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Adam Jones (American football)
Encyclopedia
Adam "Pac-Man" Bernard Jones (born September 30, 1983) is an American
cornerback
and return specialist
who is currently playing for the Cincinnati Bengals
. He was drafted in the first round with the sixth-overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft
by the Tennessee Titans
. He played college football
at West Virginia
.
Jones has also played for the Dallas Cowboys
. He was suspended from the NFL
for the entire 2007 season and for part of the 2008 season for off-the-field conduct.
and raised by his mother, Deborah Jones, and his grandmother, Christine Jones; his father was murdered when Jones was four years old. As a child growing up in the Sandtown neighborhood of Atlanta, he was coached by longtime Sandtown coach Gary Jones. When Jones was a freshman at West Virginia University
, his grandmother died of cancer
; Jones missed the only game of his three year college career to attend her funeral. On the day of the NFL Draft
, Jones wore a t-shirt that featured his grandmother's picture.
Jones attended Westlake High School
, in Atlanta, Georgia. Westlake High School was considered a football powerhouse; in 2005, the school had the most alumni in the NFL with six players. In football, Jones played in the Georgia
-Florida
all-star game, and was selected as the conference "Player of the Year" following his senior year after totaling 120 tackles, six interceptions and 1,850 rushing yards.
In addition to his accomplishments in football, Jones also earned All-America
n honors in basketball and track. His basketball team won two state championships.
selection with his career-high 89 tackles and four interceptions, one being for a touchdown. He also had six tackles for losses, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He also had a career-high 12 broken up passes that season as well. In one of his best games of the year, against Boston College
, Jones scored two touchdowns in a 35-28 win over the Eagles, one a 87-yard kick return and the other a 47-yard interception return. Jones also had a career-high 12 tackles against Miami
. Jones totaled 98 punt return yards on 16 punt returns and 867 kick return yards, including an 87-yard touchdown return.
As a junior in 2004, he was the defensive secondary captain and led the team in tackles and interceptions. Jones also played briefly on offense, as well as returning punts and kick-offs for the second season. He was named first-team all-Big East
as a defensive back and honorable mention All-America
n by several sources. He led the team with 76 tackles, also adding two sacks, three interceptions, and seven broken up passes. Jones was named to Collegefootballnews.com's All-American first-team and was named honorable mention All-American at kick returner. Jones was also named Big East
Special Teams Player of the Year. His 76-yard punt return against East Carolina
was his season-long return and only punt return for a touchdown in Jones' career. He even had a long touchdown run against UConn
that was called back due to a penalty. Jones ended his career with a bad mark though, in the 2005
Gator Bowl
, when he fumbled a kick return early in the game; the Mountaineers lost to Florida State
.
Jones is ranked second on West Virginia's career kickoff return yardage list with 1,475 yards. He is also ranked eleventh on the school's career punt return yardage list with 404 yards, while his 10.92 yards per punt return is the sixth most in school history. Jones is one of the highest West Virginia players drafted. Jones and fellow-Mountaineer great Major Harris
both wore the number #9 while playing in college.
. He was the first defensive player drafted, taken sixth overall by the Tennessee Titans
in the 2005 NFL Draft
.
He then missed most of training camp, holding out in a contract dispute. According to then-Titans general manager Floyd Reese
, the Titans were concerned over several off-the-field incidents. Reese said that contract talks broke down when Jones initially balked at the Titans' proposed safeguards, but agreed that he would not be paid any guaranteed or bonus money if he were ever convicted of a crime.
When drafted, Jones was on probation
for a fight he got into while he was still at West Virginia. He managed to get into more legal trouble before even playing a down for the Titans. On July 14, 2005 Jones was arrested on charges of assault
and felony
vandalism
stemming from a nightclub
altercation in Nashville. On September 5, 2005, Jones was a guest at the annual Nashville Sports Council Kickoff Luncheon. After a loud verbal tantrum in which he was told to wait in line for his vehicle later that evening, Jones was counseled by the police. He also refused to pay for any valet
services used that evening, because he did not have money at the time. Subsequently, the State of West Virginia filed a petition alleging that Jones had not made regular and sufficient contact with his probation
officer, and that he did not report his July arrest in Nashville in a timely fashion. The court ordered the probation extended for a period of 90 days, although the state requested it to be extended one year.
During his rookie season, he had a total of 44 tackles and 10 pass deflections, but no interceptions. On special teams, Jones totaled 1,399 return yards and one TD. Jones and Reynaldo Hill
made up the only rookie duo to start at least ten games each at cornerback in the NFL
.
During the off-season, in February 2006, Jones was arrested in Fayetteville, Georgia
after an incident outside a home. The charges of marijuana possession in the same state were quickly dismissed, but the state pressed charges for felony and misdemeanor counts of obstruction of justice.
A Cadillac with Jones' nickname "Pacman" stitched in the headrests was seized during an April 2006 cocaine bust. The car was not registered to Jones then, but Jones told a local TV reporter that it was his car and that he had loaned it to Darryl Jerome Moore for a music video. Police sources confirmed that Moore was the main target of their investigation. Jones later bought the car at a police auction.
On August 25, 2006, during training camp, Jones was arrested in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
for disorderly conduct and public intoxication after claiming that a woman stole his wallet. She claimed that she did not steal anything and Jones spat on her. Police officers said they ordered Jones to leave several times, but he refused, continuing to shout profanities at the woman. A judge granted him six months probation on the conditions that he stays out of further trouble and away from the nightclub. On October 26, 2006, Jones was cited for misdemeanor assault for allegedly spitting in the face of a female student from Tennessee State University
during a private party at Club Mystic, a Nashville
nightclub. He was suspended by the Titans for one game.
