Donald Jones' NFL career has come to a premature conclusion.
The former Buffalo Bills wide receiver has battled kidney disease his entire life, and now he has decided to call it quits.
"I'll always look at it like I was definitely an up-and-coming guy who had a bright future ahead of him," Jones, 25, told FOXSports.com's Mike Garafolo. "But if I look at it that way, I'll just get down.
"I just try to be positive about everything and realize everything happens for a reason. Playing in the NFL, for me, was bigger than just playing. I want to get (kidney and health) awareness up. Playing in the NFL was just a stepping stone to get my awareness up."
The deciding factor for Jones was the scare he suffered while taking a physical with the Indianapolis Colts. His blood pressure spiked to 250 over 110 while running on a treadmill during a standard stress test.
"That," Jones said, "was definitely a new thing."
Jones signed with the New England Patriots in March, but he was released before the start of training camp. He ends his career with 82 catches for 887 yards and three touchdowns in 35 games.
The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.