ORLANDO, Fla. — “Just a kid from Orlando.”

That’s what it said on the front of homegrown Olympian Omari Jones’ T-shirt the other day when he held a training session at a local gym in preparation for his first professional boxing match this Saturday.

But, you see, “Just a kid from Orlando” is not just a simple slogan on a T-shirt; it’s more than that.

Much more.

It is a mindset and a reminder that no matter how high he climbs and how famous he becomes, he is still the same humble kid who fell in love with boxing in the heart of his hometown.

It is a tribute to parents and pastors and coaches and mentors and friends and family who have supported and nurtured him. He may stand alone in the ring, but he goes to battle with an entire village behind him.

“Just a kid from Orlando” is also perhaps a message to the boxing world; a defiant declaration that you don’t have to be a brooding, angry, troubled kid from inner city New York or the mean streets of Philly or the back alleys of Chicago to be a great boxer. You can be a smiling, polite, grounded, well-rounded kid from a place called “The City Beautiful” and still become a champion. It is a testament to his character that this 22-year-old boxer with the nickname of “Banger” has been in hundreds of fights inside the ring but never been in one outside of the ring.

“I meet people all the time who say I seem too nice to be fighter. They’ll look at me and say, ‘Wait a minute, you’re a what — a boxer?‘ ” says a grinning Jones, who will make his pro debut against Italian welterweight Alessio “Lillo” Mastronunzio Saturday night at Caribe Royale.

Says his longtime coach Jason Galarza: “Yes, Omari is different outside the ring than many boxers, but when gets inside the ring his mindset changes. He understands that this is a hurt business, and the man across from you is trying to hurt you. Typically, when you hear about boxers, you hear about people coming from poverty and who maybe get into trouble out of the ring and who don’t have much going on in other aspects of their life. Omari is definitely the opposite of that. He’s walking a different path.”

A path of faith and family where education, good manners and community values were instilled into him at a young age. His parents, Karl and Debra, cultivated an environment of diligence, determination and discipline. They enrolled Omari in karate class at 4 years old to teach him about self-control and personal growth and he transitioned to boxing at the age of 8.

Even though his mother didn’t want him to pursue such a violent sport, she acquiesced because — as she says now — “It was his passion.” She would attend his fights when he was coming up through the youth ranks, but she would always turn her back to the ring because she couldn’t bear to watch her boy getting punched.

It became clear quickly that Omari was landing more punches than he was taking. At age 10, in only his second fight ever, he went to Tampa and fought one of the top 10-year-old fighters in the state — a kid who was being called “Little Mayweather.” Omari showed no fear and ended up winning the fight, prompting his ecstatic father to tell him afterward, “Hey, if you just beat Little Floyd Mayweather, I guess that makes you Little Muhammad Ali.”

From that point forward, Omari carried a picture of the great Ali in his book bag and tried to emulate Ali’s “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” style as much as he could. He progressed quickly through the youth levels and, by the time he was a senior at Edgewater High School in 2018, he was the top amateur welterweight in America.

In a sports era today where turning pro and making money early is too often glamorized, Jones showed incredible patience and chased his boyhood dream instead of chasing a quick influx of cash. He postponed turning pro so he could become an Olympian.

“Ever since I was a kid, I would fall asleep at night thinking and dreaming about representing my country in the Olympics,” Omari says.

And that’s exactly what happened at the 2024 Paris Games, where he secured the bronze — the only American boxer to medal at the Olympics. There are those who believe Omari should have been fighting for the gold medal, but he lost to Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev in a questionable split decision in the semifinals.

Tweeted out renowned pro boxer and social media influencer Jake Paul, an honorary coach for Team USA, after the match: “Absolute robbery. Omari Jones won every round of that fight with ease.”

Omari, as you would expect, handles the situation with class.

“I believe I won, but I’m not going to make excuses or whine about it,” he says. “The judges saw what they saw. I can live with that and I will learn from it.”

It is this pursuit of growth and knowledge that drives him. Amazingly, while training for the Olympics, he also graduated with an associate degree in business from Valencia State College. And he started his own clothing line — “A Dollar and A Dream” — inspired by the lyrics from a song written by J. Cole. And he wrote a book — “The Journey of an Olympian” — chronicling his ascent in amateur boxing.

And now comes his first professional boxing match on Saturday night in the heart of his hometown.

“My goal,” he says, “is to make the place where I grew up proud of me.”

As if he hasn’t already.

Here’s hoping he becomes the champion of the world someday and shows everyone that great boxers don’t always come from hardship, trouble and turmoil. Sometimes love, discipline, passion and integrity can be just as powerful and just as motivating as adversity.

The T-shirt he’s wearing is only half right.

Yes, he is “Just a kid from Orlando.”

But Omari Jones is more than that.

So much more.

He is our city’s most valuable commodity.

He’s a good kid from Orlando.

A good kid with a bright future.

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