Gregory B. Jones, Sr. (born May 9, 1981) 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 with ...

fullback. He was drafted by the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

in the second round of the

2004 NFL Draft The 2004 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 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...

and also played for the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

Early years

Jones attended Battery Creek High School in

Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort ( , a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South ...

, where he earned all-state honors on offense and

defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

, and also ran

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

, recording a personal best of 10.7 seconds in the

100 meters The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...

College career

Initially recruited as an All-State

Linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

, he played for

as a running back. Freshman 00': In the season opener (Week 1) vs. North Carolina (Sep.16), Jones scored his first Collegiate Touchdown as a Seminole. Despite having a strong season it would end early; tore the ACL in is left knee finishing the season playing in 7 games (Missed the last 5).

Professional career

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars selected Jones in the second round of the

. In Jacksonville, he has mostly seen action as fullback, filling in at tailback and as a substitute for Fred Taylor. In his

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

season 04', Jones carried 62 times for 162 yards and three touchdowns. In his second season (05') with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones Rushed for 651 yards on 171 Carries & 4 Touchdowns Due to an injury to his ACL suffered against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

during preseason on August 26, 2006, Jones did not play football during the

2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League. Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006. The season began with the reigning Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh defeating the Miami in t ...

. During the 2007 NFL season Jones carried the ball 92 times for 319 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also added 99 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 catches and he was the first alternate on AFC

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

roster at fullback. He was scheduled to become a free agent but on February 13, 2008, the Jaguars signed him to a new deal. The deal was worth $17.4 million over 5 years, including up to $3 million in incentives. The deal made Jones the highest-paid fullback in NFL history. Jones was placed on season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury on December 10, 2008. He finished the 2008 season with 62 carries for 213 yards & 2 Touchdowns and 33 receptions for 316 yard & 3 touchdown in 12 games. On December 17, 2009, Jones was placed on Injured Reserve due to an ankle injury and missed the rest of the season. Jones was the fullback when the Jaguars' All-Pro running back

Maurice Jones-Drew Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "MJD", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned unan ...

led the league in rushing yards in 2011.

Houston Texans

Jones was signed by the

on March 27, 2013.

New Orleans Saints

Jones signed with the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

on August 6, 2014. He was notified of his release on August 29, 2014, as part of the team's roster cutdown.

Retirement

On January 14, 2015, he announced his retirement as a member of the Jaguars. He officially retired while under a one-day contract to the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 15, 2015.

NFL statistics

Rushing Receiving Returning

Personal life

Jones is a cousin of

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fi ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Greg 1981 births Living people Players of American football from Columbia, South Carolina American football fullbacks Florida State Seminoles football players Jacksonville Jaguars players Houston Texans players New Orleans Saints players