The Two Pacman Joneses

The lead story right now on ESPN.com is a lengthy piece on the Titans' Pacman Jones. It's a fascinating read for anyone with even a passing interest in Jones or the Titans. Pacman comes off as sympathetic, even lovable, yet detestable. Here's a taste:

At 23 -- the age of some college seniors -- Jones lives two very different lives. Today, say some who know him well, he must choose: the thug life in Atlanta, The A-T-L, or the more mundane rich-and-famous lifestyle of an established NFL star in Nashville. . . .

His nickname -- a nod to the relentless yellow video game character and young Adam's tendency to suck down his bottles of formula with gusto -- sounds cartoonish. And yet, it suits him. Through talent and tenacity, he played well enough at West Virginia to sign a five-year contract with the Titans in 2005 that guaranteed him $13.5 million.

He was, Jones once told his first agent, Gary Wichard, the first male of his generation on his father's side to make it to the age of 21.

His father died at 26, an age Pacman's surviving grandmother prays he'll reach. That, said Wichard, is a pretty heavy place to come from.

Read the whole thing.