Charles "Yogi" Jones facts for kids
| Hamburg Sea Devils (ELF) | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Head coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | 1960/1961 (age 64–65) |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Ringgold (Carroll Township, Pennsylvania) |
| College: | Pittsburgh |
| Undrafted: | 1983 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
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| As coach: | |
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Charles "Yogi" Jones is a well-known figure in American football. He used to play as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He also played college football at the University of Pittsburgh. Since 2022, he has been the head coach for the Hamburg Sea Devils in the European League of Football.
Early Years in Football
Charles Jones, known as "Yogi," started his college football journey at the University of Pittsburgh in 1978. He played for five years, showing great skill on the field. In his final year, 1982, he was one of the team's three captains. His team was even ranked number one in the country that year.
Playing in the NFL
In 1983, Charles "Yogi" Jones signed with the Dallas Cowboys. He joined them as an undrafted rookie, meaning he wasn't chosen in the main player draft. Sadly, he got injured during the preseason and training camp. This injury meant he had to stop playing professional football.
Coaching Career Highlights
After his playing career ended, Yogi Jones became a football coach. He started as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh. Later, he made history at James Madison University. In 1987, he became the first full-time African-American coach there. That year, the team had a great 9-2 record and made it to the National Playoffs.
Jones then coached at other universities like Rutgers, Pitt, and Tulane. He also worked as a defensive coach in NFL Europe. He helped teams like the Frankfurt Galaxy win the World Bowl in 1999. He also coached in Glasgow, Berlin, and Hamburg, where his team won the World Bowl in 2007.
After NFL Europe, Jones spent two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He worked as a scout, looking for talented players for the team. Then, he became the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator at Bethune Cookman University. He stayed there for 12 seasons. During his time, the team won six MEAC Championships and two HBCU National Championships. Their defense was often ranked among the best in the nation. They even beat two larger FBS universities.
In February 2022, Yogi Jones was announced as the new head coach for the Hamburg Sea Devils. This team plays in the European League of Football.
Personal Life
Charles "Yogi" Jones is married and has two children.
