Adam Jones (American football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Adam Jones

Jones with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2015
No. 32, 21, 24
Position:	Cornerback Return specialist
Personal information
Born:	(1983-09-30) September 30, 1983 (age 41) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school:	Westlake (Atlanta, Georgia)
College:	West Virginia (2002–2004)
NFL Draft:	2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
Career history
Tennessee Titans (2005–2007) Dallas Cowboys (2008) Cincinnati Bengals (2010–2017) Denver Broncos (2018)
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pro (2014) Pro Bowl (2015) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2005) Big East Special Teams Player of the Year (2004) First-team All-Big East (2004) Second-team All-Big East (2003)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 507 Interceptions: 17 Pass deflections: 92 Total return yards: 5,179 Total touchdowns: 8
Player stats at PFR

Adam Bernard Jones (born September 30, 1983) is a former American football player. He played as a cornerback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Bengals. His nickname is "Pacman".

Jones played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was picked by the Tennessee Titans as the sixth overall player in the 2005 NFL draft. During his career, Jones faced challenges outside of football. He was suspended from the NFL for the entire 2007 season and part of the 2008 season.

After his first suspension, the Titans traded Jones to the Dallas Cowboys in 2008. He played one season there before taking a year off from football. In 2010, the Cincinnati Bengals signed him. He played eight seasons with the Bengals, which was most of his career. With the Bengals, he was named First-Team All-Pro in 2014 and chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2015. After leaving the Bengals in 2017, he played seven games for the Denver Broncos in 2018. He announced his retirement from football in 2019.

Outside of football, Adam Jones has been involved in professional wrestling, boxing, and music. In 2007, during his time away from the NFL, he appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). The Titans team prevented him from wrestling in matches. However, he teamed up with Ron Killings as Team Pacman. They even won the TNA World Tag Team Championship for over a month. Also in 2007, Jones started his own record label and was part of a rap group called Posterboyz. After retiring from football, Jones began training as a boxer. He had his first amateur boxing match in 2021.

In 2023, he appeared on The Pat McAfee Show. He also co-hosted a show called Runnin' It Back w/ Pac + Zach for BetOnline.

Early Life and High School

Adam Jones was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother, Deborah Jones, and his grandmother, Christine Jones, raised him. His father passed away when Adam was young. His mother gave him the nickname "Pacman" when he was a child. She said he would change direction as fast as the video game character Pac-Man. This nickname was used so much that it was even shown as a "P" on his Titans jersey.

When Jones was a freshman at West Virginia University, his grandmother died. Jones missed only one game in his three years of college football to attend her funeral. On the day of the NFL draft, Jones wore a T-shirt with his grandmother's picture.

Jones went to Westlake High School in Atlanta. In 2005, Westlake had six former students playing in the NFL. Jones played in the Georgia-Florida all-star game. He was named "Player of the Year" for his conference in his senior year. He had 120 tackles, six interceptions, and 1,850 rushing yards. Besides football, Jones was also an All-American in basketball and track. His basketball team won two state championships.

College Career

Jones studied Athletic Coaching Education in college. He was also on the Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll. As a freshman in 2002, Jones played in 11 games for West Virginia. He was a backup cornerback and safety. He made one interception, forced one fumble, and had 36 tackles.

In 2003, his second season, he played in all 13 games. He started nine games at cornerback. He also became the main kick and punt returner. He was chosen for the second-team All-Big East Conference. He had a career-high 89 tackles and four interceptions, including one for a touchdown. He also had six tackles for losses, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He defended 12 passes that season, which was a career high.

In a game against Boston College, Jones scored two touchdowns. One was an 87-yard kick return, and the other was a 47-yard interception return. He also had a career-high 12 tackles against Miami. He returned 16 punts for 98 yards and 867 kick returns, including an 87-yard touchdown.

As a junior in 2004, he was the captain of the secondary defense. He led the team in tackles and interceptions. Jones also played a little on offense. He returned punts and kick-offs for the second season. He was named first-team all-Big East as a defensive back. He also received honorable mention All-American honors. He led the team with 76 tackles, two sacks, three interceptions, and seven passes defended.

Jones was named to collegefootballnews.com's All-American first-team. He was also named honorable mention All-American as a kick returner. Jones was also chosen as the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year. His 76-yard punt return against East Carolina was his longest return and his only punt return for a touchdown in college. Jones finished his college career in the 2005 Gator Bowl. He fumbled a kick return early in the game, and West Virginia lost to Florida State.

