Documentary follows Jones from Weyburn to Vikings
Brett Jones followed the unlikeliest of paths to the NFL.
With that in mind, former Regina resident Panayioti (Pan) Yannitsos has produced and directed a documentary that focuses on Jones's journey from Weyburn to the University of Regina Rams to the Calgary Stampeders to the New York Giants and, now, a starting spot with the Minnesota Vikings.
“I grew up loving the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and football in Canada is a story that hasn't necessarily been told,” Yannitsos said from Vancouver, where he has lived for 10 years. “In a really small way, we were able to do that through Brett's story and to tell the story of Weyburn and some of those things.”
Yannitsos is the chief content officer for The Little Park, a multi-faceted production company based in Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax that publishes first-person and insight pieces on sports and entertainment. Unchartered North: I Am Brett Jones is the company's first foray into the documentary realm.
“There was limited hype and limited resources and yet Brett Jones for the past two games here has been a starting guard for one of the most storied franchises in NFL history,” Yannitsos said. “It's a miracle story in a lot of ways and that's what makes it so fun.”
Among the highlights of the documentary are interviews with Weyburn Comprehensive High School Eagles head football coach Darren Abel and former Rams defensive line coach Greg Nesbitt. It was Nesbitt who first told Jones that professional football could be in his future and encouraged him to join the Rams.
“We've had more than just me come through Weyburn,” Jones said. “There are lots of guys that are coming out of the program and it's cool for volunteers to get noticed that their work is meaningful and that their time isn't wasted. They are really contributing to society and contributing to the community that is Weyburn.”
Jones starred on the Rams' offensive line en route to being selected in the second round (16th overall) in the 2013 CFL draft by the Calgary Stampeders.
In 2013, Jones — then a centre — was named the CFL'S most outstanding rookie. The next season, he was selected the CFL'S most outstanding offensive lineman and shared in Calgary's Grey Cup championship.
Jones headed south in 2015, signing with the Giants. He spent three seasons in New York before being traded to the Vikings in 2018. Jones has been on and off Minnesota's practice roster, being released and re-signed through much of his time with the Vikings.
“I'm just happy every day that I get a chance to play, to get out on the field, and enjoy my teammates and the sport,” Jones said. “I still love the game of football and it's been a lot of fun.”
There is a twist that takes the documentary beyond the story of small-town athlete making it to the NFL.
In November 2019, Yannitsos and his crew were unloading their video equipment from the baggage carousel at the Minneapolis- St. Paul International Airport when they learned that Jones had suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee during practice.
“The whole purpose of this was to film Brett Jones as a Minnesota Viking on the practice field and maybe getting on the field — and his season was done,” Yannitsos said.
“Just imagine your season is over and the psychology behind that and yet here's this film crew coming to profile you. He could have easily pulled the plug, but that's (not) the kind of guy Brett is. That's what comes from that smaller-town Canadiana along with the honour and the recognition that you're one piece of a bigger vision.”
Jones, however, wondered how the story would proceed with him on the sideline.
“It's hard when you're in that space when you're not really playing and you're not contributing,” Jones said. “I'm not a `me' guy, so I don't really like people talking about me or doing those things. I'm a team guy. That's why it was more difficult for me to accept that someone actually wanted to do a story on me — because at the time, things weren't going great.”
Things have improved since the documentary was released, in most timely fashion, on Nov. 18.
Four days later, Jones made his first regular-season start — at guard with the Vikings — in a 3128 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He then started again Sunday in the Vikings' 28-27 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
“Maybe my career hasn't always gone the exact way that I have wanted it to, but I've still been able to accomplish a lot of cool things,” Jones said.
“I still think there's a lot more to my story that can be told. I just hope that other kids from where I'm from in Saskatchewan can take a look at it and know that it can be done. It's just what you believe in and what you want to achieve.”
There has been an explosion of Canadians in the NFL as of late and Yannitsos is looking forward to documenting their journeys.
“The great news is Brett's story has allowed our small company to have a bigger footprint in the sporting world and to build a relationship with the NFL,” Yannitsos said.
“I can say with confidence that we will be making a lot more of these pieces about Canadian success stories in the NFL and across all major sporting leagues.”