When Trai Jones made the surprising decision to retire from football during his junior year with the South Carolina Gamecocks, he didn’t know what was next for him at the time.
“Mentally, I was checked out, so I decided to hang up football for good,” Jones said of his departure in January 2024. “The coaches and leadership didn’t want me to leave, but my family said I had to do what’s best for me.”
With a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice already in hand, Jones realized his family hadn’t just provided support as he pondered his next steps after football — they also provided inspiration. His father is a fire chief, and a cousin previously worked as sheriff’s deputy. But Jones was most intrigued by another cousin, Damond Tillman, who is a Master Officer with the State Transport Police, a division of the Department of Public Safety responsible for enforcing both federal regulations and state laws pertaining to commercial motor vehicles, as well as state traffic laws for non-commercial drivers.
“I’d see Damond with his patrol car, but I didn't really know what he did for work,” Jones said. “I did a bit of research on STP, and thought, ‘Hmm…this seems interesting.’ So that’s what led me here.”
A native of Calhoun Falls in Abbeville County, Jones planned to attend Appalachian State University. However, his dad, a huge Gamecock football fan, encouraged him to look at the University of South Carolina.
He participated in the USC Offensive Line/Defensive Line Camp in 2019, running 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.69 seconds.
“Coach (Will) Muschamp came running toward me, and he took me to his office and showed me around,” he recalled. “That’s when he offered me a full ride at USC.”
Muschamp’s offer spurred Jones to pursue his dreams of playing for the Gamecocks. He remembers the overwhelming rush of emotions as he stormed into Williams-Brice Stadium for the first time, to the roar of thousands of Gamecock fans.
“I was completely blown away,” he said. “The first time I ran out onto the field, I actually started crying because I couldn't believe that I finally made it. And the fans just went wild!”
Jones appeared in 29 games with the Gamecocks during his career, starting in six games. His favorite and most notable memory at Williams-Brice came in 2021, when he caught a three-yard touchdown pass that tied South Carolina and Auburn late in the first half of the game. This rare feat for his position earned him the title of SEC Freshman of the Week.
“It was a blur,” Jones said. “I was just so happy that I didn’t even realize what was going on. It took me a few minutes to grasp that I had really just caught a freaking touchdown!”
Being on the football team came with its share of challenges. During the winter, the team trained five days a week, often building their stamina by carrying 150-pound sand bags from the practice field to the stadium and back.
“The workout routines were very intense — like, crazy stuff,” Jones recalled. “I believe we did some Navy SEAL-type training, and CrossFit. It was very challenging.”
After a serious ankle injury his freshman year, and an ankle sprain his junior year, Jones began questioning his career choice and wondered what life would like for him post-graduation. In 2023, he weighed his options and made the difficult decision to leave the team.
Although a career switch from athletics to law enforcement may seem unconventional, Jones credits his long hours of training, weightlifting, and perseverance at USC in preparing him for his duties at STP.
“At my job, we use big hand scales that are between 40 and 50 pounds each,” Jones said. “So the strength I built up while playing for the Gamecocks has helped a lot. Also, when I'm inspecting a truck, sometimes I have to climb and squeeze into tight places. It was the same when I was on the team.”
Since joining STP last year, Jones has completed basic training at the Criminal Justice Academy and will soon wrap up federal training. He now patrols the Lowcountry of South Carolina in Region 6, where he continues to gain hands-on experience before his graduation ceremony in late October.
“Everybody that I've met so far has been like family to me,” Jones said. “Before I joined, I thought the job was all about trucks. But I’ve dealt with discovered drugs, collisions, inspecting hazardous materials, and even a human trafficking case. It's something different every single day.”
As Jones goes from protecting his quarterback to protecting South Carolina roadways, he thinks back to the days of running onto the field of Williams-Brice Stadium with his teammates on Saturdays in the fall. A different kind of uniform, a different kind of team — but the same feeling of excitement and accomplishment.
