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EspañolJULIUS JONES (AMERICAN FOOTBALL)
(Redirected from Julius Jones (American football player))
'Julius André Maurice Jones' (born August 14, 1981 in Big Stone Gap, Virginia) is an American football running back who is currently the starting running back for the Dallas Cowboys. Jones played college football for the University of Notre Dame.
The Dallas Cowboys, in need of a potential franchise running back after the departure of NFL all-time leading rusher and future Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith departed to Arizona, passed on highly touted running backs Steven Jackson, Chris Perry, Kevin Jones and drafted Julius Jones out of the University of Notre Dame. Jones was selected in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft, after the Cowboys traded their first round pick to the Buffalo Bills (who used it to select J.P. Losman) for a future 2005 first round pick who the Cowboys would later use on defensive end Marcus Spears. The Cowboys hoped Jones would be the fix for a running attack that was disappointing with former starter Troy Hambrick. However, Jones fractured his scapula bone in a win versus the Cleveland Browns early in week two and the team was forced to depend on veteran free agent acquisition Eddie George during his absence.
Jones was healthy enough to play midway through the season and despite in a losing effort, he gained 80 yards on a stingy Baltimore Ravens defense. A week later on a nationally televised Thanksgiving stage against his older brother Thomas and the Chicago Bears, Julius won "player of the game" honors when he rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns. As the season came to a close, Julius continued to dazzle and dominate in the running game rushing for over 800 yards in his limited starts. The future looked promising and it appeared as if the team had found their successor to Emmitt Smith. Jones was one of the few bright spots in a dismal 6-10 season for the Dallas Cowboys.
In 2005, Jones made a bold and confident goal of reaching 1700 yards and 20 touchdowns. In his first several games, Jones averaged less than 4 yards a carry and did not follow up to his stellar rookie season. Against the Philadelphia Eagles in week 5, it appeared the 2004 Julius had re-emerged after rushing for 72 yards in just the first half, however he suffered a high ankle sprain and was out for the next 3 games. For the 2nd straight year, Jones was sidelined with an injury and now was considered by some to be injury prone and unable to carry the load of a franchise back.
In Julius's absence, rookie running back Marion Barber III turned in several strong performances inevitably created a running back controversy. This was made worse by his weak return in the rematch against none other than the Eagles, where he ran for just 16 yards. Against the Detroit Lions Jones had a 92 yard game, but on 1st and goal from the 1 yard line, he was stopped 3 consecutive times. But Jones once again demonstrated his playmaking ability against the Carolina Panthers rushing for two touchdowns and 194 yards. Former Cowboys quarterback and now Fox commentator Troy Aikman, commented on Jones' speed burst and agility, something he had not seen since Julius' rookie season in 2004. Although this was Julius' breakout game of the 2005 season, the Cowboys finished the season with an uninspiring loss the next week to the St. Louis Rams at Texas Stadium. At 9-7, Dallas missed the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive year and as if to signify the entire season, Jones came just 7 yards short of his first 1,000 yard season.
In 2006, Jones' only goal this time was to stay healthy for a full season. But after a strong start in which he gained 494 yards over the first five games, Jones saw his playing time decrease near the goal line and in the 4th quarter to Barber. Bill Parcells believed as do most teams in the league today, no longer utilize a 25-30 carry running back. Julius is viewed as the slasher type of running back and Barber offers the power in the dual back system. In week 14, versus the New Orleans Saints, Jones had the longest rush from scrimmage in his career with a 77-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the game. Jones also finally surpassed the 1,000 yard mark to become the first Cowboys back to do so since Smith in 2001 and had another strong showing in a playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. With the departure of Bill Parcells and the trade of his brother Thomas Jones to the New York Jets, rumors were rampant about the possible trade of Julius in the offseason as well. But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones quickly dispelled any rumors stating "I don't see that happening" and is happy with the current rotation of Dallas running backs. Julius will be entering the final year in his four-year contract in 2007 and his future with the team remains to be seen.
