CINCINNATI — When the Cincinnati Bengals signed cornerback Adam Jones in May 2010, the general public sighed and said 'here we go again.' The organization made a habit of signing players deemed to have character issues, so it wasn’t a surprise.

The player once known as "Pacman" had a laundry list of legal problems.

Fast forward to the present.

Jones has put his troubled past behind him and taken advantage of his opportunity to turn his life around as well as impact others.

"I am so pleased with Adam's maturation over the past two years," agent Peter Schaffer said via text on Thursday. "It’s been enjoyable to watch. He has grown into a very nice young man, husband, father and teammate. The best part of talking with him is when you finish up you feel energized. He has that positive effect on people."

The NFL has asked Jones to speak at the 2012 Rookie Symposium. The league is hoping his message will encourage rookies not to make the same off-the-field mistakes that have defined his pro career.

According to Schaffer, the player was quick to accept and looks forward to the event and giving back.

Shedding the "bad boy" image will be no easy task, especially in the eyes of those on the outside looking in. But those on the inside, his teammates, see Jones in a different light.

"Adam is definitely one of the liveliest people I know," defensive end Michael Johnson said. "He said something to me that I have never forgotten – 'do what you love and love what you do.' "That statement can be applied to any aspect in life. If you do, you can't help but be successful. He’s a great teammate."

Cincinnati re-signed Jones to a one-year deal this offseason and expects him to contribute on defense and special teams. The corner got off to a slow start in his return, missing most of Organized Team Activities due to a pulled leg muscle, but he showed up to minicamp ready to compete.

Jones has looked good in practice running stride for stride with receivers in coverage. He broke up a few passes and made a leaping, one-hand grab in position drills. His technique appears to have improved and there’s a good reason for it.

During the team's playoff game against Houston, receiver Andre Johnson burned Jones on a 40-yard touchdown catch. Cincinnati lost 31-10 and the play has been in his craw ever since.

"That game left a bad taste in our mouths, especially in mine," Jones said. "I had a double-move put on and I haven’t forgotten that play. And I knew that play was coming. I was tired, forgot my technique and that's the type of stuff that will happen. I'm doing everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen again. That play is a mental note and at the top of my board."

Although he’s assumed a leadership role in an aging secondary, Jones still must compete against the veterans and younger players.

"Well, I'm one of the young guys. We do have a couple of old guys in our locker room (laugh)," he said. "We're just trying to get each other better as a group. It’s a good group, everybody likes each other and we like to compete. We pretty much listen to each other in terms of critiquing the game. I like the group we have in the secondary."

Expectations are high stemming from the success of last season. There will be little room for error – or drama.

"We have to keep competing and making sure everyone is on the same page," Jones said. "Our expectations were high last year so nothing has changed in that regard. Coach (Marvin) Lewis does a great job getting the guys on the same page and working toward one goal.

"We have a lot of young guys on this team that love to compete and just have fun. At the end of the day if you're not having fun something's wrong. This team is not your old Bengals."