Walter Jones (American football) facts for kids
Jones in 2008
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| No. 71 | |||||||
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| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||||
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| Born: | January 19, 1974 Aliceville, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 325 lb (147 kg) | ||||||
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| High school: | Aliceville | ||||||
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| NFL Draft: | 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6 | ||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Walter Jones Jr. (born January 19, 1974) is a famous American former football player. He played as an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. Walter Jones was born in Alabama. He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles.
Jones played his entire professional career with the Seattle Seahawks. He was chosen as an All-Pro player seven times. He was also named to the National Football League 2000s All-Decade Team. Jones started every one of his 180 games for the Seahawks. During his time, the Seahawks tried over 5,500 passes. Jones only allowed 23 quarterback sacks and was penalized for holding just nine times. On February 1, 2014, Jones was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This happened in his first year of being eligible.
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Walter Jones' College Football Journey
Jones started his college football career at Holmes Community College. He played there for two seasons. In 1994, he was named Mississippi Junior College Player of the Year. He was 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 265 pounds. Jones played both offensive tackle and tight end. He only allowed one sack in his two seasons there.
After Holmes, Jones moved to Florida State University. He played for coach Bobby Bowden's Seminoles teams. He spent the 1995 season as a "redshirt" player. This means he practiced with the team but did not play in games. As a junior in 1996, Jones started 11 games. He also played in the 1997 Sugar Bowl. He allowed only one sack that season. He earned second-team All-ACC honors. After this, he decided to enter the 1997 NFL draft early.
Walter Jones' Amazing NFL Career
Jones was picked by the Seahawks in the first round of the 1997 NFL draft. He was the sixth player chosen overall. He started every game he played in, right from his first season. Jones was part of the 2005 Seahawks team. They played in Super Bowl XL but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2006, a sports magazine called Sporting News ranked Jones as the best NFL player.
Top Player Achievements
Jones was chosen for the Pro Bowl nine times. He was also named All-Pro seven times. Many people thought Jones was the best player at his position in the early 2000s. He was even voted to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team. From 1998 to 2000, he helped Ricky Watters run for over 1,000 yards for three years in a row. Later, he helped Shaun Alexander set NFL records with his running.
Famous football commentator John Madden often praised Jones. Madden called him the best left tackle in the NFL. He even said Jones might be one of the best of all time. Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren also said Jones was the best offensive player he had ever coached.
Retirement and Honors
On Thanksgiving in 2008, Jones got a knee injury while playing against the Cowboys. This was his 180th and final game. The injury needed surgery and ended his season. Jones tried to play again in 2009 but could not. On October 28, 2009, the Seahawks put Jones on injured reserve. He announced his plan to retire on April 29, 2010.
The Seahawks decided to retire his jersey number, 71. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again. The governor of Washington state, Christine Gregoire, even declared April 30 to be "Walter Jones Day."
On December 5, 2010, the Seahawks honored Jones by retiring his #71 jersey. This happened during a game against the Carolina Panthers. It was only the second player number the Seahawks had ever retired. The first was #80 for Steve Largent. The team also retired #12 to honor their amazing fans.
On January 8, 2011, Jones lifted the 12th Man flag at Qwest Field. This was before the Seahawks' playoff game against the New Orleans Saints. The Seahawks, who had a 7–9 record, went on to beat the defending Super Bowl champion Saints 41–36. This game is famous for a play called the "Beast Quake."
On February 2, 2014, Jones was the Seahawks' honorary captain at Super Bowl XLVIII. This was at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl 43–8 against the Broncos. This special day also happened when he was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also helped another Hall of Famer, Michael Strahan, toss the coin before the game.
See also
In Spanish: Walter Jones (fútbol americano) para niños