At 5'10 and 211 lbs, Julius possesses excellent physical ability combined with good vision and a low center of gravity that enables him to bounce off tackles and make extra yardage. He is viewed as more quick than breakneck fast, has superb stop-and-go ability, and the necessary footwork to get to the corner and up the field. Jones runs with great speed (4.49 at the 2004 scouting combine), agility and was once considered to return kickoffs as he once did at the University of Notre Dame, although he has yet to do so in an actual NFL game. He appears to be most effective in plays designed to maximize his speed such as lead draws or stretch plays. During the 2006 season, former head coach Bill Parcells praised Jones for his patience in waiting for blocks to develop, as opposed to merely running on instinct. Julius recently chose to work out privately in Arizona with a personal trainer during the offseason and stated "It's all business" knowing that he still has something to prove in the final year of his contract. With new head coach Wade Phillips now in the fold, Jones will be looking forward to a new start and a stellar 2007 season.
★ Jones' late uncle, Ed Clark, played college football at Purdue University. [1]
★ Julius is sponsored and is a spokesperson for the Maryland based sports apparel company, Under Armour. He is seen in several UA commercials most notably their famous "Click-Clack" football cleats slogan. Bill Parcells gave him this nickname in training camp.
★ He is the younger brother of New York Jets running back Thomas Jones. The two brothers competed against each other on Thanksgiving Day 2004, Julius' rookie year, when Thomas was playing for the Chicago Bears. The entire Jones family was present cheering for both brothers, but it was Julius and his Dallas Cowboys that emerged victorious that day. During the 2006 Season, Julius and Thomas made NFL history by both brothers breaking 1,000 rushing in the same season. Julius' Cowboys are scheduled to play Thomas' Jets on Thanskgiving Day again in 2007.
★ Jones was one of only a handful of NFL players to have a McFarlane Sportspick figure sculpted for him after his rookie season.
★ Julius wore number 22 in college at Notre Dame, but since the last Dallas Cowboy to wear the number was running back Emmitt Smith, he chose to wear the number 21.
★ In 2004, Jones was the second Dallas Cowboy chosen for Fox's annual "Galloping Gobbler" trophy awarded every Thanksgiving Day to the player of the game. This honor was formerly bestowed upon running back Emmitt Smith in 2002 and later awarded to quarterback Tony Romo in 2006.
★ ESPN.com: Julius Jones Player Card
'Julius André Maurice Jones' (born August 14, 1981 in Big Stone Gap, Virginia) is an American football running back who is currently the starting running back for the Dallas Cowboys. Jones played college football for the University of Notre Dame.
| Contents |
| Professional career |
| Running Style |
| Trivia |
| External link |
Professional career
The Dallas Cowboys, in need of a potential franchise running back after the departure of NFL all-time leading rusher and future Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith departed to Arizona, passed on highly touted running backs Steven Jackson, Chris Perry, Kevin Jones and drafted Julius Jones out of the University of Notre Dame. Jones was selected in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft, after the Cowboys traded their first round pick to the Buffalo Bills (who used it to select J.P. Losman) for a future 2005 first round pick who the Cowboys would later use on defensive end Marcus Spears. The Cowboys hoped Jones would be the fix for a running attack that was disappointing with former starter Troy Hambrick. However, Jones fractured his scapula bone in a win versus the Cleveland Browns early in week two and the team was forced to depend on veteran free agent acquisition Eddie George during his absence.
Jones was healthy enough to play midway through the season and despite in a losing effort, he gained 80 yards on a stingy Baltimore Ravens defense. A week later on a nationally televised Thanksgiving stage against his older brother Thomas and the Chicago Bears, Julius won "player of the game" honors when he rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns. As the season came to a close, Julius continued to dazzle and dominate in the running game rushing for over 800 yards in his limited starts. The future looked promising and it appeared as if the team had found their successor to Emmitt Smith. Jones was one of the few bright spots in a dismal 6-10 season for the Dallas Cowboys.
In 2005, Jones made a bold and confident goal of reaching 1700 yards and 20 touchdowns. In his first several games, Jones averaged less than 4 yards a carry and did not follow up to his stellar rookie season. Against the Philadelphia Eagles in week 5, it appeared the 2004 Julius had re-emerged after rushing for 72 yards in just the first half, however he suffered a high ankle sprain and was out for the next 3 games. For the 2nd straight year, Jones was sidelined with an injury and now was considered by some to be injury prone and unable to carry the load of a franchise back.
