Ashes to Endzone: The Fight for Identity, Faith, and a Future Bigger Than the Game
About the Book
This isn't a story about football.
It's a story about faith, identity, and fighting to believe you matter when everyone around you says you don't. Perris Jones grew up in small-town Florida and learned early what it meant to struggle-and to survive. Football became his escape, his teacher, and his path to something bigger. From living in motels to earning a walk-on spot at the University of Virginia, Perris fought his way to the starting lineup through sheer willpower and unshakable faith. But when a spinal cord injury ended his playing career, a second battle began-the one to discover who he was without the game that defined him.
Follow Perris's journey and learn:
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How to turn pain into purpose when life doesn't go as planned.
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How mindset shifts transform adversity into opportunity.
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Why discipline and faith are the real game changers.
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How to rebuild your identity after loss or disappointment.
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What true leadership looks like when no one is watching.
The hardest hits in life don't have to break you. Ashes to Endzone wakes you up to the purpose you were always meant to live.
About perris
Perris Jones, a former University of Virginia running back, suffered a life-altering spinal cord injury that abruptly ended his career. Refusing to let the injury dictate his future, today, he’s a PhD candidate in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development, focusing on creating systems to support young people facing the same challenges. Perris also serves as a mentor and speaker through Character First Athletics, an organization dedicated to helping college athletes navigate the modern world of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) with integrity, purpose, and high character. As an athlete, scholar, and motivator, his mission is to prove that pain can produce purpose—and that no matter how your story begins, it can still end in victory.