Former University of Virginia running back Perris Jones is set to release his memoir “Ashes to Endzone: The Fight for Identity, Faith, and a Future Bigger Than the Game” on August 4, a work that promises to transcend the football field.
More Than a Game
Jones grew up in a strict household where discipline was measured in miles run after practice, and he survived a house fire that left an indelible mark on his early life.
His college career was abruptly halted in 2023 by a spinal cord injury that required emergency surgery and a three‑week stay at the University of Louisville’s Frazier Rehabilitation Institute, threatening his ability to walk again.
The book also reflects on the November 13, 2022, shooting on Grounds that claimed the lives of teammates Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perry, and includes a conversation with head coach Tony Elliott, who himself has faced profound loss.
Now a doctoral student at the University of Louisville’s College of Education and Human Development, Jones travels the country speaking about resilience, hoping his story will change at least one life.