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James Jones (wide receiver)
Encyclopedia
James Deandre Jones is an American football
wide receiver
with the Green Bay Packers
of the National Football League
. He was originally drafted by the Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at San Jose State University
.
in San Jose, California
, Jones played basketball
, track
, and football
. During his senior year, Jones was his team's most valuable player as a quarterback
. Jones credits his Pop Warner
football coach, Marion Larrea, with turning his life around. Larrea saw something special in Jones and treated him as part of his own family. Jones signed the jersey he wore when the Packers won the 2010 Super Bowl and gave it to Larrea, saying he would not have achieved what he did without Larrea. Jones is married to Tamika and they have a son, James Martell Lightening Jones, born in late 2011.
. Jones capped off his senior season by catching six passes (106 yards), two for touchdowns, en route to being named the offensive MVP of the inaugural New Mexico Bowl. His accomplishments his senior year earned him second team All-WAC honors along with an invite to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana
.
es by a wide receiver with 22 reps of 225 pounds.
Jones was a starter
for the Packers in the first game of the 2007 season
. He caught four passes for 29 total yards in a 16–13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles
.
Jones scored his first professional touchdown in a week four match-up vs. the Minnesota Vikings
at the Metrodome
. With Green Bay leading 16–9, Brett Favre
hit Jones on a pass down the right sideline that went 33 yards for a touchdown, giving Green Bay a 23–9 lead. The Packers would end up winning the game 23–16.
Jones was announced as the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for games played on October 28–29, 2007. Jones made three reception
s for 107 yards including a first-quarter 79-yard touchdown in the Packers' 19–13 win over the Denver Broncos
. Jones finished the year with 47 receptions and 676 yards. He also had two touchdown receptions. In 2009-2010 season, Jones was the depth chart three receiver in the team, behind Donald Driver
and Greg Jennings
.
In 2009, Jones caught the most touchdowns in one season in his career, with five. He also had 440 receiving yards, second most in his career. He also had a touchdown catch in Green Bay's Wild Card playoff game at Arizona, but the Packers lost, 51-45 in overtime. In 2010-2011 regular season, he caught 679 yards along with five touchdowns. He scored 2 touchdowns in the 2010-11 NFL Playoffs, one each in the Wild Card and Divisional round vs the Philadelphia Eagles
and Atlanta Falcons
respectively. In Super Bowl XLV
vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Jones caught 5 passes for 50 yards in Green Bay's 31-25 triumph.
Jones was a free agent in 2011. During the offseason, it was widely speculated that Jones would seek a higher salary with another team. However, he signed a three-year contract with the Packers on 31 July.
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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
with 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...
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...
. He was originally drafted by the Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played 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...
at San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
.
Early years
Jones and his mother lived in various homeless shelters until they moved in with Jones' paternal grandmother when Jones began high school. At Gunderson High SchoolGunderson High School
Gunderson High School is a high school situated in the Blossom Valley of San Jose, California which first opened in the fall of 1976. As of August 2010, the school principal is Mr. Dominic Bejarano, and the average annual enrollment is about 1100 students...
in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, Jones played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
. During his senior year, Jones was his team's most valuable player as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. Jones credits his Pop Warner
Pop Warner Little Scholars
Pop Warner Little Scholars is a non-profit organization that provides youth football, cheerleading, and dance programs for participants in 43 U.S. states and several countries around the world. It is headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania...
football coach, Marion Larrea, with turning his life around. Larrea saw something special in Jones and treated him as part of his own family. Jones signed the jersey he wore when the Packers won the 2010 Super Bowl and gave it to Larrea, saying he would not have achieved what he did without Larrea. Jones is married to Tamika and they have a son, James Martell Lightening Jones, born in late 2011.
College career
After three years at San Jose State, Jones had a breakthrough 2006 senior season, where he caught 70 passes, good for 893 yards and 10 TDsTouchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. Jones capped off his senior season by catching six passes (106 yards), two for touchdowns, en route to being named the offensive MVP of the inaugural New Mexico Bowl. His accomplishments his senior year earned him second team All-WAC honors along with an invite to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.