Jones' sophomore season went much better on the field than off: he totaled career-high 62 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, 12 deflected passes, 4 interceptions, 130 return yards, one interception touchdown, 14 passes defended (second-team), 440 punt return yards and tied for NFL-high with three punt return touchdowns. The three punt returns also tied the franchise record with Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, which was set in 1975. His 12.9 yards per punt return average led the NFL, edging out Chicago's Devin Hester
by a tenth of a yard, while his 26.1 yards per kick return average ranked him seventh in the league and sixth in the AFC
. Jones also caught two passes on offense for 31 yards (one for 17 yards) and rushed twice for 8 yards. His best performance came against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 15, when Jones had an 83-yard interception return for a score, a 70-yard kick return, and broke up a touchdown pass to Matt Jones
to save the game. Jones broke out in his fifth game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts
, when he recorded a then personal season-high five tackles and defended a pass in the 14-13 loss. The very next week against the Washington Redskins
, Jones recorded four tackles and stripped the ball from Antwaan Randle El
for his first forced fumble of his career. The next week against Houston
, Jones tied a career-high tackle total with eight, and picked off a Sage Rosenfels
pass for his first career interception, and also posted his second touchdown on a punt return in his career in the fourth quarter with a 53-yard return. Two weeks later, against the Eagles
, Jones recorded his second punt return for a score of the season, this one 90-yards, breaking Billy Johnson's 87-yard franchise record. The next week against the New York Giants
, Jones picked off an Eli Manning
pass in the fourth quarter that sparked the Titans' 21-point comeback. Against the New England Patriots
in the last game of the season, Jones totaled 259 return yards (the NFL's highest total since 2006) along with a punt return score.
weekend in Las Vegas, Jones is alleged to have been involved in an altercation with an exotic dancer
at Minxx, a local strip club
. Jones and American rap artist
Nelly
patronized the club on the evening in question. Nelly, along with someone known only as Richard Rich, began to shower the stage with hundreds of one-dollar bills; an act known as "making it rain." Jones then joined Nelly by throwing his own money for "visual effect." Club promoter Chris Mitchell then directed his dancers to collect the money. According to the club's co-owner, Jones became enraged when one of the dancers began taking the money without his permission. He allegedly grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head on the stage. A security guard intervened and scuffled with members of Jones' entourage of half a dozen people. Jones then allegedly threatened the guard's life. During this time, Mitchell and a male associate left the club with a garbage bag filled with $81,020 and two Breitling
watches, which police later recovered.
After club patrons left following the original confrontation, the club owner claimed a person in Jones' entourage returned with a gun and fired into a crowd, damaging equipment and hitting three people, including the security guard involved in the earlier skirmish. The guard was shot twice, and one of the people hit—former professional wrestler Tommy Urbanski—was paralyzed from the waist down. Jones maintains that he did not know the shooter, although the club's owner insists that Jones did. On March 26, 2007, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
recommended to the city's district attorney that Jones be charged with one count of felony coercion as well as one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of threat to life.
More trouble followed Jones after the altercation, when drug dealer Darryl Jerome Moore was arrested. After the arrest, Moore told the police about his phone conversations with Jones. "We gotta slow down, man. We gotta get him focused on football, man." Moore is alleged to have said. Wiretapped phone conversations between Moore and his friends revealed Moore talking about how Jones bet on college games to earn quick money. "You know, I was talkin' to him the other day about smokin', and he was like 'man, if I didn't smoke I couldn't take all the stress that I'm dealing with right now,'" Moore said. Jones has not been connected to the Moore drug arrests or convicted for the Vegas stripper incident.
On April 21, a document revealed that Jones paid $15,000 to various people involved in the Las Vegas shooting.
Near the 2007 NFL Draft
, Jones's numerous off-the-field problems led to speculation that the Titans would cut or trade Jones before his third season, despite his breakout second year. At that time, Reese himself said that he and others on the Titans had spent "countless hours" trying to set Jones straight. He also said that while Jones had been everything the Titans had hoped he would be on the field, he'd been "nothing but a disaster off the field" during his two years in Nashville.
On April 10, 2007, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
announced a one-year suspension for Jones for violaion of the NFL player conduct policy
, to be re-evaluated after the tenth regular-season game, pending disposition of current cases, which Jones appealed. This was the first time in 44 years that a player had been suspended for an offense other than substance abuse. Jones took out a full page ad in The Tennessean, promising "he'll win back trust" of his teammates and fans." "To my family, teammates, coaches and fans, I recognize that I have lost the right to ask for your patience and understanding," Jones wrote. "However, I will do everything in my power to regain your trust and respect." Jones also wrote in the letter, his plans to re-enroll and finish his degree at West Virginia University
. "The basis of the appeal … will be to clarify some of the facts and address the unprecedented punishment that was imposed," Jones wrote in the letter. However on June 12, Jones withdrew his appeal.
During his suspension Jones signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
, despite an agreement between TNA and the Titans organization that he would only have a "non-physical" role in the company, and went on to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship
with Ron Killings
. He also established a record label, "National Street League Records", and performed as one half of the rap duo Posterboyz.
On May 7, 2007, Jones was stopped at 12:45 a.m. on Interstate 65
heading into downtown Nashville after an officer clocked him on radar at 79 mi/h in a 55 mi/h zone. Jones was driving the red 2004 Cadillac XLR
Roadster which had been seized in the April 2006 cocaine bust, and which he had bought back from the police at auction.
On June 18, 2007, Jones was sought by police for questioning after a shooting at an Atlanta strip club allegedly involving members of his entourage. According to police at the scene, Jones was not present during the shooting, and was not being charged.
On June 20, 2007, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Clark County
District Attorney's office announced that Jones would face two felony charges stemming from the strip club melee. But on November 13, 2007, Jones accepted a plea deal; on Dec. 6, Jones pleaded no contest to one charge of conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. He was given a suspended prison sentence of one year, probation, and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
On June 25, 2007, Tommy Urbanski and his wife Kathy sued Jones in civil court, claiming that Jones had bitten his left ankle, and was responsible for the shooting. The lawsuit also named the Tennessee Titans franchise and the NFL as defendants, on the grounds that Jones' employers knew of his erratic behavior prior to the Minxx incident, but did not suspend him until afterwards. Had the Titans suspended Jones prior to the NBA All-Star game, the suit argues, he would not have been invited to the Las Vegas events, and the incident would not have taken place.
