FOXBOROUGH – The players wearing silver helmets, silver pants and blue jerseys on Sunday didn’t care about the draft position.

Professional football players play to win and the Patriots did on Sunday, 23-16 over Buffalo in the regular season finale. For one guy in particular, the win was the icing on the cake of a once-in-a-lifetime type of day.

Truman Jones played in his first NFL regular season game against the Bills. Jones had bounced back-and-forth from the Kansas City Chief’s practice squad since May of 2023 after graduating from Harvard as the program’s captain and arguably its best defensive player ever.

Just a few weeks ago at the beginning of December, the Patriots signed Jones to their practice squad. Mike Reiss reported on Saturday that Jones and a few other players had been signed to the active 53-man roster and into the 2025 season ahead of the regular season finale.

Jones was one of the first guys seen on the giant video board as the team strolled out of the locker room and into the massive inflatable helmet. Big No. 54 ran out through the smoke as one of the earlier guys up front, soaking it all in.

“It was great,” he said standing at his locker. “Just your first time walking out of a game day tunnel with a helmet on is a surreal feeling. For it to be here in New England, a place that is almost starting to feel like home, it was just really fun. Adjusting to the cold – it’s colder now than when Harvard’s season ends – but no, it was a lot of fun.”

Jones knew Friday that he’d finally be getting a shot to play in a ‘real’ NFL game, but he had a feeling throughout the week that something might be coming.

Jones had plenty of support in the stands too, even if he couldn’t put an exact number on it.

“I found out officially on Friday, but this week I was taking more practice reps and they were like ‘yo, guys are going to get opportunities this week,’ so, I was preparing to, you know, be a starter,” Jones explained. “I try to make that a thing throughout the season. Whether it’s practice squad or not, make sure I’m preparing to play. Found out on Friday and from there I was just super excited. I called my parents and confirmed with them. A couple people from Harvard made it out to the game and let all the coaching staff know, so it was a lot of fun.

“Two people (for sure) I know were here and then I saw at least two more Harvard people as I was walking out of the tunnel, so people caught wind and made their way out, so at least 10 (people) or so I would guess.”

When Jones first signed here, it was all about making sure he stuck around. To do that, he had to quickly learn on the fly. Thankfully, the defensive line and linebacker rooms welcomed him with open arms.

“Just coming in and being a sponge,” Jones said of how he approached the early days in Foxborougyh. “Seeing the way the program is run, the culture here, trying to learn the the defense. Just…pick up as many things from veteran players as I could. I was lucky to have good vets in Kansas City when I was there and have great vets here in (Deatrich) Wise and Anfernee Jennings and Keion (White) as well.

“He’s my year but he’s played a lot more. So, just came in and was able to talk to those guys. They were so welcoming and really just got me prepared to make me feel like I know what I was doing on game day, even if I didn’t know. We’d just talk it out and get everything going out there. Just grateful for this D-line group, this outside linebacker group and this defense as a whole.”

Even with all the uncertainty that was swirling around Jerod Mayo and the staff, Jones lives the life of every young player trying to maintain a coveted NFL roster spot, knowing nothing is ever promised. All attention was on this singular opportunity against Buffalo, whether it was this staff or the staff in Cambridge coaching him again.

“Whether the coaching staff is here or not, football remains the same. All 32 teams are seeing this game film. I think…just controlling what I can control. Doing the best that I can and the rest will take care of itself, that was the approach,” said Jones.

Before the stunning news less than an hour after the game regarding Mayo, Jones also talked about the fact that being signed to be back next season takes some weight off his shoulders. Of course, the new head coach deciding otherwise could change that, but it’s out of Jones’ control.

“It’s (signing) something that I guess does take some weight off, but I’m still going to train and prepare the same way. Now that I at least know where I’m at or where I’m going to be, I can continue to learn the defense. Lean from this coaching staff and see what they expect me to do and just have a better idea of what I’m getting into playing standup outside backer versus a four down defensive end.

“Just grateful for the opportunity to be able to prepare for what this team wants to me to do next year.”

While the future is a little foggier than it was when I spoke with Jones, it was hard to get rid of the smile on his face as he assessed how his big day went.

“I think it went well,” he added. “I think…obviously, adjusting to game speed. Like, even preseason game speed is different than regular season game speed. But, after a couple plays and your first kind of, real hit in there, you realize it’s just football and you start having fun with it.

“That’s the attitude I tried to take and I’m happy with how it went today.”