Matt Jones (American football)

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Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Matt Jones.

Matt Jones (born April 22, 1983) is a wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was selected by the team in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft as the 21st player chosen overall.

[edit] Football career

Although Jones was primarily a quarterback at the University of Arkansas and Northside High School in Fort Smith, Arkansas, he was also a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team. In high school, he was also a sprinter on his high school track and field team. The Jaguars converted him to receiver due to his size (6' 6", 238 pounds), and surprising speed, being timed at 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard-dash, ostensibly to create matchup problems with opposing defenders who are generally far smaller.

Jones' first professional touchdown catch was an athletic one-handed grab in the back of the end zone against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 16, 2005. In Jones' rookie season he recorded 36 catches, 432 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns. The Jaguars occasionally used his versatility on trick plays at running back and quarterback, and Jones recorded 51 rushing yards on 12 carries as well as 12 passing yards on 2 completions out of 3 passing attempts in 2005.

One of Jones' biggest criticism coming into the league has been his habit of trying to catch passes with just one hand, when in many cases, he seemingly could have made the catch with both hands.

Jones remains a starter at wide receiver for the Jaguars along side Reggie Williams and Ernest Wilford. Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio recently stated during an ESPN interview that Jones is the most naturally talented wide receiver playing the game today, in his opinion.