The Indianapolis Colts are chasing the AFC South title and hoping their quarterback with a broken fibula can help them become the top seed in the playoffs.
That’s why Jones consulted with two of his college teammates, who created a special 3D-printed pad to better protect his injured leg.
Former Duke center Clark Bulleit and former Blue Devils linebacker Kevin Gehsmann have previously helped Jones in similar situations. In 2018, they made pads for Jones after he broke his collarbone against Northwestern.
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Bulleit and Gehsmann majored in mechanical and biomedical engineering and now run Protect3D, a company that makes custom-printed 3D braces and orthotics. After Jones broke his calf last month, his former Duke teammates made a thin pad to put under his left leg in his football pants. He’s been wearing it every week for the past two weeks.
All Bulleit and Gehsmann needed to create the pad was a 60-second scan, culminating in a 90-minute design process. The pads were delivered to Jones a day and a half later, the night before the Colts lost 23-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I think they had this idea before [the collarbone injury]but I was the first mat they printed that could be played,” Jones said Wednesday. “They were starting this business, and I came up with the idea last year at Duke.
“They’ve built a pretty good business since then, 3D printing these devices and pads. It’s kind of funny that I’m using one of them again, but they’re smart. I’m lucky to have smart friends.”
The Colts have five games remaining in the regular season, three against AFC South opponents, including two against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans in Week 18.
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The Jaguars sit atop the division with an 8-4 record and are just ahead of the 7-5 Texans, and it will be a tall order to become one of the AFC’s top four seeds. Missing out on the division title could result in missing the playoffs entirely.
Jones is having a bounce-back season, and Jonathan Taylor is entering the NFL MVP conversation in his own right. The Colts need a healthy Jones to avoid wasting a potentially breakout season after not making the playoffs since 2020.