On August 13, 2007, regarding the February Las Vegas strip club incident, Jones told Bryant Gumbel
of HBO Sports' Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
that he was innocent and had never hit the stripper or told anyone he was going to kill them. When asked about friend and convicted drug dealer Darryl Moore, Jones said that he did not know Moore was a drug dealer and felt surprised and betrayed. Jones also said he did not think he got a fair say in his April meeting with Goodell.
Ten weeks into the 2007 season
, Roger Goodell reviewed his decision, but ultimately declined to reduce it in any way. Following this announcement, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) said that it would appeal Jones' suspension. Tennessee running back LenDale White
told The Tennessean that he thinks that "53 of 53" Titans' players would want Jones to return to the team. Quarterback Vince Young
said, "We are going to do well without him, we can do well with him...". On December 13, 2007, the NFL agreed to hear the players' union's appeal on Jones's behalf. The players' union appealed Roger Goodell's decision to not allow Jones to be reinstated during the 2007 season.
On January 15, 2008, Jones was accused of hitting a woman in a strip club in Atlanta, Georgia
on the morning of January 3. The woman, Wanda S. Jackson, was seeking an arrest warrant. However, on January 16, Jackson withdrew the warrant.
On February 1, 2008, ESPN
reported that that Goodell remained "disappointed" in Jones and that he would most likely not be reinstated after the Super Bowl
. The NFL was to review Jones after the 2008 Pro Bowl
. It was also reported that the Titans would try to trade Jones, if reinstated.
On March 8, 2008, Jones announced on a Tennessee
radio station that he felt he was in "tip-top shape" and was ready to be reinstated. His agent also announced that they would consider applying for reinstatement before the 2008 NFL Draft
. Jones also said on the radio show that he would like to play for the Dallas Cowboys
, if the Titans were looking to trade him. The Detroit Lions
, Oakland Raiders
, Kansas City Chiefs
, Houston Texans
and New Orleans Saints
also expressed interest in Jones. On March 30, Jones participated at a charity basketball event, where he then signed a football for a fan with the #21, later saying that he believed he would wear the number if he ended up in Dallas with the Cowboys. NFL Network
correspondent Adam Schefter had also described the Tennessee–Dallas trade for Jones as being "imminent". On April 1, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
said that he would have a decision on reinstating Jones prior to training camp, presumably in July. However, the next day, reports said that the trade was being delayed due to the Cowboys denying the request to provide a fourth-round pick and a pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Also, disagreements let out over whether the Cowboys would reimburse the Titans for a bonus owed to Jones. However, Adam Schefter of NFL Network
reported on April 13 that trade talks had restarted, with the Cowboys offering a sixth-round pick and the Titans requesting a fourth-round pick in the 2008 draft.
in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. If Jones was reinstated for the 2008-2009 season, the Cowboys would also give their sixth-round pick to Tennessee in 2009; if not, the Titans would have to send their fourth-round pick to the Cowboys in 2009. Furthermore, if Jones was to be suspended again, the Titans would have to give their fifth-round pick to the Cowboys in 2009 and return the sixth-round pick to Dallas. Although the conditions clearly appeared to favor the Cowboys, the Titans organization made it clear that it would do whatever was needed to get him far away from their team.
Jones also reached a financial settlement with the Titans regarding his contract situation: he agreed to pay $500,000 to a charity chosen by the Titans sometime in the next two years. Jones signed a four-year contract that included no signing bonus but included annual roster bonuses, and was structured in a way that would protect Dallas in the event that Jones made more off-field mistakes.
On April 24, Hall of Famer
Jim Brown
announced that he had offered his support and help to Jones while in Dallas. Former Cowboys teammates and NFL standouts Michael Irvin
and Deion Sanders
also both expressed a willingness to help the troubled cornerback.
On June 21, 2008, the Associated Press reported Jones' $1.5 million home was in foreclosure
. The home and 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), located in a Nashville suburb, was to be sold June 27 on the steps of the old Williamson County Courthouse.
Beginning in June, Jones was cleared to participate in organized team activities with the Cowboys, including training camp and preseason games. On August 26, Jones was fully reinstated for the 2008 NFL season
.
In the season opener for the Cowboys, a 28-10 victory against the Cleveland Browns
, Jones recorded a tackle and a pass deflection. In the following 41-37 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles
, Jones recorded four tackles and a pass deflection. In a 27-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers
, Jones led the Cowboys with eight tackles and a fumble recovery.
On October 8, Jones was involved in an altercation with his bodyguard in a Dallas hotel. According to ESPN, there wasn't a police report, nor was anyone arrested and nobody was charged with anything in connection with the fight
Jones was suspended for a minimum of four games by the NFL due to the altercation, for violating the league's personal conduct policy. The NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell would determine the final length of the suspension after the Cowboys' game against the Washington Redskins on November 16. On October 16, Jones entered an alcohol rehab center.
In a letter to Jones, Goodell called the latest incident the continuation of "a disturbing pattern of behavior and clearly inconsistent with the conditions I set for your continued participation in the NFL." On Wednesday, November 19, 2008, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the suspended cornerback would be reinstated by league commissioner Roger Goodell, but he would miss two more games — Sunday, November 23, 2008 and the following game on Thanksgiving, November 27, 2008. He would be back December 7, 2008 at Pittsburgh. This decision meant it would be a six-game suspension. By the time he would return, he would have been suspended from 22 of a possible 28 games.
Due to the suspension, the Titans give their fifth-round pick to the Cowboys in 2009 and returned the sixth-round pick to Dallas, as stipulated in terms of the trade.
Jones finally returned from suspension and played in Dallas' game against Pittsburgh
on December 7. He suffered a neck injury; he continued to play in the game, but later in the week, news reports indicated that the injury was more severe than first believed, and could be a season-ending or even career-ending injury for Jones. On December 10, 2008, the Cowboys announced that Jones would probably be out for the rest of the season. However, he returned to play in the Cowboys' final game of the season, a 44-6 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles
.