Jones is ranked second in West Virginia's history for career kickoff return yards with 1,475 yards. He is 11th for career punt return yards with 404 yards. His 10.92 yards per punt return is the sixth best in school history. Jones is one of the highest-drafted players from West Virginia.

Professional Career

Tennessee Titans

After his junior year, Jones decided to enter the NFL draft early. He was the first defensive player chosen, picked sixth overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2005 NFL draft. He missed most of training camp because of a contract disagreement. The Titans were concerned about some challenges Jones faced outside of football.

In his first season (rookie year), he had 44 tackles and 10 pass deflections. On special teams, Jones had 1,399 return yards and one touchdown. Jones and Reynaldo Hill were the only rookie cornerbacks to start at least 10 games each in the NFL.

In his second season, Jones had a career-high 62 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. He also had 12 deflected passes and four interceptions, including one touchdown. He had 440 punt return yards and tied for the NFL lead with three punt return touchdowns. These three punt returns also tied the team record set in 1975. His 12.9 yards per punt return average led the NFL. He also had a 26.1 yards per kick return average, which ranked seventh in the league. Jones also caught two passes for 31 yards and rushed twice for eight yards.

His best game was against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 15. Jones had an 83-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 70-yard kick return. He also broke up a touchdown pass to save the game. In week 7 against the Houston Texans, Jones tied his career-high with eight tackles. He also got his first career interception and scored his second punt return touchdown. Two weeks later, against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jones scored his second punt return touchdown of the season with a 90-yard run. This broke the team record. The next week, against the New York Giants, Jones intercepted a pass that helped the Titans come back from a 21-point deficit. In the last game of the season against the New England Patriots, Jones had 259 return yards and a punt return touchdown.

Despite his strong second year, there were talks that the Titans might trade or release him due to his challenges outside of football. On April 10, 2007, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that Jones would be suspended for one year. This was due to issues outside of the game. Jones appealed the decision, but later withdrew his appeal on June 12.

During his suspension, Jones signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He was not allowed to wrestle in physical matches. He also started a record label and performed as part of a rap duo. On February 1, 2008, ESPN reported that Jones might not be allowed back in the NFL after the Super Bowl. It was also reported that the Titans would try to trade Jones if he was reinstated.

Dallas Cowboys

On April 23, 2008, Jones was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. He was traded for a fourth-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Jones also made a financial agreement with the Titans. He agreed to pay $500,000 to a charity chosen by the Titans. Jones signed a four-year contract with the Cowboys. This contract was set up to protect Dallas if Jones faced more challenges outside of football.

On April 24, Hall of Famer Jim Brown offered his support to Jones. Former Cowboys players Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders also offered to help him. In June, Jones was allowed to join team activities with the Cowboys. This included training camp and preseason games. On August 26, Jones was fully allowed to play in the 2008 NFL season.

In the first game of the season, a 28–10 win against the Cleveland Browns, Jones had a tackle and a pass deflection. In a 27–16 win over the Green Bay Packers, Jones led the Cowboys with eight tackles and a fumble recovery.

In October 2008, Jones was suspended for at least four games due to an incident. On November 19, 2008, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Jones would be allowed to play again. However, he would miss two more games and return on December 7. By the time he returned, Jones would have been suspended for 22 out of a possible 28 games.

On December 7, 2008, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jones got a neck injury. He continued to play. News reports later said the injury was more serious. On December 10, 2008, the Cowboys said Jones would likely miss the rest of the season. However, he returned for the Cowboys' last game of the season.

On January 7, 2009, the Cowboys announced they would release Jones. Due to NFL rules, the Cowboys officially released Jones on February 9, 2009.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

In August 2009, Jones agreed to a one-year deal to play with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. However, on September 2, the Blue Bombers said they were no longer interested in Jones. This was after he made some comments in an internet video.

Cincinnati Bengals

Jones (left) at the 2016 Pro Bowl.

Jones worked out with the Cincinnati Bengals on February 12, 2010. The Bengals did not offer him a contract then. Jones worked out for NFL scouts on March 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Six NFL teams were there. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds.

On May 10, 2010, Jones signed a two-year deal with the Bengals. He went through the off-season and pre-season without problems. He made the regular-season team. He played his first game for the Bengals on September 12, 2010. He was a kick returner and a backup cornerback. He returned two kickoffs for 37 yards. He also made two tackles and an assist. On October 26, Jones got a serious neck injury. He missed the rest of the 2010 season.

