Matt Jones (American football)
Encyclopedia
Matthew Jones is a former American football
wide receiver
. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft
, and retired officially in November 2010. He played college football
at Arkansas
.
. His family soon moved to Van Buren, Arkansas
where Matt was raised. He attended Van Buren Schools until his senior year. In high school, Jones was a quarterback
at Northside High School
in Fort Smith, Arkansas
, as well as a sprinter
on the school track
team. He was also a member of the drama club at NHS and was an active participant in the "Keep Northside Red" campaign, which is an annual blood drive held on the Northside High School campus. Jones was a finalist for the KNWA's "Athlete of the Year" award but did not win. Jones was awarded with the "Hooten's Arkansas Football" Ft. Smith Northside Outstanding Student award as a senior at FSNHS. This award is for the most honorable student both on and off the playing field at FS Northside. Jones was also awarded the key to the city in Ft. Smith for his outstanding work with the local Boys & Girls Club. Jones became a musician at a young age, taking both piano and drum lessons. He played in the Van Buren Jr. High Band then quit to focus on athletics in High School.
In college, Jones was a star athlete for the University of Arkansas
, where he played quarterback and was also a member of the basketball
team. He was starting QB for the Razorbacks in the two longest NCAA college football games ever played, each going into 7 overtimes.
, Jones, measured in at 6' 6"
tall, weighed 237 pounds
and recorded scores during the tests that showed speed and explosive ability that had not been seen before in a player of his size. These scores earned him the nickname "The Freak" from the coaches and athletes in attendance. These scores included being timed between 4.37 and 4.40 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a 39.5" vertical jump
, and a 10' 10" broad jump.
as a wide receiver
in the first round (21st overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
. This was a move that surprised some draft experts who thought it was a risky selection as Jones had not been a full time wide receiver at any prior point in his career.
As a rookie
, Jones finished 2005
with 36 receptions
for 432 yards and five touchdown
s. He then finished 2006
, with 41 receptions for 643 yards and four touchdowns. In 2007
, he saw his production drop. At the beginning of the season, he pledged to not shave his beard until he scored a touchdown. His streak of end zone shutouts ended Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. He finished the 2007 regular season with 24 receptions for 317 yards and was tied for 2nd on the team with four touchdown catches. In 2008 he had 65 catches for 761 yards in 12 games before being suspended for three games by the NFL on October 20, 2008 for violation of the league's substance abuse policy. He has not played in a regular-season NFL game since.
On March 16, 2009 Jones was released from the Jacksonville Jaguars following two substance abuse
-related arrests.
. Jones was waived on the last day of final cuts by the Bengals and did not make the 53 man roster.
, telling them that he intends to retire.
, Jones was arrested at gunpoint and charged with felony
possession of a controlled substance.
Jones and one other former Arkansas football player, Jared Hicks, were inside a vehicle that was searched by police. The police found a plastic bag filled with six grams of a white substance that tested positive as cocaine
and a jar with possible marijuana residue. Officers questioned Jones and he acknowledged the white powder was in fact cocaine, the report said.
Jones' dad, Steve Jones, disputed the allegations that his son was involved in any wrongdoing, releasing a statement which was posted on the web site of Fayetteville television station, KNWA-TV
: "We want to make it clear that Matt was not in possession of any drugs, but that there were drugs in the vehicle and were located in the closest proximity to Matt."
On October 8, 2008, an agreement was reached between Jones and the Washington County
Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutor John Threet agreed to send the case to drug court on October 13, 2008. Prosecutors said the felony charge would be dismissed if Jones completes the drug program. A hearing in drug court, rather than in the regular criminal system, allows Jones to keep any conviction off his record.
The NFL suspended Jones for three weeks for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He was in the lineup for Week 8, pending an appeal.
On December 9, 2008, the NFL upheld Jones' three-game suspension which caused him to miss the rest of the season.
On March 9, 2009 in Washington County
, Jones was arrested again after failing a drug test which showed that he had alcohol in his system. This violated the condition of his probation. He was held in jail after he asked to be imprisoned rather than sent to a six-week residential treatment program that would have interfered with the beginning of training camp
. He was released on March 14, 2009 after his latest arrest, but will be back in court on April 13.
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...
. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
, and retired officially in November 2010. 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 Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
Early years
Jones was born to Steve and Paula Jones on April 22, 1983 in Fort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
. His family soon moved to Van Buren, Arkansas
Van Buren, Arkansas
Van Buren is the second largest city in the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area and the county seat of Crawford County, Arkansas, United States. The city is located directly northeast of Fort Smith at the Interstate 40 - Interstate 540 junction...
where Matt was raised. He attended Van Buren Schools until his senior year. In high school, Jones was 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...
at Northside High School
Northside High School (Fort Smith, Arkansas)
Northside High School is one of two public high schools in the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas . Within the state, the school is commonly known as Fort Smith Northside.-History:On November 19, 1928, Fort Smith High School moved into a new building on 23rd and B Street in Fort Smith, Arkansas...
in Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, as well as a sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
on the school 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...
team. He was also a member of the drama club at NHS and was an active participant in the "Keep Northside Red" campaign, which is an annual blood drive held on the Northside High School campus. Jones was a finalist for the KNWA's "Athlete of the Year" award but did not win. Jones was awarded with the "Hooten's Arkansas Football" Ft. Smith Northside Outstanding Student award as a senior at FSNHS. This award is for the most honorable student both on and off the playing field at FS Northside. Jones was also awarded the key to the city in Ft. Smith for his outstanding work with the local Boys & Girls Club. Jones became a musician at a young age, taking both piano and drum lessons. He played in the Van Buren Jr. High Band then quit to focus on athletics in High School.
