. "Like any other dad or grandpa, they're there to support me no matter what. They know I'm trying to be the best me I can be."
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. Follow Damon on Twitter: @DamonSayles