Maurice Jones-Drew
Encyclopedia
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985) is a professional American football
player who currently plays running back
for the Jacksonville Jaguars
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was drafted in the second round (60th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft
. Drew played college football
for the UCLA Bruins
for three years before declaring himself eligible for the NFL draft after his junior year.
, and graduated from De La Salle High School
in Concord, California
. De La Salle owns the longest winning streak in high school football history at 151 games. The football teams he played on never lost a single game during his 3-year career. He was an elusive, high-scoring running back and return specialist on offense and a punishing linebacker on defense, he also played four official college games as a corner-back. Jones-Drew somersaulted into the national consciousness on October 6, 2001, when, as a junior, he scored all four of De La Salle's touchdowns in a 29-15 nationally-televised victory over Long Beach Poly in the first game that ever matched up the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 ranked high school football teams. On the Spartans' opening drive, Jones-Drew received a short pass in the right flat on third-and-eight from the Poly 25-yard line. He broke a tackle and then sprinted down the right sideline before launching a spectacular forward somersault into the end zone. Drew next scored on a 29-yard reception on fourth down in which he ran a circle route out of the backfield down the left sideline and hauled in an over-the-shoulder touch pass at the goal line from quarterback Matt Gutierrez
. Drew’s third touchdown came in the second quarter when he burst through the line, shook off two tacklers, before hitting paydirt 17 yards later. Drew’s final score salted away the historic De La Salle victory. It was a similar effort to his third touchdown and came on a 22-yard run with just under 7 minutes remaining. Drew finished with nine carries for 86 yards and three catches for another 79 yards.
During his junior season, Jones-Drew rushed for nearly 2000 yards, averaged nearly 12 yards per carry, and scored 26 touchdowns. He was rated the No. 1 all-purpose back in the nation by rivals.com. He is pictured outrunning a slew of defenders on the cover of the book When the Game Stands Tall, which chronicles the De La Salle Spartans' all-time-record 151-game winning streak.
, where he played for the UCLA Bruins football
team under head coach Karl Dorrell
. Despite being undersized, Jones-Drew led the Bruins in rushing all three years he was on the squad and showed good pass catching ability and big playmaking skills as both a punt and kickoff returner. He was the fifth player in Bruins history to lead the team in rushing in three seasons.
In 2005, Jones-Drew set an all-time NCAA single-season record with a 28.5 yards per return average on 15 punt returns, breaking the previous record of 25.9 yards per return held by Bill Blackstock of Tennessee in 1951. His career average of 23.2 yards per punt return ranks second in NCAA history. Jones-Drew also established a number of UCLA records, including the career all-purpose yardage record (4,688 yards). As a sophomore against Washington, Jones-Drew set UCLA's all-time record for yards rushing in a single game (322 yards) and also scored a school-record five touchdowns.
On his first carry of the game he burst to the outside and raced 47 yards to tie the game at 7–7. On his second carry, with UCLA trailing 24-7 and 2:30 remaining in the first quarter, he raced 62 yards for another TD. On his fourth carry, a third-and-12 with 40 seconds left in the first quarter, he sped 58 yards for his third TD. In the first quarter alone, he rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns on four attempts. He gave the Bruins the lead for good (27–24) with 4:16 remaining in the first half when he scooted around right end for a 15-yard touchdown. In the third quarter, he broke numerous tackles en route to his school-record fifth touchdown, a 37-yard run on the Bruins' first possession of the half. His total of 322 yards rushing was the 3rd most in the history of the Pac-10 Conference, and his overall performance earned him several National Player of the Week awards.
His final year in college, his junior year, he was a consensus first-team All-America
n as an all-purpose back and a first-team All-Pac 10 selection as a punt returner, ahead of Heisman Trophy
-winner (since vacated) Reggie Bush
. He was also the first Bruin since Jackie Robinson
to lead the country in punt returning. Additionally, Jones-Drew was named second-team All-Pac 10 as a running back. Jones-Drew gave a sign of things to come when, as a freshman, he rushed for 176 yards on only 18 carries against Arizona State, including an 83-yard scamper down the left sideline to the end zone which put UCLA ahead in the game for good in the third quarter. The run was the longest ever by a Bruin true freshman and ranked ninth (tied) overall on the school's list of long runs. His 176-yard day ranks No. 2 on UCLA's all-time list for true freshmen. Jones-Drew led the Bruins in rushing that season, becoming the first true freshman to lead the Bruins in rushing since DeShaun Foster
in 1998. He was also named first-team All-Pac 10 as a kick returner by The Sporting News. In his collegiate career, Jones-Drew had 16 touchdowns of 40-plus yards. He was named to the Golden Gridiron Team by the WCBGU Athletic Group.
