Kevin S. Jones (born August 21, 1982) is a former American college and professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

player. Jones was a consensus All-American

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...

for

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

in 2003 and selected in the first 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 ...

. Jones played professionally for six seasons (2004–10) for the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

and

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...

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 majo ...

(NFL).

Early years

High school

Jones was born in

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester i ...

. With his natural ability and his father's training regimen, he became a highly conditioned athlete at a very young age. Jones was a multi-sport athlete in high school (1997-2001) and competed at the varsity level as a freshman at

Cardinal O'Hara High School Cardinal O'Hara High School is a coeducational Catholic high school of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The school is named after John Francis O'Hara who was Roman Catholic Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1951 to 1960. It is located in Spring ...

Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania Springfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 24,211 at the 2010 census. Springfield is a suburb of Philadelphia, located about west of the city. Geography S ...

Track and field

Jones was a star

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 eve ...

athlete, excelling in the

60 meters 60 metres, or 60-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior ath ...

(6.79 sec),

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 contes ...

(10.59 sec),

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a ...

(6.92 m) and

triple jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down th ...

(14.57 m).

Football

O'Hara Head football coach, George Stratts reluctantly started Jones as a freshman. Jones had immediate success on the field and was a four-year starter, breaking many school records. As a senior, he led his team to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship and became the Catholic League's all-time leading rusher. Jones is the inaugural winner of the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, named the "Hall Trophy", which is presented to the best high school football player in the country. Other notable recipients of the award include:

Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...

, Jimmy Clausen, and Terrelle Pryor.

College choice reveal

In 2000, Jones was the No.1 overall recruit in the nation. Courted by many colleges, Kevin narrowed his choices to Penn State and

. To the surprise of many, Jones chose to become a Hokie, making his decision the day after a home visit from Virginia Tech Head Coach,

Frank Beamer Franklin Mitchell Beamer (born October 18, 1946) is a retired American college football coach, most notably for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and former college football player. He is the father of current South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane ...

. Jones said of his decision, "If you're a blue-chipper from Pennsylvania, you go to Penn State. But I've always been a little contrary. On the day of my press conference, I still hadn't decided between Virginia Tech and PSU. As I sat down in front of everybody, I had both jerseys with me. I pulled the Penn State jersey out of a bag and said, "I will ... not be attending Penn State." Then I ripped off my sweater and had a Mike Vick jersey on underneath. The entire room was flabbergasted." Jones' college reveal was so highly anticipated that it was covered nationally, and televised by several local news stations. Since then, the use of props (hats, shirts, gear, music etc.) by recruits to announce their college choice has become a staple of the recruiting experience. The phenomenon can be credited to Jones, who was the first to ever do so with his reveal in 2000.

College career

Jones played for Virginia Tech and

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

coach

, from 2000 to 2003. He is the highest rated recruit to ever commit to the Virginia Tech football program. During his freshman season, Jones assumed the starting job, after an injury to starter,

Lee Suggs Lee Ernest Suggs, Jr. (born August 11, 1980) is a former American football coach and former player. He played college football as a running back at Virginia Tech and professionally for the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins in the National Footb ...

. Jones set a school record for rushing yards for a freshman. In 2002, Suggs and Jones split time at tailback, and were together called "The Untouchables" as a result of a fan contest for giving the duo a nickname. Kevin finished his college career with 3,475 yards and 35

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 ...

s on 616 carries (an average of 5.6 yards per carry), and 24 receptions for 229 yards (an average of 9.5 yards per reception). His 3,475 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns both rank second on the school's career-record list. He was elected to the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

Stats

*2001: 175 carries for 957 yards (5.47) and 5 TD. 6 catches for 47 yards. *2002: 160 carries for 871 yards (5.44) and 9 TD. 4 catches for 21 yards. *2003: 281 carries for 1647 yards (5.86) and 21 TD. 14 catches for 161 yards.

Professional career

Detroit Lions

Jones had a successful

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 with the

and became only the third

in franchise history to rush for over 1,000 yards in his rookie season, joining the ranks of

Billy Sims Billy Ray Sims (born September 18, 1955) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1980s. Sims played college football for the Uni ...

and Hall of Famer

Barry Sanders Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL), from 1989 to 1998 for the Detroit Lions. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and ...

. He was sidelined at the end of the 2006 season with a foot injury. In

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...

, Jones began the season in a backup role. He became the starter in Week 7 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) South division. The cl ...

. He rushed for 105 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown in a Week 8 victory over the division rival

. However, he suffered another season-ending injury. On March 13, 2008, the Lions released Jones.

Chicago Bears

On July 15, 2008, Jones signed a one-year, $605,000 contract with the

. He was re-signed to a two-year contract worth approximately $3.5 million on March 6, 2009. The deal includes a $1 million bonus and $2 million in the first season. He was intended to be the primary backup to Matt Forte. On September 3, 2009, Jones was injured during a preseason game when he was hit out of bounds by

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...

linebacker

Marcus Benard Marcus Benard (born July 26, 1985) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Jackson State. Professional career Cleveland Browns Benard wa ...

. He was out for the 2009 season with torn ligaments in his left ankle. Jones was released on March 9, 2010 after the Bears signed Chester Taylor during the free agency period.

Hartford Colonials

On September 27, 2010, Jones signed with the Hartford Colonials of the UFL. In his only season with the Colonials, Jones played in two games where he rushed for 41 yards on 16 carries before being placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

on October 21, 2010.

Personal

Jones retired from football in 2011 and returned to Virginia Tech as a student later that year to study

industrial design Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in advance of the manufactu ...

in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in industrial design in 2014. While interning at a furniture design company in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

, Jones manned the position of "grinder" as the only American in a 22-man crew aboard the 68 ft. racing yacht, ''Caol ila R''. By the summer of 2014, Jones had worked five races with the team. In 2014, Virginia Tech hired Jones as "Special Assistant to the Athletic Director". Jones stepped down from the position on June 12, 2016. In 2015, Jones co-founded the design firm Void Design Haus in

Blacksburg, Virginia Blacksburg is an incorporated town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 44,826 at the 2020 census. Blacksburg, as well as the surrounding county, is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of ...

, with Alex Barrette. They changed the company name to JoBa in 2016, as a combination of their last names. On June 3, 2019, the

introduced Jones as a ''Bill Walsh Coaching Fellow'', in a running backs coaching position role for the 2019 Mini-Camp.

References

External links

Virginia Tech Hokies bioRacing Yacht 68' IRC-Racer-Caol-ila-RVoid Design Haus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Kevin 1982 births Living people African-American players of American football All-American college football players American football running backs American male sailors (sport) Chicago Bears players Detroit Lions players Hartford Colonials players Players of American football from Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Chester, Pennsylvania Virginia Tech Hokies football players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people Ed Block Courage Award recipients