James Jones (right) prepares to catch a pass from Brett Favre in 2007. |
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| No. 89 Green Bay Packers | |
| Wide receiver | |
| Personal information | |
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| Date of birth: March 31, 1984 | |
| Place of birth: San Jose, California | |
| High School: Gunderson | |
| Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | Weight: 208 lb (94 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: San Jose State | |
| NFL Draft: 2007 / Round: 3 / Pick: 78 | |
| Debuted in 2007 for the Green Bay Packers | |
| Career history | |
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| Roster status: Active | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011 | |
| Receptions | 187 |
| Receiving yards | 2,704 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 20 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
James Deandre Jones (born March 31, 1984) 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.
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Jones and his mother lived in various homeless shelters, and they also lived with Janet Jean Jones' mother. Jones then lived with his paternal grandmother during his high school years. At Gunderson High School in San Jose, California, Jones played basketball, track, and football.[1] During his senior year, Jones was his team's most valuable player as a quarterback.[1] 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.[2]
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 TDs.[1] 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.[3] His accomplishments his senior year earned him second team All-WAC honors along with an invite to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.[1][4]
Jones came to Green Bay. Jones tied the NFL combine record for bench presses 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 receptions 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.[5]
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.[6]
| Season | Team | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 47 | 676 | 14.4 | 2 |
| 2008 | Green Bay Packers | 10 | 20 | 274 | 13.7 | 1 |
| 2009 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 32 | 440 | 13.8 | 5 |
| 2010 | Green Bay Packers | 16 | 50 | 679 | 13.6 | 5 |
| Total | 58 | 149 | 2,069 | 13.9 | 13 |
| Year | Team | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Green Bay Packers | 2 | 3 | 42 | 14 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | Green Bay Packers | 1 | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 1 |
| 2010–11 | Green Bay Packers | 4 | 11 | 144 | 13.1 | 2 |
| Total | 7 | 17 | 236 | 14.6 | 3 |
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