On January 7, 2009, the Cowboys announced they would release Jones. According to ESPN
's Ed Werder
, the move came after Cowboys officials learned that Jones was a suspect in a June 2007 shooting outside a strip club in Las Vegas
; Jones was alleged to have ordered the shooting after a dispute with one of the men. Due to NFL rules which bar major player transactions until after the Super Bowl
, the Cowboys did not officially cut ties with Jones until February 9, 2009.
of the Canadian Football League
. (The CFL season, which runs from July through November, was already half over at the time.)
However, the Blue Bombers announced on September 2 that they were no longer going to pursue Jones after he made some remarks on an internet video including calling the league the United Football League when it is in fact the Canadian Football League
. The startup UFL reportedly offered Jones a contract which he turned down.
on February 12, 2010, but the Bengals did not offer him a contract. Jones worked out for NFL scouts on March 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Six NFL teams were in attendance. Initial reports claimed Jones did not show up, but newer reports countered those claims. At his workout, his 40-yard dash time was 4.42 seconds. The Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers both met with Jones. On April 27, 2010 the Green Bay Packers
contacted Jones about a possible tryout.
On May 10, 2010, Jones signed a two-year deal with the Bengals. He went through the entire off-season and the entire pre-season without incident, and he made the regular-season roster. He made his regular-season Bengals debut on September 12, 2010, as a kick returner and a backup cornerback: he returned two kickoffs for 37 yards and made two tackles and an assist on defense during the Bengals' 38-24 road loss to the New England Patriots
. On the 26th of October, Jones sustained a serious neck injury and missed the remainder of the 2010 season.
On October 30, 2011, Jones made his first appearance with the Bengals since his injury in 2010. He returned one punt for 63 yards, and subsequently suffered a hamstring injury and did not play for the rest of the game.
, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA) and since he had a one-year suspension from the NFL, he had more time on his hands to pursue other interests. As the news circulated, Titans coach Jeff Fisher
stated that his football contract could preclude him from actually wrestling with the company, but negotiations continued for a non wrestling role. On August 6, TNA confirmed through their website that a deal had been signed, and afterwards interviews with Jones and Jeff Jarrett
, one of TNA's Vice Presidents, indicated that he did intend to wrestle, primarily as part of a tag team
.
After some legal wrangling, it was agreed that Jones could appear for the company, but in a non-physical role only. During his time there, he was placed into a tag team
known as Team Pacman
with Ron "The Truth" Killings
and held the company's World Tag Team Championship
by defeating Sting and Kurt Angle
. Since he was not allowed to appear in the ring, eventually a third man, Rasheed Lucius "Consequences" Creed, was added to the group in order to wrestle for Jones.
His contract expired on October 15 and TNA chose not to renew it, resulting in Jones being "forced to retire" from wrestling.
album with his new hip-hop
group, Posterboyz. After the announcement was made an NFL spokesman let it be known that the NFL was looking into whether the name of Jones' record label, National Street League Records, infringed on the National Football League trademark. Jones' group, Posterboyz, released their first & only single so far, "Let it Shine," through a MySpace page.
a player in the game named Packrat James is a direct reference to Jones's nickname.
He has had the nickname all his life; his mother gave it to him when he was a young child, saying that he would drink his milk as fast as the video game character Pac-Man. In June 2008, Jones decided that he only wanted to be known as "Adam Jones" or "Mr. Jones," in an attempt to separate himself from his troubled past. Following Jones' suspension in October, 2008, then-ESPN
commentator Stephen A. Smith
, in the "Parting Shots" segment of The Sports Reporters, chided Jones for setting a bad example for youth, and made a point of calling him "Pac-Man" several times.
DEFENSE>
Year Team G Tk Solo Ast PD Sck FF FR TD Int Yds TD
2005
TEN
15
53
44
9
10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2006
TEN
15
63
51
12
12
1
1
0
0
4
130
1
2007
suspended
2008
DAL
9
31
26
5
7
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
TOTAL
39
147
121
26
29
1
2
0
0
4
130
1
RETURNS>
Year Team G PR YDS TD FC LNG KR YDS TD FC LNG
2005
TEN
15
29
272
1
8
52
43
1127
0
0
85
2006
TEN
15
34
440
3
3
90
20
521
0
0
70
2007
suspended
2008
DAL
6
16
80
0
0
18
0
0
0
0
70
TOTAL
36
79
792
4
11
90
63
1648
0
0
85
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
and return specialist
Return specialist
A Return Specialist is a player on American football or Canadian football special teams who specializes in returning punts and kickoff returns. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most play other positions as well. The special teams counterpart of a return specialist is a...
who is currently playing for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. He was drafted in the first round with the sixth-overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 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 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
by the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
.
Jones has also played for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. He was suspended from the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the entire 2007 season and for part of the 2008 season for off-the-field conduct.
Early years
Jones was born in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and raised by his mother, Deborah Jones, and his grandmother, Christine Jones; his father was murdered when Jones was four years old. As a child growing up in the Sandtown neighborhood of Atlanta, he was coached by longtime Sandtown coach Gary Jones. When Jones was a freshman at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
, his grandmother died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
; Jones missed the only game of his three year college career to attend her funeral. On the day of the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, Jones wore a t-shirt that featured his grandmother's picture.
Jones attended Westlake High School
Westlake High School (Fulton County, Georgia)
Westlake High School is a secondary school located in unincorporated Fulton County, Georgia, United States. The school has an Atlanta, Georgia address but is outside of the Atlanta city limits...
, in Atlanta, Georgia. Westlake High School was considered a football powerhouse; in 2005, the school had the most alumni in the NFL with six players. In football, Jones played in the Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
-Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
all-star game, and was selected as the conference "Player of the Year" following his senior year after totaling 120 tackles, six interceptions and 1,850 rushing yards.
In addition to his accomplishments in football, Jones also earned All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors in basketball and track. His basketball team won two state championships.
