Felix Jones
Encyclopedia
Felix Jones is an American football
running back
for the Dallas Cowboys
of the National Football League
. After playing college football
and majoring in kinesiology
at the University of Arkansas
, he was drafted by the Cowboys 22nd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft
. He has developed the nickname of Felix "The Cat
" Jones for his quick movements and speed.
.
n and two time Doak Walker Award
winner Darren McFadden
, Jones was used in a variety of ways alongside McFadden and fullback Peyton Hillis
in the Arkansas backfield. In the Wildhog formation, Jones was used as a runner, receiver, blocker, or simply a decoy. Jones gained fame for his ability in returning kickoffs, returning four for touchdowns during his college career.
In the 2006 season, Jones rushed for 1,168 yards and scored 6 touchdowns on only 154 carries, and averaged an impressive 7.6 yards per carry. He was also an all-American kickoff returner and had one TD on a 100-yard kickoff return against Ole Miss
, and caught 15 passes for 107 yards and 3 touchdowns. With Jones alongside McFadden and Peyton Hillis, 2006 was the first time in University of Arkansas history that two different running backs rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the same season. Jones was named 1st Team SEC by the conference's coaches, and 2nd Team SEC by the media. That team finished 10-4 and won the SEC West Division title.
in the January 1, 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic. Jones was named to the 2007 1st Team SEC squad as a kick returner, and 2nd team SEC as a running back. He was also named an All-American kick returner
.
After being hired as the Razorbacks' head coach
, Bobby Petrino
stated that Jones was his "highest recruiting target" and soon met with Jones to discuss his future with Arkansas. However, Jones decided to forgo his senior season to enter the 2008 NFL Draft
where numerous publications projected him to be taken in the first or second round.
in the first round, 22nd overall, of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He signed a professional contract on July 26 for $
10.53 million, with $7.67 million guaranteed, including a $3.57 million signing bonus
.
On his first rushing attempt in the NFL, Jones ran for an 11-yard touchdown during the third quarter in a 28–10 victory over the Cleveland Browns
. He finished the game with nine carries for 62 yards. On 15 September 2008, during a Monday Night Football
game versus the Philadelphia Eagles
, Jones returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Jones was the starting kick returner during the Cowboys' 41–37 win against Philadelphia
.
In his 3rd NFL game, Jones ran for a 60-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers
on September 21, 2008. In Week 6, in the game against the Arizona Cardinals
, Jones injured his left hamstring. It was reported by ESPN
on November 20, 2008 that Jones would be out for the rest of the year due to a torn ligament suffered during rehab of that injury.
In his second season in the NFL Jones has received more carries per game than his rookie year, despite being one of three running backs used in the Cowboys offense. Jones led the NFL in rushing yards per attempt in 2009. In his rookie season he never rushed for more than nine carries a game, but has started reaching the double digits. While not a starting running back he could easily carry the ball for his team whenever he needed to. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett
has slowly been giving him more rushing attempts. Jones believes that “Patience is a virtue. You need it. You need to have patience. Just wait, your time is coming.”
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. After playing college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and majoring in kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
, he was drafted by the Cowboys 22nd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He has developed the nickname of Felix "The Cat
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in the silent film era. His black body, white eyes, and giant grin, coupled with the surrealism of the situations in which his cartoons place him, combine to make Felix one of the most recognized cartoon characters in film history...
" Jones for his quick movements and speed.
High school
Jones attended Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was a football standout and a teammate of Robert Meachem, a 2010 member of the New Orleans Saints and Mark Anderson, a 2010 member of the Houston Texans. From there he was recruited by and decided to attend the University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
.
College career
While serving primarily as the back-up for All-AmericaAll-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n and two time Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
winner Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden
Darren McFadden is an American football running back who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He played college football for the University of Arkansas from 2005 to 2007...
, Jones was used in a variety of ways alongside McFadden and fullback Peyton Hillis
Peyton Hillis
Hillis was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.-2008 Season:At the start of the 2008 season, Hillis was listed as the Broncos' starting fullback...
in the Arkansas backfield. In the Wildhog formation, Jones was used as a runner, receiver, blocker, or simply a decoy. Jones gained fame for his ability in returning kickoffs, returning four for touchdowns during his college career.