Green Bay Packers
Jones came to Green Bay. Jones tied the NFL combine record for bench pressBench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
es by a wide receiver with 22 reps of 225 pounds.
Jones was a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
for the Packers in the first game of the 2007 season
2007 Green Bay Packers season
The 2007 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 89th overall and 87th season in the National Football League. The Packers finished the regular season with an impressive 13-3 record. They received a bye for the first round of the playoffs, won their divisional round playoff game, and lost in...
. He caught four passes for 29 total yards in a 16–13 victory over 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 scored his first professional touchdown in a week four match-up vs. the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
at the Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
. With Green Bay leading 16–9, Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
hit Jones on a pass down the right sideline that went 33 yards for a touchdown, giving Green Bay a 23–9 lead. The Packers would end up winning the game 23–16.
Jones was announced as the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for games played on October 28–29, 2007. Jones made three reception
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
s for 107 yards including a first-quarter 79-yard touchdown in the Packers' 19–13 win over the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Jones finished the year with 47 receptions and 676 yards. He also had two touchdown receptions. In 2009-2010 season, Jones was the depth chart three receiver in the team, behind Donald Driver
Donald Driver
Donald Jerome Driver is an American football wide receiver and children's author. He plays for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
and Greg Jennings
Greg Jennings
Gregory Jennings, Jr. is a professional American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
.
In 2009, Jones caught the most touchdowns in one season in his career, with five. He also had 440 receiving yards, second most in his career. He also had a touchdown catch in Green Bay's Wild Card playoff game at Arizona, but the Packers lost, 51-45 in overtime. In 2010-2011 regular season, he caught 679 yards along with five touchdowns. He scored 2 touchdowns in the 2010-11 NFL Playoffs, one each in the Wild Card and Divisional round vs 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...
and Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
respectively. In Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, Jones caught 5 passes for 50 yards in Green Bay's 31-25 triumph.
Jones was a free agent in 2011. During the offseason, it was widely speculated that Jones would seek a higher salary with another team. However, he signed a three-year contract with the Packers on 31 July.
Regular season statistics
| Season | Team | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
Green Bay Packers 2007 Green Bay Packers season The 2007 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 89th overall and 87th season in the National Football League. The Packers finished the regular season with an impressive 13-3 record. They received a bye for the first round of the playoffs, won their divisional round playoff game, and lost in... |
16 | 47 | 676 | 14.4 | 2 |
| 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... |
Green Bay Packers 2008 Green Bay Packers season The 2008 Green Bay Packers season was the 88th season in the National Football League for the Packers and their 90th overall. They looked to continue success after posting a 13-3 record in 2007, but finished the season with a losing 6-10 record and missed the playoffs.- 2008 NFL Draft :The Packers... |
10 | 20 | 274 | 13.7 | 1 |
| 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... |
Green Bay Packers 2009 Green Bay Packers season The 2009 Green Bay Packers season was the 89th season in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers and the 91st season for the team overall... |
16 | 32 | 440 | 13.8 | 5 |
| 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,... |
Green Bay Packers 2010 Green Bay Packers season The 2010 Green Bay Packers season was the 90th season in the National Football League for the Packers and the 92nd season for the team overall. With a record of 10–6, the Packers entered the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed... |
16 | 50 | 679 | 13.6 | 5 |
| Total | 58 | 149 | 2,069 | 13.9 | 13 |
Post-season statistics
| Year | Team | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Green Bay Packers 2007 Green Bay Packers season The 2007 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 89th overall and 87th season in the National Football League. The Packers finished the regular season with an impressive 13-3 record. They received a bye for the first round of the playoffs, won their divisional round playoff game, and lost in... |
2 | 3 | 42 | 14 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | Green Bay Packers 2009 Green Bay Packers season The 2009 Green Bay Packers season was the 89th season in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers and the 91st season for the team overall... |
1 | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 1 |
| 2010–11 | Green Bay Packers 2010 Green Bay Packers season The 2010 Green Bay Packers season was the 90th season in the National Football League for the Packers and the 92nd season for the team overall. With a record of 10–6, the Packers entered the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed... |
4 | 11 | 144 | 13.1 | 2 |
| Total | 7 | 17 | 236 | 14.6 | 3 |