College career
Jones also was an Athletic Coaching Education major and a member of the Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll. As a freshman in 2002, Jones appeared in 11 games for West Virginia as a reserve cornerback and safety. He totaled one interception and one forced fumble with 36 tackles. During 2003, he appeared in all 13 games, starting 9 at cornerback, and taking over full-time kick return and punt return duties. Jones' second season resulted in a second team All-Big East ConferenceBig East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
selection with his career-high 89 tackles and four interceptions, one being for a touchdown. He also had six tackles for losses, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He also had a career-high 12 broken up passes that season as well. In one of his best games of the year, against Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, Jones scored two touchdowns in a 35-28 win over the Eagles, one a 87-yard kick return and the other a 47-yard interception return. Jones also had a career-high 12 tackles against Miami
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
. Jones totaled 98 punt return yards on 16 punt returns and 867 kick return yards, including an 87-yard touchdown return.
As a junior in 2004, he was the defensive secondary captain and led the team in tackles and interceptions. Jones also played briefly on offense, as well as returning punts and kick-offs for the second season. He was named first-team all-Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
as a defensive back and honorable mention All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n by several sources. He led the team with 76 tackles, also adding two sacks, three interceptions, and seven broken up passes. Jones was named to Collegefootballnews.com's All-American first-team and was named honorable mention All-American at kick returner. Jones was also named Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
Special Teams Player of the Year. His 76-yard punt return against East Carolina
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
was his season-long return and only punt return for a touchdown in Jones' career. He even had a long touchdown run against UConn
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
that was called back due to a penalty. Jones ended his career with a bad mark though, in the 2005
2005 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football...
Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
, when he fumbled a kick return early in the game; the Mountaineers lost to Florida State
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
Jones is ranked second on West Virginia's career kickoff return yardage list with 1,475 yards. He is also ranked eleventh on the school's career punt return yardage list with 404 yards, while his 10.92 yards per punt return is the sixth most in school history. Jones is one of the highest West Virginia players drafted. Jones and fellow-Mountaineer great Major Harris
Major Harris
Major Harris is a former college football quarterback for West Virginia University during the 1980s. Harris was a 1989 All American and finished third and fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He was also the ECAC Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989...
both wore the number #9 while playing in college.
Tennessee Titans
After his junior year, Jones opted to forgo his senior year and declare eligible for the NFL DraftNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
. He was the first defensive player drafted, taken sixth overall by the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 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 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
.
He then missed most of training camp, holding out in a contract dispute. According to then-Titans general manager Floyd Reese
Floyd Reese
Floyd Reese is a senior football advisor for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. From 1994–2006 Reese held the position of general manager of the Tennessee Titans...
, the Titans were concerned over several off-the-field incidents. Reese said that contract talks broke down when Jones initially balked at the Titans' proposed safeguards, but agreed that he would not be paid any guaranteed or bonus money if he were ever convicted of a crime.
When drafted, Jones was on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
for a fight he got into while he was still at West Virginia. He managed to get into more legal trouble before even playing a down for the Titans. On July 14, 2005 Jones was arrested on charges of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
stemming from a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
altercation in Nashville. On September 5, 2005, Jones was a guest at the annual Nashville Sports Council Kickoff Luncheon. After a loud verbal tantrum in which he was told to wait in line for his vehicle later that evening, Jones was counseled by the police. He also refused to pay for any valet
Valet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
services used that evening, because he did not have money at the time. Subsequently, the State of West Virginia filed a petition alleging that Jones had not made regular and sufficient contact with his probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
officer, and that he did not report his July arrest in Nashville in a timely fashion. The court ordered the probation extended for a period of 90 days, although the state requested it to be extended one year.
During his rookie season, he had a total of 44 tackles and 10 pass deflections, but no interceptions. On special teams, Jones totaled 1,399 return yards and one TD. Jones and Reynaldo Hill
Reynaldo Hill
Reynaldo Romel Hill is a American college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League for four seasons. Hill played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Tennessee Titans of the NFL...
made up the only rookie duo to start at least ten games each at cornerback in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
During the off-season, in February 2006, Jones was arrested in Fayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville is a town in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,945. The city is the county seat of Fayette County. Fayetteville is located approximately 22 miles from the city of Atlanta....
after an incident outside a home. The charges of marijuana possession in the same state were quickly dismissed, but the state pressed charges for felony and misdemeanor counts of obstruction of justice.
A Cadillac with Jones' nickname "Pacman" stitched in the headrests was seized during an April 2006 cocaine bust. The car was not registered to Jones then, but Jones told a local TV reporter that it was his car and that he had loaned it to Darryl Jerome Moore for a music video. Police sources confirmed that Moore was the main target of their investigation. Jones later bought the car at a police auction.
On August 25, 2006, during training camp, Jones was arrested in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
for disorderly conduct and public intoxication after claiming that a woman stole his wallet. She claimed that she did not steal anything and Jones spat on her. Police officers said they ordered Jones to leave several times, but he refused, continuing to shout profanities at the woman. A judge granted him six months probation on the conditions that he stays out of further trouble and away from the nightclub. On October 26, 2006, Jones was cited for misdemeanor assault for allegedly spitting in the face of a female student from Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...
during a private party at Club Mystic, a Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
nightclub. He was suspended by the Titans for one game.
Jones' sophomore season went much better on the field than off: he totaled career-high 62 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, 12 deflected passes, 4 interceptions, 130 return yards, one interception touchdown, 14 passes defended (second-team), 440 punt return yards and tied for NFL-high with three punt return touchdowns. The three punt returns also tied the franchise record with Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, which was set in 1975. His 12.9 yards per punt return average led the NFL, edging out Chicago's Devin Hester
Devin Hester
Devin Hester is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Miami, where he became the first person in the university’s recent history to play in all three phases of American football...
by a tenth of a yard, while his 26.1 yards per kick return average ranked him seventh in the league and sixth in the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
. Jones also caught two passes on offense for 31 yards (one for 17 yards) and rushed twice for 8 yards. His best performance came against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 15, when Jones had an 83-yard interception return for a score, a 70-yard kick return, and broke up a touchdown pass to Matt Jones
Matt Jones (American football)
Matthew Jones is a former American football wide receiver . He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and retired officially in November 2010. He played college football at Arkansas....
to save the game. Jones broke out in his fifth game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, when he recorded a then personal season-high five tackles and defended a pass in the 14-13 loss. The very next week against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, Jones recorded four tackles and stripped the ball from Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He attended Indiana University, after turning down a Major League Baseball draft selection by the Chicago Cubs in 1997...
for his first forced fumble of his career. The next week against Houston
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Jones tied a career-high tackle total with eight, and picked off a Sage Rosenfels
Sage Rosenfels
Sage Rosenfels is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Iowa State before he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolphins from 2002–2005, the Houston Texans from...
pass for his first career interception, and also posted his second touchdown on a punt return in his career in the fourth quarter with a 53-yard return. Two weeks later, against the Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Jones recorded his second punt return for a score of the season, this one 90-yards, breaking Billy Johnson's 87-yard franchise record. The next week against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Jones picked off an Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
pass in the fourth quarter that sparked the Titans' 21-point comeback. Against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the last game of the season, Jones totaled 259 return yards (the NFL's highest total since 2006) along with a punt return score.
