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Julius Jones (American football) facts for kids

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Julius Jones
refer to caption
Jones with the Seahawks in 2009
No. 21, 22
Position: Running back
Personal information
Born: (1981-08-14) August 14, 1981 (age 43)
Big Stone Gap, Virginia, U.S.
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight: 208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school: Powell Valley (Big Stone Gap, Virginia)
College: Notre Dame (1999–2001, 2003)
NFL Draft: 2004 / Round: 2 / Pick: 43
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • PFWA All-Rookie Team (2004)
  • All-American (2003)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 5,068
Rushing average: 4.0
Rushing touchdowns: 22
Receptions: 150
Receiving yards: 1,029
Receiving touchdowns: 2
Player stats at PFR

Julius Andre Maurice Jones (born August 14, 1981) is a former professional football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Jones was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints.

Early Life and High School Football

Julius Jones was born in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. His mother worked in a Virginia coal mine for almost 20 years. She raised seven children, including Julius and his older brother, Thomas Jones.

His father encouraged the children to learn new words every day. He also made them read the newspaper's front page before the sports section. Jones believes his parents taught him the strong work ethic he used in football.

Jones went to Powell Valley High School. He played football, basketball, and track. In football, he was a star player during his senior year. He ran for 2,564 yards and scored 36 touchdowns.

He helped his school win 28 games in a row. They also won the Virginia Group A-Division II state title in 1997 and 1998. He was named the Virginia Group A Offensive Player of the Year in both years. He finished high school with 5,803 rushing yards and 86 touchdowns.

College Football Career

Jones played college football at the University of Notre Dame. He played from 1999 to 2001 and again in 2003. As a freshman, he mostly played on special teams. He also led the team in kickoff and punt return yards.

In 2003, Jones became the starting running back. He set a school record by rushing for 262 yards in one game against the University of Pittsburgh. He had three games where he rushed for over 200 yards, which is another school record.

That season, he ran for 1,268 yards and 10 touchdowns. This was one of the best seasons for a Notre Dame running back. He finished his college career with over 3,000 rushing yards. He also set school records for kickoff return yards and all-purpose yards.

Professional Football Career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
5 ft 9+3⁄4 in
(1.77 m)		 217 lb
(98 kg)		 31+1⁄8 in
(0.79 m)		 9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		 4.50 s 1.55 s 2.64 s 4.12 s 6.97 s 37.5 in
(0.95 m)		 10 ft 1 in
(3.07 m)
All values from Pro Day

Dallas Cowboys

2004 Season

The Dallas Cowboys chose Julius Jones in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft. He was the 43rd player picked overall. Early in his first season, Jones got injured. The team had to rely on other players while he recovered.

Later in the season, Jones returned to play. He had a great game on Thanksgiving against his older brother Thomas and the Chicago Bears. Julius rushed for 150 yards and scored two touchdowns. He was named "player of the game."

Jones looked very good as the season ended. He rushed for over 800 yards in the last 8 games. People thought he would be the next great running back for the Cowboys.

2005 Season

In 2005, Jones aimed to have a big season. However, he suffered an ankle injury in week 5. This injury bothered him for the rest of the season. He had to miss three games because of it.

Despite the injury, Jones showed his talent. In one game, he rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. He came very close to reaching 1,000 rushing yards that season.

2006 Season

Jones focused on staying healthy for the entire 2006 season. He started strong, gaining 494 yards in the first five games. The team used a "dual-back" system, with Jones starting and another player finishing games.

In week 14, Jones had his longest run ever. He scored a 77-yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints. He also finally reached over 1,000 rushing yards that season. This was the first time a Cowboys running back did that since 2001.

2007 Season

The 2007 season was the last year of Jones's contract with the Cowboys. He hoped for a strong season with a new coach. He worked out privately to prepare.

This season, Jones had his lowest rushing yards as a professional. He ran for 588 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. He was still the starting running back for all 16 games. He left the Cowboys ranked eighth on their all-time rushing list.

Seattle Seahawks

2008 Season

In 2008, Julius Jones signed a four-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks. He competed for the starting job. In week 2, he got his first start and rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown.

In week 3, Jones became the first Seahawks running back since 2005 to have two 100-yard rushing games in a row. He finished the 2008 season leading the team with 698 rushing yards.

2009 Season

On September 14, 2009, Jones rushed for 117 yards and a 62-yard touchdown in a win against the St. Louis Rams. This was his first touchdown since 2008. He also caught his first two receiving touchdowns of his career.

Jones ended the 2009 season leading the team with 663 rushing yards. He also caught 35 passes for 232 yards and 2 touchdowns.

2010 Season

In 2010, Julius Jones changed his contract to stay with the Seattle Seahawks. However, he was later released from the team on October 5. This happened after the Seahawks traded for another running back, Marshawn Lynch.

New Orleans Saints

2010 Season

On October 12, 2010, Julius Jones signed with the New Orleans Saints. He played in 10 games for them. He rushed for 193 yards on 48 carries.

In a playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, Jones ran for two touchdowns. He was the first player to score a playoff touchdown against the same team that had released him that season. He did not sign with the Saints again after the playoffs.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2004 DAL 8 7 197 819 4.2 53 7 17 108 6.4 37 0 3 3
2005 DAL 13 12 257 993 3.9 51 5 35 218 6.2 26 0 4 2
2006 DAL 16 16 267 1,084 4.1 77 4 8 142 15.8 39 0 1 1
2007 DAL 16 16 164 588 3.6 25 2 23 203 8.8 24 0 0 0
2008 SEA 15 10 158 698 4.4 33 2 14 66 4.7 17 0 4 2
2009 SEA 14 14 177 663 3.7 62 2 35 232 6.6 49 2 0 0
2010 SEA 10 2 48 193 4.0 54 0 17 59 3.5 13 0 1 1
NO 2 0 12 30 2.5 6 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
Career 94 77 1,280 5,068 4.0 77 22 149 1,028 6.9 39 2 13 9

Postseason

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2006 DAL 1 1 22 112 5.1 35 0 2 0 0.0 2 0 0 0
2007 DAL 1 0 3 8 2.7 4 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2010 NO 1 0 15 59 3.9 15 2 6 61 0.0 33 0 0 1
Career 94 77 1,280 5,068 4.0 77 22 8 61 7.6 33 0 0 1

Personal Life

Julius Jones is the younger brother of fellow running back Thomas Jones. In 2006, they made history. They became the first brothers in the NFL to each rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season.

Julius grew up in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. He is the fourth of seven children in his family.

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