James Jones (running back, born 1958)

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This article is about the American football player who played for Mississippi State University and the Dallas Cowboys. For the American football player who played for the University of Florida, Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks, see James Jones (running back, born 1961).
James Jones
No. 23
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born:(1958-12-06)December 6, 1958
Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:201 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Vicksburg
College:Mississippi State
NFL draft:1980 / Round: 3 / Pick: 80
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:62
Rushing attempts:84
Rushing yards:331
Receptions:42
Receiving yards:312
Kickoff returns:70
Return yards:1,440
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

James Jones, Jr. (born December 6, 1958) is an American former professional

kick returner for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State Bulldogs
.

Early years

Jones attended Vicksburg High School, before moving on to

All-SEC
honors.

In 1978, while playing in a pass-oriented offense, he led the team in rushing with 687 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and 10 rushing

Memphis State University, he rushed for 114 yards on 10 carries (including a 72-yard run) and scored 4 touchdowns.[2] Against Louisiana State University
, he registered 162 rushing yards (third in school history) on 30 carries.

In 1979, he was lost for the last 7 games of the year after suffering a knee injury during a 28-9 victory against the University of Tennessee.[3]

Professional career

Jones was selected by the

1980 NFL Draft. As one of Tony Dorsett's backups, he served the role of an all-purpose running back
and the team's primary return specialist.

As a rookie, he set franchise records for punt returns (54) and punt return yardage (548), breaking Butch Johnson's previous marks. His 10.1-yard punt return average ranked fifth in the NFL and fourth in the NFC. It also made him the second-leading punt returner in team history. His 22 5-yard kickoff ranked sixth in the NFC.

In

Physically Unable to Perform list, after having multiple operations.[5]

In 1984 and 1985 he returned as a situational player. He retired before the start of the 1986 training camp.[6]

Jones totaled 1,444 kickoff return yards (20.6 average) and 736 punt return yards (8.5 average) during his career. He registered 331 rushing yards, 312 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown pass.

References

  1. ^ "Bulldogs bring explosive team". Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  2. ^ "Jones Coming For UF Team". Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  3. ^ "Bellard has a plan for Mississippi State". Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  4. ^ "Cowboys face RB shortage". Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  5. ^ "Knee Injury Downs Andrews". Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  6. ^ "Leon Hess: no New York conspiracy". Retrieved January 13, 2018.

External links

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