Robert Lee Jones (born September 27, 1969) 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 ...

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, ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

, and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

. He played college football at East Carolina University.

Early life

Jones attended

Nottoway County High School Nottoway High School is a public high school located in Nottoway County, Virginia. It is part of the Nottoway County School Division. Athletic teams compete in the Virginia High School League's AA James River District in the VHSL 2A East divisio ...

. As a senior, he tallied 120 tackles and helped his team win the 2A state championship. In order to meet academic requirements for college, Jones studied one year at the

Fork Union Military Academy Fork Union Military Academy (abbreviated as FUMA) is a private, all-male, college preparatory military boarding school located in Fork Union, Virginia. Founded in 1898, Fork Union is considered one of the premier military boarding academies in th ...

post-graduate program. He accepted a football scholarship from East Carolina University and would become the most accomplished

in its history. In 1988, he started 3 out of 10 games, collecting 43 tackles (one for loss), one pass defensed and one forced fumble, receiving freshman All-American honors. As a sophomore, he was a regular starter at

inside 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, ...

, recording 117 tackles (led the team), 4 tackles for loss, one sack, 3 passes defensed and one forced fumble. He made 16 tackles against both

Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research acti ...

and the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

. As a junior, he posted 167 tackles (second in school history), 2 interceptions, 3 tackles for loss, 3 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Against

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...

, he had 23 tackles. Against the

, he made 17 tackles, returned an interception for a

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron 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. In Amer ...

and blocked a field goal. He was a co-captain of the 1991 team that finished ranked No. 9 nationally with a 12–1 record, including a

Peach Bowl The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. Since 1997, it has been sponsored by Chick-fil-A and is officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. From 2006 to 2013, it was officially ...

victory. He finished with 8 quarterback pressures (led the team), 12 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 151 tackles, becoming the second player in school history to lead the team three straight seasons. Against Syracuse University, he had 18 tackles (3 for loss) and 3 quarterback pressures. Against

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...

, he made 15 tackles and one quarterback pressure. Against the University of South Carolina, he had 16 tackles, one interception and a blocked extra-point. He was a consensus All-American choice and one of the finalists for the

Butkus award The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...

. In 2004, he was inducted into the East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Jones was selected by the

in the first round (24th overall) of the

1992 NFL Draft The 1992 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 26–27, 1992, at the Marriott ...

, becoming the first player from East Carolina University to be drafted that high. The team moved

Ken Norton Jr. Kenneth Howard Norton Jr. (born September 29, 1966) is an American football coach and former linebacker who most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL) from 2018 to 2021. H ...

to outside linebacker, allowing him to become the second rookie ( Eugene Lockhart) in Cowboys history to start at

middle 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, ...

, and the second rookie (

Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941) is a former American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he played 14 years in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from ...

)

in franchise history to start in a season-opener. He helped the Cowboys establish the top defense in the league in 1992, was named NFC rookie of the year and was selected to the NFL All-rookie team. He started 13 out of 15 games, posting 108 tackles (second on the team), one sack, 2 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback pressures, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery. He had 16 tackles against both the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

and

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

. In

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

, he started the first 3 games after being benched in favor of

, who took over his

duties. He collected 36 tackles (2 for loss) and 4

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

tackles. He had 16 tackles against the

and 11 tackles against the Buffalo Bills. In

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...

, he regained the starting job at

after Norton left in

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...

. He would come back to have the best year of his career, going on to be selected to the

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 ...

, after registering 162 tackles (then the fourth-highest single season total in Cowboys history), 2 quarterback pressures, 4 tackles for loss and 3 passes defensed. In

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

, he was fourth on the team with 100 tackles, despite missing the last 3 games with a strained abdominal muscle. During his four seasons with the Cowboys, Jones helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII, Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXX. In the 1990s, the Cowboys organization felt they could find

linebackers 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, pla ...

through the draft, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...

, so they allowed talented and productive players like

, Darrin Smith,

Dixon Edwards Dixon Voldean Edwards, III (born March 25, 1968) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at Michigan State University were he studied ...

, and

Randall Godfrey Randall Euralentris Godfrey (born April 6, 1973) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. Godfrey played college football at the University of Georgia, where he majored in housing and consumer economics. He also ...

, to leave via free agency, instead of signing them into long-term contracts. After he became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 1996, the Cowboys replaced him by signing free agent

Fred Strickland Fredrick William Strickland, Jr. (born August 15, 1966) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. He playe ...

St. Louis Rams

On March 5, 1996, he signed as a

with the

. In

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, he led the team with 115 tackles. On June 2,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

, he was released from the team for

reasons.

Miami Dolphins

On June 10,

, he signed a one-year contract with the

, reuniting him with Jimmy Johnson. That season, Jones became an integral part of a defense that allowed an NFL low 265 points. He started all 16 regular season games at

strongside 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, pla ...

and finished third on the team with 100 total tackles. He also put together career-high numbers of five sacks, two interceptions and five passes defensed. He returned one of those interceptions for the first

of his career. After the season, the Dolphins rewarded him with a five-year contract extension. On March 1, 2001, he was released by the Dolphins after not restructuring his contract.

Washington Redskins

On June 12, 2001, Jones signed a one-year deal with the

, starting 9 of 15 games during the season.

Houston Texans

On April 25, 2002, he signed as a

with the Houston Texans for the franchise's inaugural year, but upon his request was released before the season started on May 14.

Green Bay Packers

One week later, he signed with the Green Bay Packers, but was released shortly after to make room for signed

Hardy Nickerson Hardy Otto Nickerson Sr. (born September 1, 1965) is an American former football coach and professional player. He played as linebacker for four teams over 16 seasons, from 1987 to 2002, in the National Football League (NFL). Nickerson spent ...

. Over his 10-year career, he played in 151 total games and registered 974 tackles, 8 quarterback sacks and 3 interceptions.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Robert's wife is Maneesha Jones. Robert's son Cayleb is a wide receiver in the NFL for the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

. Robert's second son Zay was a wide receiver at East Carolina University and the all-time receptions leader (399) in the history of college football. Zay was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the

2017 NFL Draft The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia ...

. His third son, Levi, signed to play with the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...

on February 1, 2017. Levi transferred to NC State University. He has 3 daughters; Leah, Priscilla, and Ana. Leah is President of the family business, Maid Immaculate. Priscilla is a volleyball player at GreenHope High School and Ana is a competitive cheerleader with Cheer Extreme.

References

External links

East Carolina Hall of Fame profileRobert Jones future
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Robert 1969 births Living people People from Blackstone, Virginia Players of American football from Virginia All-American college football players American football linebackers East Carolina Pirates football players Dallas Cowboys players St. Louis Rams players Miami Dolphins players Washington Redskins players