Las Vegas shooting case & subsequent suspension
On the morning of February 19, 2007, during the 2007 NBA All-Star Game2007 NBA All-Star Game
The 2007 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 18, 2007 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas's Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was the 56th annual All-Star Game. It was the first time the All-Star Game was played in a city without an NBA franchise and...
weekend in Las Vegas, Jones is alleged to have been involved in an altercation with an exotic dancer
Exotic dancer
The terms exotic dancer and exotic dance can have different meanings in different parts of the world and depending on context. In the erotic sense, "exotic dance" is a often used to refer to practitioners of striptease...
at Minxx, a local strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
. Jones and American rap artist
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
patronized the club on the evening in question. Nelly, along with someone known only as Richard Rich, began to shower the stage with hundreds of one-dollar bills; an act known as "making it rain." Jones then joined Nelly by throwing his own money for "visual effect." Club promoter Chris Mitchell then directed his dancers to collect the money. According to the club's co-owner, Jones became enraged when one of the dancers began taking the money without his permission. He allegedly grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head on the stage. A security guard intervened and scuffled with members of Jones' entourage of half a dozen people. Jones then allegedly threatened the guard's life. During this time, Mitchell and a male associate left the club with a garbage bag filled with $81,020 and two Breitling
Breitling
Breitling is a luxury brand of Swiss watches produced by Breitling SA, a private company headquartered in Grenchen, Canton of Solothurn . The company exclusively offered Certified Chronometers in all models since 2000...
watches, which police later recovered.
After club patrons left following the original confrontation, the club owner claimed a person in Jones' entourage returned with a gun and fired into a crowd, damaging equipment and hitting three people, including the security guard involved in the earlier skirmish. The guard was shot twice, and one of the people hit—former professional wrestler Tommy Urbanski—was paralyzed from the waist down. Jones maintains that he did not know the shooter, although the club's owner insists that Jones did. On March 26, 2007, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is a joint city-county police force for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. It is run by the Sheriff of Clark County, elected every four years. The current Sheriff of Clark County is Douglas C...
recommended to the city's district attorney that Jones be charged with one count of felony coercion as well as one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of threat to life.
More trouble followed Jones after the altercation, when drug dealer Darryl Jerome Moore was arrested. After the arrest, Moore told the police about his phone conversations with Jones. "We gotta slow down, man. We gotta get him focused on football, man." Moore is alleged to have said. Wiretapped phone conversations between Moore and his friends revealed Moore talking about how Jones bet on college games to earn quick money. "You know, I was talkin' to him the other day about smokin', and he was like 'man, if I didn't smoke I couldn't take all the stress that I'm dealing with right now,'" Moore said. Jones has not been connected to the Moore drug arrests or convicted for the Vegas stripper incident.
On April 21, a document revealed that Jones paid $15,000 to various people involved in the Las Vegas shooting.
Near the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
, Jones's numerous off-the-field problems led to speculation that the Titans would cut or trade Jones before his third season, despite his breakout second year. At that time, Reese himself said that he and others on the Titans had spent "countless hours" trying to set Jones straight. He also said that while Jones had been everything the Titans had hoped he would be on the field, he'd been "nothing but a disaster off the field" during his two years in Nashville.
On April 10, 2007, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
Roger Goodell
Roger S. Goodell is the Commissioner of the National Football League , having been chosen to succeed the retiring Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006. He was chosen over four finalists for the position, winning a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the...
announced a one-year suspension for Jones for violaion of the NFL player conduct policy
National Football League player conduct controversy
On April 10, 2007, the National Football League introduced a new conduct policy to help control off-field behavior by its players and preserve the league's public image...
, to be re-evaluated after the tenth regular-season game, pending disposition of current cases, which Jones appealed. This was the first time in 44 years that a player had been suspended for an offense other than substance abuse. Jones took out a full page ad in The Tennessean, promising "he'll win back trust" of his teammates and fans." "To my family, teammates, coaches and fans, I recognize that I have lost the right to ask for your patience and understanding," Jones wrote. "However, I will do everything in my power to regain your trust and respect." Jones also wrote in the letter, his plans to re-enroll and finish his degree at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
. "The basis of the appeal … will be to clarify some of the facts and address the unprecedented punishment that was imposed," Jones wrote in the letter. However on June 12, Jones withdrew his appeal.
During his suspension Jones signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
, despite an agreement between TNA and the Titans organization that he would only have a "non-physical" role in the company, and went on to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...
with Ron Killings
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
. He also established a record label, "National Street League Records", and performed as one half of the rap duo Posterboyz.
On May 7, 2007, Jones was stopped at 12:45 a.m. on Interstate 65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
heading into downtown Nashville after an officer clocked him on radar at 79 mi/h in a 55 mi/h zone. Jones was driving the red 2004 Cadillac XLR
Cadillac XLR
The XLR was a retractable hardtop convertible marketed by the Cadillac division of General Motors, assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Intended to be Cadillac's flagship sports car, the XLR was based on the Chevrolet Corvette's Y platform...
Roadster which had been seized in the April 2006 cocaine bust, and which he had bought back from the police at auction.
On June 18, 2007, Jones was sought by police for questioning after a shooting at an Atlanta strip club allegedly involving members of his entourage. According to police at the scene, Jones was not present during the shooting, and was not being charged.
