Jacoby Jones facts for kids
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Jones in 2014
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| No. 12 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | July 11, 1984 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Died: | July 14, 2024 (aged 40) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Marion Abramson (New Orleans, Louisiana) | ||||||||||
| College: | Lane (2003–2006) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2007 / Round: 3 / Pick: 73 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Jacoby Rashi'd Jones (born July 11, 1984 – died July 14, 2024) was an American professional football player. He was known as a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL).
Jones was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Later, he played for the Monterrey Steel in the National Arena League in 2017.
He played college football for the Lane College Dragons. With the Ravens, he was picked for the Pro Bowl in 2012. Jones was famous for two amazing plays during the 2012 NFL playoffs. One was a 70-yard touchdown catch against the Denver Broncos, which tied the game. The other was a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVII. This was the longest play in Super Bowl history. At the time of his death, he was a wide receivers coach at Alabama State University.
Contents
Early Life and High School
Jacoby Jones grew up in New Orleans East, Louisiana. He went to St. Augustine High School and Marion Abramson High School. When he was a junior at St. Augustine, the school thought he was too small for the football team.
His godfather, Allen Woods, who was an assistant principal at Abramson, told him to transfer there. Sadly, his childhood home and high school were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
College Football Career
In 2002, Jones first enrolled at Southeastern Louisiana University on a track scholarship. However, he transferred to Lane College, a Division II school, in 2003.
At Lane College, Jones was a four-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) player. He was also a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Professional Football Career
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans drafted Jones in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. He was the 73rd player chosen overall.
His first touchdown catch was against the Tennessee Titans in 2009. He also returned a punt for a 70-yard touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in 2008. Jones was a good receiver and returner, but sometimes he dropped the ball.
In a playoff game in 2012 against the Baltimore Ravens, Jones fumbled a punt. This mistake contributed to the Texans' loss. On May 1, 2012, the Texans released Jones from their team.
Baltimore Ravens
On May 8, 2012, Jones signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. The deal was worth $7 million.
On October 14, 2012, Jones returned a kickoff for 108 yards and a touchdown. This happened in a game against the Dallas Cowboys. It tied an NFL record for the longest kick return. On November 11, 2012, he returned another kickoff for 105 yards. This made him the first player to have two kick returns of 105 yards or more in one season.
A week later, on November 18, Jones returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown. This helped the Ravens win against the Pittsburgh Steelers 13–10. It was the first time the Ravens had a punt return touchdown against the Steelers.
Jones was chosen for his first Pro Bowl as a kick returner. He was also selected for the 2012 All-Pro team. His great plays continued in the playoffs. On January 12, 2013, in a playoff game against the Denver Broncos, the Ravens were losing 35–28. With only 31 seconds left, Jones caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco. This play, called the "Mile High Miracle", tied the game at 35. The Ravens then won 38–35 in double overtime.
In Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers, Jones made history. He was the first player to score a receiving touchdown and a return touchdown in the same Super Bowl. Near the end of the second quarter, he caught a 56-yard pass from Joe Flacco for a touchdown. Then, he returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a 108-yard touchdown. This was the longest play in Super Bowl history. The Ravens won the game 34–31, and Jones earned his first Super Bowl ring. He was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated after the Super Bowl.
During the 2013 season, Jones was injured in the first game. He returned in Week 6 and scored his first receiving touchdown of the season. In Week 13, on Thanksgiving, Jones had a kickoff return that looked like a touchdown. However, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was on the field and disrupted his path. The Ravens still won the game.
The next week, in a snowy game, Jones returned a kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown. The Ravens won that game 29–26. In Week 15, Jones caught a crucial pass that led to a game-winning field goal.
On March 12, 2014, Jones signed a new four-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. It was worth $12 million. However, his performance was not as strong in 2014. He was released by the Ravens on February 25, 2015.