by the Jacksonville Jaguars
to perhaps eventually replace Fred Taylor. He was passed on by all 32 teams in the draft, most citing his height (which is 5-foot-7) as the reason why he would not succeed in the NFL. He stated on Sirius XM NFL Radio that is the reason why he chose the number 32.
(* represents NFL Combine
)
He finished 3rd in the NFL in both kickoff returns (27.7 yd avg) and touchdowns scored (16). He was also one of only two players in the NFL to score at least one TD rushing, receiving, and returning kicks (Reggie Bush
was the other). He also led all AFC running backs in scrimmage yards per touch. Narrowly missing 1,000 yards for the season, Jones-Drew's rushing average of 5.7 yds per carry was 1st in the NFL for backs with 100 attempts and was the highest for an NFL running back since Barry Sanders averaged 6.1 yards per rush in 1997. In addition, he had the third-most all-purpose yards of any rookie in history. He was nominated five different times for NFL Rookie of the Week in 2006. One NFL scout said, "Jones-Drew should be rookie of the year. He's got the biggest legs for a shorter guy and way more power than anybody gives him credit for. And he's got outstanding speed. He's just a little dynamo."
Nevertheless, he finished tied for 2nd in the balloting for Offensive Rookie of the Year (Vince Young
of the Tennessee Titans
was the winner).
in a 21–13 win against Green Bay
, a high was provided by the 38-yard catch and run from Leftwich in a win against Tampa Bay
. Overall Jones-Drew averaged 4.6 yards per carry in the preseason.
In his 2007 season debut Jones-Drew's production was just average. During a 10-7 win to the Titans
, Jones-Drew had 32 yards on seven carries in a game that produced just 48 rushing yards between Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor combined. Jones-Drew's fumble at the 8 yard line in the 4th quarter was the last scoring opportunity for the Jaguars in that game. Promises that the running game would get better as the season progressed were realized when Jones-Drew celebrated his first touchdown of the year after the fourth game of the season, in a 17-7 win against the Kansas City Chiefs
.
The following week against the Houston Texans
Jones-Drew recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of season, rushing for 125 and 2 touchdowns on 12 carries. He also recorded 4 catches for 59 yards. In week 7 he scored the Jaguars only points in a Monday Night loss against the Indianapolis Colts
. In week 10 he reached the 100-yard mark for the second and final time in the season, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans. He would score a touchdown in each of the following three weeks.
Although his role as a running back was diminished during the 2007 postseason, he still managed to impact the game with his capabilities as a receiver and a return man. In the Wildcard game against Pittsburgh
he totaled 198 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns. His first touchdown was a 43-yard pass from David Garrard, his second was a 10-yard run which put the Jaguars up 28-10 in the third quarter. He also returned a kick-off 96 yards to set up the Jaguars' first score of the night, a Fred Taylor 1-yard run. He was named co-MVP of the game together with QB David Garrard.
One week later against New England
, he rushed for just 19 yards on 6 attempts as the Jaguars lost 31–20. He did manage to catch 6 passes for an additional 49 yards.
, where the Jaguars won by a score of 23-21 on a last second field goal by kicker Josh Scobee
. Teammate Fred Taylor also compiled over 100 yards in the game. Another good performance came in week 10 against the struggling Lions, where Drew posted three touchdowns, all in the first half. On Thursday Night Football in week 16, Jones-Drew was given the opportunity to carry the load with Fred Taylor on injured reserve. The ball was handed to Drew 20 times and with that he gained 91 yards for a 4.6 yards per carry average. He also caught the ball 7 times for 71 yards.
In total, Jones-Drew gained 824 yards on 197 attempts, posting a 4.2 yard per carry average. He also gained 12 touchdowns on the ground. Drew was used more in the passing game than his previous seasons and he managed 525 yards on 62 receptions.
record of rushing for two touchdowns in a single game of 75 yards or more, which was set by Sanders in a Week 7 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
on October 12, 1997. Jones-Drew became the third player to share the record, as San Francisco 49ers
running back Frank Gore
, also tied Sanders' record in a Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks
during the same season.