On June 20, 2007, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
District Attorney's office announced that Jones would face two felony charges stemming from the strip club melee. But on November 13, 2007, Jones accepted a plea deal; on Dec. 6, Jones pleaded no contest to one charge of conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. He was given a suspended prison sentence of one year, probation, and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
On June 25, 2007, Tommy Urbanski and his wife Kathy sued Jones in civil court, claiming that Jones had bitten his left ankle, and was responsible for the shooting. The lawsuit also named the Tennessee Titans franchise and the NFL as defendants, on the grounds that Jones' employers knew of his erratic behavior prior to the Minxx incident, but did not suspend him until afterwards. Had the Titans suspended Jones prior to the NBA All-Star game, the suit argues, he would not have been invited to the Las Vegas events, and the incident would not have taken place.
On August 13, 2007, regarding the February Las Vegas strip club incident, Jones told Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
of HBO Sports' Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel is a monthly sports newsmagazine on HBO that debuted on April 2, 1995. The show was "spawned by the fact that sports have changed dramatically, that it's no longer just fun and games, and that what happens off the field, beyond the scores, is worthy of some serious...
that he was innocent and had never hit the stripper or told anyone he was going to kill them. When asked about friend and convicted drug dealer Darryl Moore, Jones said that he did not know Moore was a drug dealer and felt surprised and betrayed. Jones also said he did not think he got a fair say in his April meeting with Goodell.
Ten weeks into the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, Roger Goodell reviewed his decision, but ultimately declined to reduce it in any way. Following this announcement, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) said that it would appeal Jones' suspension. Tennessee running back LenDale White
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
told The Tennessean that he thinks that "53 of 53" Titans' players would want Jones to return to the team. Quarterback Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
said, "We are going to do well without him, we can do well with him...". On December 13, 2007, the NFL agreed to hear the players' union's appeal on Jones's behalf. The players' union appealed Roger Goodell's decision to not allow Jones to be reinstated during the 2007 season.
On January 15, 2008, Jones was accused of hitting a woman in a strip club in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
on the morning of January 3. The woman, Wanda S. Jackson, was seeking an arrest warrant. However, on January 16, Jackson withdrew the warrant.
On February 1, 2008, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reported that that Goodell remained "disappointed" in Jones and that he would most likely not be reinstated after the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. The NFL was to review Jones after the 2008 Pro Bowl
2008 Pro Bowl
The 2008 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am local time . The NFC won, 42–30, despite a 17-point first half AFC...
. It was also reported that the Titans would try to trade Jones, if reinstated.
On March 8, 2008, Jones announced on a Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
radio station that he felt he was in "tip-top shape" and was ready to be reinstated. His agent also announced that they would consider applying for reinstatement before the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. Jones also said on the radio show that he would like to play for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, if the Titans were looking to trade him. The Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
also expressed interest in Jones. On March 30, Jones participated at a charity basketball event, where he then signed a football for a fan with the #21, later saying that he believed he would wear the number if he ended up in Dallas with the Cowboys. NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
correspondent Adam Schefter had also described the Tennessee–Dallas trade for Jones as being "imminent". On April 1, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
Roger Goodell
Roger S. Goodell is the Commissioner of the National Football League , having been chosen to succeed the retiring Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006. He was chosen over four finalists for the position, winning a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the...
said that he would have a decision on reinstating Jones prior to training camp, presumably in July. However, the next day, reports said that the trade was being delayed due to the Cowboys denying the request to provide a fourth-round pick and a pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Also, disagreements let out over whether the Cowboys would reimburse the Titans for a bonus owed to Jones. However, Adam Schefter of NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
reported on April 13 that trade talks had restarted, with the Cowboys offering a sixth-round pick and the Titans requesting a fourth-round pick in the 2008 draft.
Dallas Cowboys
On April 23, 2008, Jones was traded to the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. If Jones was reinstated for the 2008-2009 season, the Cowboys would also give their sixth-round pick to Tennessee in 2009; if not, the Titans would have to send their fourth-round pick to the Cowboys in 2009. Furthermore, if Jones was to be suspended again, the Titans would have to give their fifth-round pick to the Cowboys in 2009 and return the sixth-round pick to Dallas. Although the conditions clearly appeared to favor the Cowboys, the Titans organization made it clear that it would do whatever was needed to get him far away from their team.
Jones also reached a financial settlement with the Titans regarding his contract situation: he agreed to pay $500,000 to a charity chosen by the Titans sometime in the next two years. Jones signed a four-year contract that included no signing bonus but included annual roster bonuses, and was structured in a way that would protect Dallas in the event that Jones made more off-field mistakes.
On April 24, Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
announced that he had offered his support and help to Jones while in Dallas. Former Cowboys teammates and NFL standouts Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
and Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
also both expressed a willingness to help the troubled cornerback.
On June 21, 2008, the Associated Press reported Jones' $1.5 million home was in foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
. The home and 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), located in a Nashville suburb, was to be sold June 27 on the steps of the old Williamson County Courthouse.
Beginning in June, Jones was cleared to participate in organized team activities with the Cowboys, including training camp and preseason games. On August 26, Jones was fully reinstated for the 2008 NFL season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
.
In the season opener for the Cowboys, a 28-10 victory against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Jones recorded a tackle and a pass deflection. In the following 41-37 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Jones recorded four tackles and a pass deflection. In a 27-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Jones led the Cowboys with eight tackles and a fumble recovery.
On October 8, Jones was involved in an altercation with his bodyguard in a Dallas hotel. According to ESPN, there wasn't a police report, nor was anyone arrested and nobody was charged with anything in connection with the fight
Jones was suspended for a minimum of four games by the NFL due to the altercation, for violating the league's personal conduct policy. The NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell would determine the final length of the suspension after the Cowboys' game against the Washington Redskins on November 16. On October 16, Jones entered an alcohol rehab center.
In a letter to Jones, Goodell called the latest incident the continuation of "a disturbing pattern of behavior and clearly inconsistent with the conditions I set for your continued participation in the NFL." On Wednesday, November 19, 2008, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the suspended cornerback would be reinstated by league commissioner Roger Goodell, but he would miss two more games — Sunday, November 23, 2008 and the following game on Thanksgiving, November 27, 2008. He would be back December 7, 2008 at Pittsburgh. This decision meant it would be a six-game suspension. By the time he would return, he would have been suspended from 22 of a possible 28 games.