Jones returned to play for the Bengals on October 30, 2011. He returned one punt for 63 yards. He then got a hamstring injury and did not play for the rest of the game.

On March 21, 2013, Jones signed a three-year deal to stay with the Bengals.

In the 2015 Wild Card Round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jones got into an argument with Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter. This happened late in the fourth quarter. Jones was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Bengals were leading 16–15. But the penalties on Jones and Vontaze Burfict moved the Steelers closer. This allowed them to win the game 18–16. Jones was later fined for the argument. This incident led to a new rule called the "Joey Porter Rule." It stops assistant coaches from going onto the field during a game.

On March 9, 2016, Jones signed another three-year deal to stay with the Bengals.

Jones was suspended for the first game of the 2017 season. This was due to issues outside of the game. In Week 13, Jones hurt his groin while intercepting a pass. He was placed on injured reserve on December 9, 2017.

On March 9, 2018, the Bengals announced they would not keep Jones for the 2018 season. This made him a free agent.

Denver Broncos

On August 26, 2018, Jones signed with the Denver Broncos. He played in seven games before being released on November 20, 2018.

Retirement

On May 24, 2019, Adam Jones announced that he was retiring from football.

NFL Career Statistics

Career Awards and Highlights

• Pro Bowl selection (2015)
• First-team All-Pro selection (2014)
• PFWA All-AFC selection (2006)
• NFL All-Rookie Team (2005)

Professional Wrestling Career

On August 6, 2007, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) announced they had signed a deal with Jones. TNA Vice President Jeff Jarrett said Jones wanted to wrestle, mostly as part of a tag team. However, the Tennessee Titans team got a court order. This order stopped him from having any physical role in the company. So, TNA and the Titans agreed that Jones could appear with the company but not wrestle in a way that could hurt him.

Jones first appeared at Hard Justice that month. He gave an interview explaining why he chose wrestling. He said he wanted to show he could be "the ultimate team player." He also chose TNA because both he and the company were "trend setters." He was interrupted by Ron Killings. Killings challenged Jones to fight, but security guards kept them apart. Later, Jones was shown injured and bleeding, then taken away in an ambulance.

At the next Impact! show, Jones challenged Killings again. But Killings appeared and said he respected Jones. He even suggested they form a team to win the World Tag Team Championship. Jones agreed, and the new team, "Team Pacman", started attacking wrestlers. They spray-painted "PAC" on their backs. At the No Surrender show, Team Pacman won the TNA World Tag Team Championship. They beat the champions, Kurt Angle and Sting. Jones made the actual pin, but he was not physically involved in the match. He sometimes refused to tag in and even ran away.

Before Bound for Glory, TNA announced that Jones bought 1,500 tickets. He planned to give them to the Fulton County School District. TNA also promoted his appearance for the first two-hour episode of Impact! on October 4. In that show, Team Pacman wrestled against Team 3D. Jones mostly avoided physical contact. He did a leapfrog and threw a football at an opponent. He also held a downed opponent's legs for a double team move. The match ended in a disqualification when another team interfered.

At Bound for Glory, Jones was not allowed to wrestle a full match. So, Rasheed Lucius "Consequences" Creed took his place for the title defense. This was allowed under the "Freebird Rule". They wrestled against A.J. Styles and Tomko. Jones stood outside and watched. Jones tried to help his team by throwing money at the referee. This distracted the referee, who missed a pin for Team Pacman. This allowed Styles and Tomko to win the match and the title.

After losing the title, Jones mostly disappeared from TNA television. His contract ended and was not renewed on October 15. Jones returned to the company six years later. It was now called Impact Wrestling. This happened on the November 7, 2013, episode of Impact!, which was in Cincinnati. Jones and another player were sitting in the front row. They got into an argument with Bad Influence. The wrestlers pushed them, and Jones and the other player jumped into the ring. They then bodyslammed both wrestlers.

Personal Life

On July 5, 2014, Adam Jones married Tishana Holmes. They have three children together.

After his long-time college and NFL friend Chris Henry passed away, Jones helped raise Henry's children. He promised to raise them as Henry would have wanted.

Championships and Accomplishments

Professional Wrestling

• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  • TNA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Ron Killings

See Also

• National Football League player conduct controversy
• Team Pacman