Missouri football player Johnnie 'DJ' Jones recovering after heart transplant

<p>Johnnie "DJ" Jones, a freshman offensive lineman for the Missouri Tigers, is recovering after undergoing a heart transplant, coach Eli Drinkwitz announced on Thursday.</p><p>In a social media post, Drinkwitz provided a positive health update, stating that Jones' surgery went well and that he is recovering.</p><p>"We are incredibly grateful for the medical team who cared for DJ and for the donor and donor family whose extraordinary gift made this possible," the seventh-year Tigers coach wrote.</p><p>Jones had been hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, while awaiting a transplant, Drinkwitz said during a news conference on Tuesday.</p><p>The team’s medical staff first identified a problem with Jones’ heart during freshman intake testing over the summer, Drinkwitz noted earlier this week.</p><p>The coaching staff sought a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic after not receiving a resolution or answers following two weeks of observation.</p><p>Doctors at the Mayo Clinic detected a much more serious heart problem, and the coaching staff was informed last week that Jones needed the transplant.</p><p>The 18-year-old Jones graduated from Venice High School on Florida’s Gulf Coast and signed with Missouri as a four-star recruit. Missouri enters Week 6 of the college football season with a record of 4-1 and will host Columbia on Saturday.</p><p><em>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</em></p>