At seasons end Jones-Drew compiled some nice statistics. He rushed for 1,391 yards on 312 attempts for a 4.5 per carry average and 15 TD's. He was also one of the big components in the Jaguars passing attack, as he had 53 receptions for 374 yards and a TD. In a recent article by Thomas George, Jones-Drew had been recognized as the most versatile offensive player in the NFL.
Jones-Drew was selected as a backup in the Pro Bowl behind Chris Johnson
. During the game he rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown on 5 attempts.
.
Although the Jaguars did not make the playoffs, Jones-Drew drew attention in the postseason with comments he made questioning the severity of an in-game injury to Jay Cutler
in the NFC Championship Game.
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...
player who currently plays running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
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...
(NFL). He was drafted in the second round (60th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. Drew 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...
for the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
for three years before declaring himself eligible for the NFL draft after his junior year.
Early years
Jones-Drew was born in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, and graduated from De La Salle High School
De La Salle High School (Concord, California)
De La Salle High School is a Roman Catholic Private school for boys in Concord, California, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, the school was founded in 1965 as a Lasallian institution. De La Salle currently enrolls just over 1,000 students, and roughly 99% of each...
in Concord, California
Concord, California
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...
. De La Salle owns the longest winning streak in high school football history at 151 games. The football teams he played on never lost a single game during his 3-year career. He was an elusive, high-scoring running back and return specialist on offense and a punishing linebacker on defense, he also played four official college games as a corner-back. Jones-Drew somersaulted into the national consciousness on October 6, 2001, when, as a junior, he scored all four of De La Salle's touchdowns in a 29-15 nationally-televised victory over Long Beach Poly in the first game that ever matched up the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 ranked high school football teams. On the Spartans' opening drive, Jones-Drew received a short pass in the right flat on third-and-eight from the Poly 25-yard line. He broke a tackle and then sprinted down the right sideline before launching a spectacular forward somersault into the end zone. Drew next scored on a 29-yard reception on fourth down in which he ran a circle route out of the backfield down the left sideline and hauled in an over-the-shoulder touch pass at the goal line from quarterback Matt Gutierrez
Matt Gutierrez
Matthew Paul Gutierrez is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
. Drew’s third touchdown came in the second quarter when he burst through the line, shook off two tacklers, before hitting paydirt 17 yards later. Drew’s final score salted away the historic De La Salle victory. It was a similar effort to his third touchdown and came on a 22-yard run with just under 7 minutes remaining. Drew finished with nine carries for 86 yards and three catches for another 79 yards.
During his junior season, Jones-Drew rushed for nearly 2000 yards, averaged nearly 12 yards per carry, and scored 26 touchdowns. He was rated the No. 1 all-purpose back in the nation by rivals.com. He is pictured outrunning a slew of defenders on the cover of the book When the Game Stands Tall, which chronicles the De La Salle Spartans' all-time-record 151-game winning streak.
College career
Jones-Drew attended the University of California, Los AngelesUniversity of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, where he played for the UCLA Bruins football
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
team under head coach Karl Dorrell
Karl Dorrell
Karl Dorrell is a football coach, currently an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. He was previously the head coach of the UCLA Bruins, the first African American head football coach in the school's history...
. Despite being undersized, Jones-Drew led the Bruins in rushing all three years he was on the squad and showed good pass catching ability and big playmaking skills as both a punt and kickoff returner. He was the fifth player in Bruins history to lead the team in rushing in three seasons.
In 2005, Jones-Drew set an all-time NCAA single-season record with a 28.5 yards per return average on 15 punt returns, breaking the previous record of 25.9 yards per return held by Bill Blackstock of Tennessee in 1951. His career average of 23.2 yards per punt return ranks second in NCAA history. Jones-Drew also established a number of UCLA records, including the career all-purpose yardage record (4,688 yards). As a sophomore against Washington, Jones-Drew set UCLA's all-time record for yards rushing in a single game (322 yards) and also scored a school-record five touchdowns.