In Julius's absence, rookie running back Marion Barber III turned in several strong performances inevitably created a running back controversy. This was made worse by his weak return in the rematch against none other than the Eagles, where he ran for just 16 yards. Against the Detroit Lions Jones had a 92 yard game, but on 1st and goal from the 1 yard line, he was stopped 3 consecutive times. But Jones once again demonstrated his playmaking ability against the Carolina Panthers rushing for two touchdowns and 194 yards. Former Cowboys quarterback and now Fox commentator Troy Aikman, commented on Jones' speed burst and agility, something he had not seen since Julius' rookie season in 2004. Although this was Julius' breakout game of the 2005 season, the Cowboys finished the season with an uninspiring loss the next week to the St. Louis Rams at Texas Stadium. At 9-7, Dallas missed the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive year and as if to signify the entire season, Jones came just 7 yards short of his first 1,000 yard season.
In 2006, Jones' only goal this time was to stay healthy for a full season. But after a strong start in which he gained 494 yards over the first five games, Jones saw his playing time decrease near the goal line and in the 4th quarter to Barber. Bill Parcells believed as do most teams in the league today, no longer utilize a 25-30 carry running back. Julius is viewed as the slasher type of running back and Barber offers the power in the dual back system. In week 14, versus the New Orleans Saints, Jones had the longest rush from scrimmage in his career with a 77-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the game. Jones also finally surpassed the 1,000 yard mark to become the first Cowboys back to do so since Smith in 2001 and had another strong showing in a playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. With the departure of Bill Parcells and the trade of his brother Thomas Jones to the New York Jets, rumors were rampant about the possible trade of Julius in the offseason as well. But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones quickly dispelled any rumors stating "I don't see that happening" and is happy with the current rotation of Dallas running backs. Julius will be entering the final year in his four-year contract in 2007 and his future with the team remains to be seen.
Running Style
At 5'10 and 211 lbs, Julius possesses excellent physical ability combined with good vision and a low center of gravity that enables him to bounce off tackles and make extra yardage. He is viewed as more quick than breakneck fast, has superb stop-and-go ability, and the necessary footwork to get to the corner and up the field. Jones runs with great speed (4.49 at the 2004 scouting combine), agility and was once considered to return kickoffs as he once did at the University of Notre Dame, although he has yet to do so in an actual NFL game. He appears to be most effective in plays designed to maximize his speed such as lead draws or stretch plays. During the 2006 season, former head coach Bill Parcells praised Jones for his patience in waiting for blocks to develop, as opposed to merely running on instinct. Julius recently chose to work out privately in Arizona with a personal trainer during the offseason and stated "It's all business" knowing that he still has something to prove in the final year of his contract. With new head coach Wade Phillips now in the fold, Jones will be looking forward to a new start and a stellar 2007 season.
Trivia
★ Jones' late uncle, Ed Clark, played college football at Purdue University. [1]
★ Julius is sponsored and is a spokesperson for the Maryland based sports apparel company, Under Armour. He is seen in several UA commercials most notably their famous "Click-Clack" football cleats slogan. Bill Parcells gave him this nickname in training camp.
★ He is the younger brother of New York Jets running back Thomas Jones. The two brothers competed against each other on Thanksgiving Day 2004, Julius' rookie year, when Thomas was playing for the Chicago Bears. The entire Jones family was present cheering for both brothers, but it was Julius and his Dallas Cowboys that emerged victorious that day. During the 2006 Season, Julius and Thomas made NFL history by both brothers breaking 1,000 rushing in the same season. Julius' Cowboys are scheduled to play Thomas' Jets on Thanskgiving Day again in 2007.
★ Jones was one of only a handful of NFL players to have a McFarlane Sportspick figure sculpted for him after his rookie season.
★ Julius wore number 22 in college at Notre Dame, but since the last Dallas Cowboy to wear the number was running back Emmitt Smith, he chose to wear the number 21.
★ In 2004, Jones was the second Dallas Cowboy chosen for Fox's annual "Galloping Gobbler" trophy awarded every Thanksgiving Day to the player of the game. This honor was formerly bestowed upon running back Emmitt Smith in 2002 and later awarded to quarterback Tony Romo in 2006.
External link
★ ESPN.com: Julius Jones Player Card
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