COLUMBIA, Mo. — A freshman football player at the University of Missouri has been hospitalized with heart issues and is need of a transplant, Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said on Tuesday.
Johnnie “DJ” Jones, 18, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound offensive lineman from Venice, Florida, received a shout-out from coach Eli Drinkwitz at the end of his news conference on Tuesday.
Drinkwitz said the Tigers’ staff discovered a heart issue during freshman intake during the summer, KMBC reported.
Doctors observed him for two weeks but “they weren’t getting the resolution that we wanted,” Drinkwitz told reporters.
The team then sought a second opinion and sent Jones to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, one of three campuses of the nationally acclaimed medical system, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune.
Gut-wrenching news at today's #Mizzou press conference: freshman offensive lineman Johnnie "DJ" Jones is on a heart transplant list, after freshmen intake tests detected a problem. "It's tough right now," HC Eli Drinkwitz said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, as they go through this. I know Johnnie was watching our game [against Florida]. It's just hard. An 18-year-old with everything in front of him and you're just not prepared for that kind of news...We're praying for him and I know a lot of Mizzou fans will hopefully join in that prayer because he does need help in a hurry."
— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) October 6, 2026
“We sent him to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and discovered a much more significant issue,” Drinkwitz told reporters. “And then last week we found out that Johnnie’s now on a heart transplant list, and he’s in Mayo, and it’s tough right now, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as they go through this.”
“I know Johnnie was watching our game,” a 45-17 victory at home against the Florida Gators.
Drinkwitz asked fans to pray for Jones as he and his family navigate his health issue.
“It’s just hard. An 18-year-old with everything in front of him. And you’re just not prepared for that kind of news,” Drinkwitz said. “Our team wasn’t prepared for that kind of news. But we’re praying for him and I know a lot of Mizzou fans will hopefully join in that prayer because he does need help in a hurry.
“We’re pulling for you, buddy.”
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