Sophomore season
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, and caught 15 passes for 107 yards and 3 touchdowns. With Jones alongside McFadden and Peyton Hillis, 2006 was the first time in University of Arkansas history that two different running backs rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the same season. Jones was named 1st Team SEC by the conference's coaches, and 2nd Team SEC by the media. That team finished 10-4 and won the SEC West Division title.
Junior season
Jones finished with 123 carries for 1,117 yards and 11 TDs, while averaging 9.1 yards per carry, leading the nation. In addition, he led the Southeastern Conference in kickoff returns with 18 for 564 yards and 2 TDs, averaging 31.3 yards per return. Jones also had 13 receptions for 111 yards. 2007 marked the second straight year that Jones and McFadden have each eclipsed the 1,000 yards rushing in a season. The 2007 Razorbacks finished 8-4 before losing to MissouriMissouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
in the January 1, 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic. Jones was named to the 2007 1st Team SEC squad as a kick returner, and 2nd team SEC as a running back. He was also named an All-American kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
.
After being hired as the Razorbacks' head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
, Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arkansas, a position he has held since the 2008 season...
stated that Jones was his "highest recruiting target" and soon met with Jones to discuss his future with Arkansas. However, Jones decided to forgo his senior season to enter the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
where numerous publications projected him to be taken in the first or second round.
Career statistics
| Rushing | Receiving | Kickoff Returns | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | G | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Lg | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Lg | No. | Yds | Avg | TD | Lg |
| 2005 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football... |
11 | 99 | 626 | 6.3 | 3 | 80 | 8 | 100 | 12.5 | 0 | 23 | 17 | 543 | 31.6 | 1 | 100 |
| 2006 2006 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 31, 2006 and, aside from all-star exhibition games that followed, concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game on January 8, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona, where the #2 Florida... |
14 | 154 | 1,168 | 7.6 | 6 | 85 | 15 | 107 | 7.1 | 3 | 29 | 23 | 554 | 24.1 | 1 | 100 |
| 2007 | 13 | 134 | 1,160 | 8.7 | 11 | 73 | 16 | 176 | 11 | 0 | 40 | 24 | 647 | 27 | 2 | 90 |
| Totals | 38 | 387 | 2,954 | 7.6 | 20 | 85 | 39 | 383 | 9.8 | 3 | 40 | 64 | 1,744 | 27.3 | 4 | 100 |
Dallas Cowboys
Jones was drafted by the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the first round, 22nd overall, of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He signed a professional contract on July 26 for $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10.53 million, with $7.67 million guaranteed, including a $3.57 million signing bonus
Signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive to the employee, e.g., if the annual salary is lower than he or she desires...
.
On his first rushing attempt in the NFL, Jones ran for an 11-yard touchdown during the third quarter in a 28–10 victory over the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He finished the game with nine carries for 62 yards. On 15 September 2008, during a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game versus the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Jones returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Jones was the starting kick returner during the Cowboys' 41–37 win against Philadelphia
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In his 3rd NFL game, Jones ran for a 60-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
on September 21, 2008. In Week 6, in the game against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Jones injured his left hamstring. It was reported by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
on November 20, 2008 that Jones would be out for the rest of the year due to a torn ligament suffered during rehab of that injury.
In his second season in the NFL Jones has received more carries per game than his rookie year, despite being one of three running backs used in the Cowboys offense. Jones led the NFL in rushing yards per attempt in 2009. In his rookie season he never rushed for more than nine carries a game, but has started reaching the double digits. While not a starting running back he could easily carry the ball for his team whenever he needed to. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett
Jason Garrett
Jason Calvin Garrett is an American former National Football League player and the current head coach of the Dallas Cowboys...
has slowly been giving him more rushing attempts. Jones believes that “Patience is a virtue. You need it. You need to have patience. Just wait, your time is coming.”
Career statistics
| Team | |Season | |G | Rushing | Receiving | Kickoff Returns | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | No. | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | |||
| Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
6 | 30 | 266 | 8.9 | 3 | 60 | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 434 | 27.1 | 1 | 98 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... |
14 | 116 | 685 | 5.9 | 3 | 56 | 19 | 119 | 6.3 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 678 | 22.6 | 0 | 41 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... |
16 | 185 | 800 | 4.3 | 1 | 34 | 48 | 450 | 9.4 | 1 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career Totals | (3 seasons) | 36 | 331 | 1,751 | 5.3 | 7 | 60 | 69 | 579 | 6.1 | 1 | 71 | 46 | 1,112 | 24.2 | 1 | 98 |