CARSON, Calif. – When Jermaine Jones and his family made their decision to move to the United States, there was only one city that they wanted to call their home.
Los Angeles.
In the midst of an accomplished career in Europe, Jones and his wife Sarah made the decision to move to Southern California and set up roots in the San Fernando Valley suburb of Encino. At first, the sprawling house, which once belonged to Beverly Hills 90210's Tori Spelling, served as a vacation home, but in 2014, the German-born U.S. international and his family packed their bags and headed west full-time.
Jones’ ambitions to join Major League Soccer were clear, and the midfielder had sought to sign somewhere that would allow him to be close to his family. Sarah even turned to God by placing a small note at the family church. On the note were two simple words: “LA Galaxy.”
Unfortunately for the Jones family, life did not oblige, and the midfielder was sent via a blind draw between the New England Revolution and Chicago Fire to Boston. Nearly 3,000 miles away from Encino. Thus beginning a three-year sojourn that saw Jones criss-cross the continent to remain close to his family still living in Southern California.
For years, the player renowned for his unstoppable work rate and tenacity on the pitch traveled back in forth between Boston, and later Denver after moving to the Colorado Rapids in 2015, on off-days to see his children. His performances hardly slipped as he helped the New England Revolution reach the MLS Cup Final in 2014 while serving as a lynchpin in a Rapids squad that qualified for the Western Conference Championship last year.
Jones readily admits that he’s not the type of person that ever does things the easy way, but ultimately the sacrifice was unavoidable.
“It was not easy, to be honest. If you’re away from home, then you know how tough it is -- especially when you leave for work. I would come back and stay for two days and then have to fly six hours back to Boston in my first years,” Jones told LA Galaxy Insider. “It takes the energy from your body too, but at the end of the day, I said that my family is the most important thing that I have, so there was no way to convince me that I would not do that because I wanted to go back and see my kids.
“Anyone that has kids knows that you miss the little moments like soccer training and picking them up from school. Sometimes, it truly hurt because these were moments that I could never get back."
Jones’ travels finally appeared to be at an end last December when the Galaxy acquired his rights from the Rapids. A month later, Jones officially joined the club and was unveiled as a vital piece for head coach Curt Onalfo’s new-look Galaxy squad.
After spending years relying on Sarah to raise a household of five children (Keanu, 15; Liya-Joelle, 13; twins Kenyon and Junius, 7, and Jadee-Mae 4), three dogs, and two rescue cats, Jones said that there was no way that he couldn’t take full advantage of his new opportunity.
He just refused to miss another moment.
“Every soccer player knows that if your family is in the crowd watching you play, it gives you an extra blast because you want to perform and show them that they can be proud of you,” Jones said. “Since I started playing, my kids and my wife were always in the stadium with me. It was normal, but then when we moved, they stayed in LA because of friends and school.
“I was alone on the road, and I was never really happy with that. But I thought, what can I do? I can’t take them out of school. I can’t break their friendships. And I wasn’t ready to stop playing. For my whole family, being in Los Angeles was the goal, and now we made it. To finally come home is amazing and now that I’m here, I have to show that I can be a big part of this club and establish a future here.”
Now a member of the Galaxy, Jones and his family have the opportunity to be a constant presence at his games. The move is particularly meaningful for his son Junius who Jermaine admits is constantly interested in discussing the beautiful game with his famous father.
The journeys finally complete, Jones has turned his attention to the field where he looks to inspire a youth-laden squad to an MLS Cup after two lean years at StubHub Center. The 35-year-old veteran has wasted little time placing his stamp on the team, being selected as one of the team’s vice-captains and emerging as a vocal presence on the training field and in the locker room.
The task that lays ahead is hardly easy, but Jones refuses to have it any other way.
“I’m a guy that always takes the tough way, you know? I don’t come to teams when they’re winning championships and slide right in. I come to teams when they’re struggling and try to change something," Jones says with a smirk. "That’s the way it was with New England and the way it was with Colorado. I’m a guy that’s not scared of anything.
“There’s pressure, but I like it. I want it. I can handle the pressure. For me, all the flying is done. I just have a 40-minute drive home, and then I can rest. I will be fitter and more relaxed in the game. I will just play my game as I have my whole career. Most of the time, people may say that I’m too old, but once I step on the field, I prove them wrong. I’ve shown that with two teams in this league.
"I took the New England to the final and I helped Colorado last year, but with all due respect to them, they're nowhere near as talented as the team we have with the Galaxy this year. The Galaxy have gone two years without winning a title, and that’s not what this franchise wants. To bring me in and release players like Gerrard and Keane is a lot of pressure, but I like to play with pressure.
“We know that there is a new chapter with the new coach and I’m ready to be a part of the new chapter. We want to try to bring the good times back to Los Angeles.”
And to those detractors who say that he’s too well-traveled to lead the Galaxy back to glory or that he doesn't have the quality to carry the team, Jones, ever-steeled by his past and eager to fight for his home, is ready for them too.
“If you came here and people were saying that ‘you are the best or this and that’ then you sit back a little bit too and not work anymore,” he said. “If people say ‘oh, we don’t need him or this and that,’ then OK, I’ll prove you all wrong. I will get you out of your seats. I will make you say ‘this guy is a beast. This guy is 35, and he’s still running and trying to do everything for the club.’ I’ve done that for my whole career, I like it, and I won’t stop.
“I’m someone that can take it without any problems. I know that the Galaxy have won five MLS Cup titles and they’re hoping for the sixth one. That’s our goal and I want to be a big part of it.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atLAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
