Mike Wells, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Art Jones admits he returned too soon from ankle injury last month

INDIANAPOLIS -- Mentally, Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Art Jones thought he was ready to return from his high-ankle sprain against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 26.

Physically, though, it turns out Jones made the wrong decision because he re-injured his ankle, causing him to miss two more games.

He’s finally fully healthy and will be back in the lineup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

“Me being stubborn sometimes, being a competitor, I want to be out there with my brothers,” Jones said. “Maybe I made the wrong decision and came back too early. But I feel good now. I feel better than I did before. High ankles are tricky. It’s definitely frustrating. I think sometimes they say it’s better to break it. I feel confident and comfortable. I’ve been working my butt off to get back. It’s time to get this thing in championship form.”

Jones’ first season with the Colts hasn’t gone as expected. He’s spent more time in street clothes on the sideline watching his “brothers” play than actually being on the field.

He’s yet to play in three full games because of his ankle.

Jones didn’t want to talk about it, but the Colts could have used his 6-3, 337-pound frame on the field against the New England Patriots last weekend. The Patriots ran all over the Colts for 246 yards in their 22-point victory.

“I definitely have fresh legs,” Jones said. “There’s nothing like football conditioning when you run around and you actually have that physical contact. It’s totally different from doing sprints, riding the bike and swimming. It’s totally different. My legs should be the freshest out there, but I’m going to keep working. “Me coming back is just going to be a great addition to that. I’m really excited to be out there with my brothers. Sometimes you sit around the locker room feeling sorry for yourself and I had to remind myself, talking to my brothers, you can’t feel sorry for yourself because no one else will.”

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