It's been a long road for former New York Giants safety Chad Jones. After being drafted in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft, the star LSU cornerback finally had the life he always dreamed about.

But that dream would come crashing down during the early morning hours of June 25 in New Orleans. The Range Rover Jones was driving got stuck in the groove of a street-car track, lost control, and careered straight towards the median and into a light pole. Luckily all passengers within the vehicle were still alive in the aftermath of the gruesome wreck, however Jones' left leg was badly damaged.

For the next 10 hours, doctors scrambled to save Jones' foot and leg. His tibia and fibula were shattered. His heel was fractured and skin was peeled from the leg. Shrapnel and debris from the broken axle were embedded in his leg, and he had suffered artery and nerve damage.

Doctors had to transplant a vein from Jones' right leg into his left shin because he had severed an artery and blood was not flowing to his foot.

Now, after an incredible year-long journey of endless rehab hours and bitterly painful nights, the 22-year old has become so focused on his goal of returning to the NFL that he failed to notice the anniversary of that fateful day has come and gone.

"[The anniversary] shows me where I'm at with a year's worth of progress," Jones solemnly says. "It gives me motivation just to fight back because I almost passed away in the car and I'm just thankful for being alive for another year."

Once on the verge of never being able to walk again, the New Orleans native is now able to run at 12 miles per hour on an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill, and hopes to begin full-on sprint work by the end of the fall. All of the blood, pain, and tears will be worth it for Jones, who has set his sights on a return for the Giants' 2012 season. While his story may not yet have reached its conclusion, Jones' remarkable comeback already serves as an inspiring tribute to the resilience of the human spirit.