San Diego Chargers
On March 6, 2015, Jones signed a two-year contract with the San Diego Chargers. He was released on November 3 after playing eight games.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up Jones on November 5, 2015. He wore number 13 because his usual number 12 was unofficially retired for Terry Bradshaw. After fumbling twice, he became a backup returner. He was released on January 1, 2016.
In four games with the Steelers, Jones had 6 punt returns for 19 yards. He also had 9 kick returns for 220 yards.
Monterrey Steel
On March 13, 2017, Jones signed with the Monterrey Steel of the National Arena League (NAL). He played in 8 games, catching 19 passes for 169 yards and 1 touchdown. He also returned kicks and field goals.
Retirement
On September 29, 2017, Jones signed a special one-day contract with the Ravens. This allowed him to officially retire as a member of the team.
Awards and Honors
NFL Awards
- Super Bowl champion (XLVII)
- First-team All-Pro (2012)
- Pro Bowl (2012)
- AFC Special Teams Player of the Month – November 2022
- 5× AFC Special Teams Player of the Week
College Awards
- SIAC Most Valuable Player (2006)
- SIAC Offensive Player of the Year (2006)
- 4× All-SIAC (2003–2006)
- Lane College Athletics Hall of Fame (2016)
Football Records
NFL Records
- Longest kickoff return in a Super Bowl (108 yards)
- Longest play in a Super Bowl (108 yards)
- Most all-purpose yards in a Super Bowl (288 yards)
- Most career kick return touchdowns of 105+ yards (4)
Houston Texans Records
- Most punt returns in a single season: 49 (2011)
- Most punt return yards in a single season: 518 (2011)
- Most punt return touchdowns in a single season: 2 (2008)
- Most career punt returns (179)
- Most career punt return touchdowns (3)
- Most career punt return yards (1,820)
- Most career all-purpose yards (5,091)
Baltimore Ravens Records
- Most career kickoff return touchdowns (4)
- Most kickoff return touchdowns in a single season: 2 (2012)
- Longest kickoff return: 108 yards (achieved three times)
Coaching Career
After retiring, Jones returned to his alma mater, Lane College, in 2018. He was named the wide receivers coach. After two seasons, he moved to Baltimore in 2020 to coach wide receivers at Calvert Hall College High School. Jones then coached tight ends at Morgan State University. In 2022, he joined the coaching staff at Alabama State University.
Dancing With the Stars
On February 24, 2013, Jacoby Jones was announced as a contestant on Season 16 of Dancing With the Stars. He danced with Karina Smirnoff, who had won a previous season. They made it to the finals and finished in third place.
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inaba | Goodman | Tonioli | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha/"Good Feeling" | 7 | 7 | 7 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jazz/"Five Guys Named Moe" | 7 | 7 | 8 | Safe |
| 3 | Prom Group Dance/"The Rockafeller Skank" Rumba/"Stay" |
Awarded 8 |
2 8 |
Points 8 |
Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot/"Watching You" | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe |
| 5 | Jive/"Long Tall Sally" | 9 | 8 | 9 | Safe |
| 6 | Quickstep/"For Once in My Life" Team Paso Doble/"Higher Ground" |
8 7 |
7 8 |
8 7 |
Safe |
| 7 | Salsa/"Danza Kuduro" | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" Paso Doble (Trio Challenge) / "La Virgen de la Macarena" |
9 8 |
9 9 |
9 8 |
Last to be called safe |
| 9 Semi-finals |
Argentine Tango / "Concierto Para Quinteto" Lindy Hop / "Ding Dong Daddy of the D-Car Line" |
10 10 |
10 9 |
10 10 |
Safe |
| 10 Finals |
Jive / "Shake It" Cha-Cha-Cha Relay / "Treasure" Freestyle / "Can't Hold Us" Instant Salsa / 'Aguanile" |
9 Awarded 9 10 |
9 2 9 10 |
9 Points 9 10 |
Third Place |
Death
Jacoby Jones passed away at his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 14, 2024. He was 40 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Jacoby Jones para niños
