Thomas Jones (American football) facts for kids
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Jones with the Chiefs in November 2010
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 19, 1978 Big Stone Gap, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 212 lb (96 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Powell Valley (Big Stone Gap) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Virginia (1996–1999) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Thomas Quinn Jones (born August 19, 1978) is an American actor and former professional football player. He played as a running back for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Jones played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, where he was recognized as an All-American in 1999. He was chosen by the Arizona Cardinals as the seventh overall pick in the 2000 NFL draft. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Kansas City Chiefs. When he retired, he was one of the top 25 leading rushers in NFL history, having gained over 10,000 rushing yards. In 2019, he was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
After his football career, Thomas Jones began acting in 2013. He uses the name Thomas Q. Jones for his acting roles. Some of his well-known acting jobs include the movie Straight Outta Compton (2015) and a role in the TV series Luke Cage.
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Growing Up and High School Football
Thomas Jones was born in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. His mother, Betty, worked in a coal mine for almost 20 years. She raised seven children, including Thomas and his younger brother, Julius Jones, who also became a football player.
His father encouraged the children to learn new words every day. He also made them read the front page of the newspaper before they could read the sports section. Jones believes his parents taught him to be ambitious and work hard. These qualities helped him in his professional football career.
While playing for Powell Valley High School, Thomas led his team to win two state championships in a row in 1994 and 1995. He still holds the Virginia High School League (VHSL) record for the most rushing yards in one season, with 3,319 yards. He also broke his uncle's record for most rushing yards in a single game, gaining 462 yards in 1994. Thomas was featured in Sports Illustrated magazine in 1996.
College Football Success
Jones went to the University of Virginia and played for the Virginia Cavaliers football team from 1996 to 1999. During his four years there, he set many records for both his team and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
He finished his college career as the Cavaliers' all-time leading rusher with 3,998 yards. This broke the old record set by Tiki Barber. His total rushing yards were the fourth highest in ACC history. Jones also set records for most rushing yards in a single season (1,798 yards) and most all-purpose yards in a season (2,054 yards).
In one game against the University at Buffalo, Jones became the first player in ACC history to gain 200 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving. He set a school record with 331 all-purpose yards in that game. He had six games where he rushed for over 200 yards, which was an ACC record. He ended his college career with 4,698 all-purpose yards.
In 1999, as a senior, Jones was named a first-team All-American by several major sports organizations. He finished 8th in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, which is given to the most outstanding player in college football. He was the first ACC running back to be a consensus All-American since 1978. Jones led the conference in rushing and receiving yards. He finished third in the nation for rushing and all-purpose yards.
Even with his football success, Jones also focused on his studies. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in just three years.
Professional Football Journey
Arizona Cardinals Team
The Arizona Cardinals picked Thomas Jones as the seventh overall player in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. In his three years with the Cardinals, he rushed for 1,264 yards and scored 9 touchdowns. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team
In Tampa Bay, Jones played a full season without injuries. He gained 627 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry.
Chicago Bears Team
In 2004, Jones signed with the Chicago Bears, getting a chance to be a main running back. In his first season with the Bears, he rushed for 948 yards and 7 touchdowns. The next year, in 2005, he had an even better season, rushing for 1,335 yards and 9 touchdowns. He helped the offensive line by blocking for quarterback Rex Grossman.
In 2006, Jones injured his hamstring during training camp. This meant he started behind Cedric Benson on the team's depth chart. However, Benson later got injured, and Jones returned to his role as the main running back.
During the 2006 season, Jones and Benson both played important roles. Jones used his speed to find openings in the defense. Jones gained 1,210 yards, and Benson gained 647 yards. Both averaged over four yards per carry. That year, Thomas and his brother Julius became the first brothers in NFL history to each rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season.
In the 2006 playoffs, Jones helped the Bears win games. He rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks. The next week, he rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC championship game. This helped the Bears reach the Super Bowl. Jones's 123 rushing yards against the Saints set a Bears postseason record.
In Super Bowl XLI, Jones rushed for 112 yards and had 18 receiving yards. He had a 52-yard run, which was the Bears' longest run of the season. Even though he averaged 7.5 yards per carry, the Bears only ran the ball 15 times in their 29–17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
New York Jets Team
On March 5, 2007, the Bears traded Jones to the New York Jets. The Jets then signed him to a four-year contract.
In the 2007 season, Jones carried the ball 310 times for 1,119 yards. This was his third straight season with over a thousand rushing yards. He also scored his first career receiving touchdown.
Jones had his best season in 2008. He was chosen as the starting running back for the AFC in the Pro Bowl. Jones scored 15 total touchdowns and rushed for 1,312 yards, leading the AFC.
On October 18, 2009, Jones set a Jets franchise record by rushing for 210 yards in a game against the Buffalo Bills. This broke the old record held by Curtis Martin. On December 3, 2009, Jones reached 1,068 rushing yards for the season. This marked his fifth season in a row with over 1,000 rushing yards.
On January 17, 2010, Jones made a crucial play in a playoff game against the San Diego Chargers. He converted a fourth down play in the final minute, helping the Jets win. This win meant the Jets would play the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game.
On March 1, 2010, the New York Jets announced they would release Jones. He was officially released on March 5.
Kansas City Chiefs Team
Jones signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 9, 2010.
In a game against the St. Louis Rams, Jones rushed for 62 yards and one touchdown. In this game, he reached the 10,000-yard rushing mark. At that time, he was only the 25th player in NFL history to do so.
Football Awards and Honors
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Nominee
- Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Inductee (2018)
- Member of the NFL's 10,000 Rushing Yards Club
- Pro Bowl (2008)
- First-team All-Pro PFWA (2008)
- First-team All-AFC (2008)
- Consensus All-American (1999)
- First-team All ACC (1999)
- First-team All ACC (1998)
Life After Football
Thomas Jones has decided to donate his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute after his death. This institute studies how sports can affect the brain. In 2017, Jones shared that if he could go back in time, he might not play football because of the physical effects it had on his body.
Jones is also the founder and CEO of a technology company called Castar Applications Inc.
Acting Career
Jones has become a film and television actor, using the name Thomas Q. Jones.
He owns a production company called Independently Major Entertainment Films (IME Films). This company produced the movie A Violent Man (2019) for Sony Pictures, in which he starred. He also had a main role in the independent film Runaway Island (2015). He appeared in Straight Outta Compton (2015), a movie about the hip-hop group N.W.A.
In 2016, Jones produced and acted in a movie based on the graphic novel Loyalty. He also acted in the short film Love and the Line and the movie 9 Rides.
On television, Jones is known for playing the Comanche character in the Netflix series Luke Cage. He also appeared in the BET Network series Tales and had a recurring role in the BET drama series Being Mary Jane. He guest-starred in the TV ONE comedy series Born Again Virgin. Jones also had roles in the Showtime series Shameless and IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang!. He has a recurring role in the Starz series P-Valley (2020).