On his first carry of the game he burst to the outside and raced 47 yards to tie the game at 7–7. On his second carry, with UCLA trailing 24-7 and 2:30 remaining in the first quarter, he raced 62 yards for another TD. On his fourth carry, a third-and-12 with 40 seconds left in the first quarter, he sped 58 yards for his third TD. In the first quarter alone, he rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns on four attempts. He gave the Bruins the lead for good (27–24) with 4:16 remaining in the first half when he scooted around right end for a 15-yard touchdown. In the third quarter, he broke numerous tackles en route to his school-record fifth touchdown, a 37-yard run on the Bruins' first possession of the half. His total of 322 yards rushing was the 3rd most in the history of the Pac-10 Conference, and his overall performance earned him several National Player of the Week awards.
His final year in college, his junior year, he was a consensus first-team 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 as an all-purpose back and a first-team All-Pac 10 selection as a punt returner, ahead of Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-winner (since vacated) Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. He was also the first Bruin since Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
to lead the country in punt returning. Additionally, Jones-Drew was named second-team All-Pac 10 as a running back. Jones-Drew gave a sign of things to come when, as a freshman, he rushed for 176 yards on only 18 carries against Arizona State, including an 83-yard scamper down the left sideline to the end zone which put UCLA ahead in the game for good in the third quarter. The run was the longest ever by a Bruin true freshman and ranked ninth (tied) overall on the school's list of long runs. His 176-yard day ranks No. 2 on UCLA's all-time list for true freshmen. Jones-Drew led the Bruins in rushing that season, becoming the first true freshman to lead the Bruins in rushing since DeShaun Foster
DeShaun Foster
DeShaun Xavier Foster is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.-Early years:...
in 1998. He was also named first-team All-Pac 10 as a kick returner by The Sporting News. In his collegiate career, Jones-Drew had 16 touchdowns of 40-plus yards. He was named to the Golden Gridiron Team by the WCBGU Athletic Group.
| Year | Carry | Yards | Touchdowns | Yards Per Carry | Receptions | Yards | Receiving Touchdowns | Return Yards | Return Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 135 | 582 | 5 | 4.3 | 15 | 104 | 0 | 533 | 2 |
| 2004 | 160 | 1007 | 8 | 6.3 | 18 | 262 | 3 | 337 | 1 |
| 2005 | 186 | 914 | 13 | 4.9 | 31 | 453 | 4 | 496 | 0 |
2006 NFL Draft
Jones-Drew was selected 60th overall in the 2nd round of the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to perhaps eventually replace Fred Taylor. He was passed on by all 32 teams in the draft, most citing his height (which is 5-foot-7) as the reason why he would not succeed in the NFL. He stated on Sirius XM NFL Radio that is the reason why he chose the number 32.
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||
| Wt | 40yd 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
20ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 208 lb* | 4.39s* | 4.41s* | 7.08s* | 36 in* | 18* | X |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
)
2006 season
In the beginning he was used mostly for kick-off returns, but he eventually became the Jaguars' primary third-down back, behind Fred Taylor. After a relatively slow start, Jones-Drew suddenly exploded. Against the Colts on December 10, 2006, Jones-Drew set a franchise record with 166 rushing yards and 303 All-Purpose Yards, which included a 93-yard kickoff return for touchdown. He already has broken Jaguars team records by scoring at least one rushing touchdown in eight consecutive games (the previous record was four straight games) and by gaining 2,250 all-purpose yards.He finished 3rd in the NFL in both kickoff returns (27.7 yd avg) and touchdowns scored (16). He was also one of only two players in the NFL to score at least one TD rushing, receiving, and returning kicks (Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
was the other). He also led all AFC running backs in scrimmage yards per touch. Narrowly missing 1,000 yards for the season, Jones-Drew's rushing average of 5.7 yds per carry was 1st in the NFL for backs with 100 attempts and was the highest for an NFL running back since Barry Sanders averaged 6.1 yards per rush in 1997. In addition, he had the third-most all-purpose yards of any rookie in history. He was nominated five different times for NFL Rookie of the Week in 2006. One NFL scout said, "Jones-Drew should be rookie of the year. He's got the biggest legs for a shorter guy and way more power than anybody gives him credit for. And he's got outstanding speed. He's just a little dynamo."
Nevertheless, he finished tied for 2nd in the balloting for Offensive Rookie of the Year (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...
of 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...
was the winner).