In college, Jones was a star athlete for 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...
, where he played quarterback and was also a member of the 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...
team. He was starting QB for the Razorbacks in the two longest NCAA college football games ever played, each going into 7 overtimes.
Pre-draft
At the NFL CombineNFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, Jones, measured in at 6' 6"
Inch
An inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
tall, weighed 237 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
and recorded scores during the tests that showed speed and explosive ability that had not been seen before in a player of his size. These scores earned him the nickname "The Freak" from the coaches and athletes in attendance. These scores included being timed between 4.37 and 4.40 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a 39.5" vertical jump
Vertical jump
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is...
, and a 10' 10" broad jump.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jones, a college quarterback, was selected by the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a 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...
in the first round (21st overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. This was a move that surprised some draft experts who thought it was a risky selection as Jones had not been a full time wide receiver at any prior point in his career.
As a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
, Jones finished 2005
2005 Jacksonville Jaguars season
After a 9–7 season in 2004 the Jaguars came out of the gates prepared to become a dominant force in the AFC. They achieved that task, going 12–4 in the regular season, but did not manage to win their own division, getting swept by the Indianapolis Colts as they went 14–2...
with 36 receptions
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...
for 432 yards and five touchdown
Touchdown
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:...
s. He then finished 2006
2006 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2006 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 11th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve on their 12–4 record from 2005, and missed the playoffs.-2006 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Preseason:Source:...
, with 41 receptions for 643 yards and four touchdowns. In 2007
2007 Jacksonville Jaguars season
-Final roster:-Schedule:The Jacksonville Jaguars pre-season schedule was announced on April 11, 2007.-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans:-Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons:-Week 3: at Denver Broncos:-Week 5: at Kansas City Chiefs:...
, he saw his production drop. At the beginning of the season, he pledged to not shave his beard until he scored a touchdown. His streak of end zone shutouts ended Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. He finished the 2007 regular season with 24 receptions for 317 yards and was tied for 2nd on the team with four touchdown catches. In 2008 he had 65 catches for 761 yards in 12 games before being suspended for three games by the NFL on October 20, 2008 for violation of the league's substance abuse policy. He has not played in a regular-season NFL game since.
On March 16, 2009 Jones was released from the Jacksonville Jaguars following two substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
-related arrests.
Cincinnati Bengals
Jones worked out with several teams during the 2009 season, but none resulted in contracts. After spending the 2009 NFL season out of football, Jones received contract offers from the Bengals and the Tennessee Titans, but on February 12, 2010, Jones decided to sign a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. Jones was waived on the last day of final cuts by the Bengals and did not make the 53 man roster.
Washington Redskins
On November 2, 2010, it was reported that Jones declined a tryout with the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, telling them that he intends to retire.
Arrests
On July 10, 2008 in Fayetteville, ArkansasFayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
, Jones was arrested at gunpoint and charged with felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
possession of a controlled substance.
Jones and one other former Arkansas football player, Jared Hicks, were inside a vehicle that was searched by police. The police found a plastic bag filled with six grams of a white substance that tested positive as cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and a jar with possible marijuana residue. Officers questioned Jones and he acknowledged the white powder was in fact cocaine, the report said.
Jones' dad, Steve Jones, disputed the allegations that his son was involved in any wrongdoing, releasing a statement which was posted on the web site of Fayetteville television station, KNWA-TV
KNWA-TV
KNWA-TV, virtual channel 51, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River Valley. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter southeast of Garfield...
: "We want to make it clear that Matt was not in possession of any drugs, but that there were drugs in the vehicle and were located in the closest proximity to Matt."
On October 8, 2008, an agreement was reached between Jones and the Washington County
Washington County, Arkansas
Washington County is a county located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 203,065. The county seat is Fayetteville. Washington County is Arkansas's 17th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for George Washington, the first President of the...
Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutor John Threet agreed to send the case to drug court on October 13, 2008. Prosecutors said the felony charge would be dismissed if Jones completes the drug program. A hearing in drug court, rather than in the regular criminal system, allows Jones to keep any conviction off his record.
The NFL suspended Jones for three weeks for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He was in the lineup for Week 8, pending an appeal.
On December 9, 2008, the NFL upheld Jones' three-game suspension which caused him to miss the rest of the season.
On March 9, 2009 in Washington County
Washington County, Arkansas
Washington County is a county located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 203,065. The county seat is Fayetteville. Washington County is Arkansas's 17th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for George Washington, the first President of the...
, Jones was arrested again after failing a drug test which showed that he had alcohol in his system. This violated the condition of his probation. He was held in jail after he asked to be imprisoned rather than sent to a six-week residential treatment program that would have interfered with the beginning of training camp
Training camp
A training camp is a place, usually with an army-camp-type environment, where people go to learn skills, usually skills involving physical action rather than book subjects, usually for an armed force or an action sport...
. He was released on March 14, 2009 after his latest arrest, but will be back in court on April 13.