Due to the suspension, the Titans give their fifth-round pick to the Cowboys in 2009 and returned the sixth-round pick to Dallas, as stipulated in terms of the trade.
Jones finally returned from suspension and played in Dallas' game against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
on December 7. He suffered a neck injury; he continued to play in the game, but later in the week, news reports indicated that the injury was more severe than first believed, and could be a season-ending or even career-ending injury for Jones. On December 10, 2008, the Cowboys announced that Jones would probably be out for the rest of the season. However, he returned to play in the Cowboys' final game of the season, a 44-6 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
On January 7, 2009, the Cowboys announced they would release Jones. According to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Ed Werder
Ed Werder
Ed Werder is a Dallas-based bureau reporter for ESPN, primarily reporting on stories about the NFL. Since joining ESPN in 1998, Werder has become a staple in their NFL coverage, as he contributes to shows such as SportsCenter, NFL Live, Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown Ed Werder...
, the move came after Cowboys officials learned that Jones was a suspect in a June 2007 shooting outside a strip club in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
; Jones was alleged to have ordered the shooting after a dispute with one of the men. Due to NFL rules which bar major player transactions until after the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, the Cowboys did not officially cut ties with Jones until February 9, 2009.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
In August 2009, Jones agreed in principle to a one-year deal to play with the Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. (The CFL season, which runs from July through November, was already half over at the time.)
However, the Blue Bombers announced on September 2 that they were no longer going to pursue Jones after he made some remarks on an internet video including calling the league the United Football League when it is in fact the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. The startup UFL reportedly offered Jones a contract which he turned down.
Cincinnati Bengals
Jones worked out with the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
on February 12, 2010, but the Bengals did not offer him a contract. Jones worked out for NFL scouts on March 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Six NFL teams were in attendance. Initial reports claimed Jones did not show up, but newer reports countered those claims. At his workout, his 40-yard dash time was 4.42 seconds. The Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers both met with Jones. On April 27, 2010 the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
contacted Jones about a possible tryout.
On May 10, 2010, Jones signed a two-year deal with the Bengals. He went through the entire off-season and the entire pre-season without incident, and he made the regular-season roster. He made his regular-season Bengals debut on September 12, 2010, as a kick returner and a backup cornerback: he returned two kickoffs for 37 yards and made two tackles and an assist on defense during the Bengals' 38-24 road loss to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. On the 26th of October, Jones sustained a serious neck injury and missed the remainder of the 2010 season.
On October 30, 2011, Jones made his first appearance with the Bengals since his injury in 2010. He returned one punt for 63 yards, and subsequently suffered a hamstring injury and did not play for the rest of the game.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2007)
On July 30, 2007, it was reported that Jones was working on a deal with the professional wrestling promotionProfessional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA) and since he had a one-year suspension from the NFL, he had more time on his hands to pursue other interests. As the news circulated, Titans coach Jeff Fisher
Jeff Fisher
Jeffrey Michael "Jeff" Fisher is the former head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He has a 146-120 career record as an NFL head coach.-Early life:...
stated that his football contract could preclude him from actually wrestling with the company, but negotiations continued for a non wrestling role. On August 6, TNA confirmed through their website that a deal had been signed, and afterwards interviews with Jones and Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
, one of TNA's Vice Presidents, indicated that he did intend to wrestle, primarily as part of a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
.
After some legal wrangling, it was agreed that Jones could appear for the company, but in a non-physical role only. During his time there, he was placed into a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
known as Team Pacman
Team Pacman
Team Pacman was a heel professional wrestling tag team in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. The team, originally consisting of National Football League player Adam "Pacman" Jones and his partner Ron "The Truth" Killings, held the TNA World Tag Team Championship once, but when Jones'...
with Ron "The Truth" Killings
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
and held the company's World Tag Team Championship
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...
by defeating Sting and Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
. Since he was not allowed to appear in the ring, eventually a third man, Rasheed Lucius "Consequences" Creed, was added to the group in order to wrestle for Jones.
His contract expired on October 15 and TNA chose not to renew it, resulting in Jones being "forced to retire" from wrestling.
Championships and accomplishments
- Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
- TNA World Tag Team ChampionshipTNA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...
(1 time) – with Ron KillingsRon KillingsRonald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
and Rasheed Lucius Creed
- TNA World Tag Team Championship
Music career
Also during his 2007 NFL exile, Jones announced that he would be collaborating on a new hip hopHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
album with his new hip-hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group, Posterboyz. After the announcement was made an NFL spokesman let it be known that the NFL was looking into whether the name of Jones' record label, National Street League Records, infringed on the National Football League trademark. Jones' group, Posterboyz, released their first & only single so far, "Let it Shine," through a MySpace page.
Nickname
His nickname "Pacman" is used much more often than his true first name, Adam, including by broadcasters and official Web sites connected to the NFL. It was even represented by a "P" on the back of his Titans jersey. In Blitz: The League IIBlitz: The League II
Blitz: The League II is an American football video game in Midway's Blitz series. It was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 13, 2008. Five new teams and 4 relocated clubs are included in the new installment. The new teams are the Los Angeles Riot, the Houston Riders , Vancouver...
a player in the game named Packrat James is a direct reference to Jones's nickname.
He has had the nickname all his life; his mother gave it to him when he was a young child, saying that he would drink his milk as fast as the video game character Pac-Man. In June 2008, Jones decided that he only wanted to be known as "Adam Jones" or "Mr. Jones," in an attempt to separate himself from his troubled past. Following Jones' suspension in October, 2008, then-ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
commentator Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. Smith
-Early years:Smith was raised in the Hollis neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. He lived with his parents and four older sisters.He attended Winston-Salem State University, a historically black university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
, in the "Parting Shots" segment of The Sports Reporters, chided Jones for setting a bad example for youth, and made a point of calling him "Pac-Man" several times.
Career statistics
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
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...
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...