Dominic Jones (born January 18, 1987) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
defensive back. He played college football at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
before being dismissed from the program and transferring to
Otterbein College
Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio. It offers 74 majors and 44 minors as well as eight graduate programs. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United Bre ...
. He attended
Brookhaven High School in
Columbus, Ohio.
Early years
Born the son of Keith Jones and DaMona Lipsey, Jones played
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
for the
Brookhaven High School Bearcats. As a senior in 2004, Jones helped lead the Bearcats to an Ohio Division II State Championship. Jones received scholarship offers from
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
and
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
.
College career
University of Minnesota
Jones chose to continue his football career for the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
. Jones saw playing immediately for the Gophers, appearing in all 12 games as a true freshman. He was 6th on the team with 55 tackles on the season, while also leading the team in punt return yards. As a sophomore in 2006, Jones was the starting strong safety for the Golden Gophers, starting at 13 games. He tied for second on the team with 82 tackles, while also serving as the team's primary kickoff and punt returner.
Sexual assault conviction
In July 2007, Jones was charged. He was acquitted of the rape charge against 21 year old Katherine Iannito and eventually convicted of criminal sexual conduct. In July 2009, an appeals court upheld Jones' conviction, but reduced his four year prison sentence, which was even higher than the usual recommended guidelines the felony,
to time he already served.
Otterbein College
After serving one year in a
Hennepin County
Hennepin County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its county seat is Minneapolis, the state's most populous city. The county is named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. The county extends from Minneapo ...
workhouse,
Jones enrolled at
Otterbein College
Otterbein University is a private university in Westerville, Ohio. It offers 74 majors and 44 minors as well as eight graduate programs. The university was founded in 1847 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and named for United Bre ...
, where he was given a chance to join the football program. Jones earned first team All-America, All-Region, and All-
Ohio Athletic Conference
The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) was formed in 1902 and is the third oldest athletic conference in the United States. Its current commissioner is Sarah Otey. Former commissioners include Mike Cleary, who was the first General Manager of a profe ...
in his lone season with the Cardinals.
Professional career
Cleveland Gladiators
Jones was assigned to the Cleveland Gladiators on October 20, 2011.
Orlando Predators
Jones signed with the
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played its ...
on November 5, 2012. He returned 88 kicks for 1,751 yards and four touchdowns during the 2013 season, earning Second Team
All-Arena honors as a kick returner.
Return to Gladiators
Jones was traded to the Cleveland Gladiators on February 18, 2014.
Coaching career
Jones was named the defensive backs coach of the Cleveland Gladiators on March 3, 2016. In December 2016, he was promoted to assistant head coach and director of football operations.
References
External links
Just Sports Stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Dominic
Living people
1987 births
Players of American football from Columbus, Ohio
American football defensive backs
Minnesota Golden Gophers football players
Otterbein Cardinals football players
Cleveland Gladiators players
Orlando Predators players
Cleveland Gladiators coaches
Sportspeople from Columbus, Ohio