2007 season
In his second season in the NFL, Jones-Drew had already proven to be one of the most versatile running backs in the league. At the beginning of the 2007 season, Jones-Drew was considered arguably the best running back from the Class of 2006. Expectations were high, and although the preseason had its ups and downs, such as a dropped pass from Byron LeftwichByron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
in a 21–13 win against Green Bay
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...
, a high was provided by the 38-yard catch and run from Leftwich in a win against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. Overall Jones-Drew averaged 4.6 yards per carry in the preseason.
In his 2007 season debut Jones-Drew's production was just average. During a 10-7 win to the 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...
, Jones-Drew had 32 yards on seven carries in a game that produced just 48 rushing yards between Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor combined. Jones-Drew's fumble at the 8 yard line in the 4th quarter was the last scoring opportunity for the Jaguars in that game. Promises that the running game would get better as the season progressed were realized when Jones-Drew celebrated his first touchdown of the year after the fourth game of the season, in a 17-7 win against the 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...
.
The following week against the 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...
Jones-Drew recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of season, rushing for 125 and 2 touchdowns on 12 carries. He also recorded 4 catches for 59 yards. In week 7 he scored the Jaguars only points in a Monday Night loss 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 ....
. In week 10 he reached the 100-yard mark for the second and final time in the season, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans. He would score a touchdown in each of the following three weeks.
Although his role as a running back was diminished during the 2007 postseason, he still managed to impact the game with his capabilities as a receiver and a return man. In the Wildcard 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...
he totaled 198 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns. His first touchdown was a 43-yard pass from David Garrard, his second was a 10-yard run which put the Jaguars up 28-10 in the third quarter. He also returned a kick-off 96 yards to set up the Jaguars' first score of the night, a Fred Taylor 1-yard run. He was named co-MVP of the game together with QB David Garrard.
One week later against New England
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...
, he rushed for just 19 yards on 6 attempts as the Jaguars lost 31–20. He did manage to catch 6 passes for an additional 49 yards.
2008 season
Three Jaguars offensive linemen were injured by week one of the 2008 NFL season and Jones-Drew was not as explosive as he was in 2007. His first 100 yard rushing game of the season came against the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis 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 ....
, where the Jaguars won by a score of 23-21 on a last second field goal by kicker Josh Scobee
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
. Teammate Fred Taylor also compiled over 100 yards in the game. Another good performance came in week 10 against the struggling Lions, where Drew posted three touchdowns, all in the first half. On Thursday Night Football in week 16, Jones-Drew was given the opportunity to carry the load with Fred Taylor on injured reserve. The ball was handed to Drew 20 times and with that he gained 91 yards for a 4.6 yards per carry average. He also caught the ball 7 times for 71 yards.
In total, Jones-Drew gained 824 yards on 197 attempts, posting a 4.2 yard per carry average. He also gained 12 touchdowns on the ground. Drew was used more in the passing game than his previous seasons and he managed 525 yards on 62 receptions.
2009 season
Jones-Drew had a record-breaking season for the Jaguars. In a 13-30 loss in Tennessee during Week 8, Jones-Drew rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns on only 8 carries, one for 80 yards and another for 79 yards. This performance tied Hall of Famer Barry Sanders'Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
record of rushing for two touchdowns in a single game of 75 yards or more, which was set by Sanders in a Week 7 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on October 12, 1997. Jones-Drew became the third player to share the record, as San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
running back Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
, also tied Sanders' record in a Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
during the same season.
At seasons end Jones-Drew compiled some nice statistics. He rushed for 1,391 yards on 312 attempts for a 4.5 per carry average and 15 TD's. He was also one of the big components in the Jaguars passing attack, as he had 53 receptions for 374 yards and a TD. In a recent article by Thomas George, Jones-Drew had been recognized as the most versatile offensive player in the NFL.
Jones-Drew was selected as a backup in the Pro Bowl behind Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (running back)
Christopher Duan Johnson is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League...
. During the game he rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown on 5 attempts.
2010 season
Jones-Drew played the entire 2010 season with a torn meniscus in his left knee. He became aware of the extent of the injury in training camp, but tried to keep it a secret to prevent opponents from intentionally taking shots at his knee. After the 2010 season, he was named Running Back of the Year by the NFL Alumni AssociationNational Football League Alumni
The NFL Alumni is a 501 charity that is composed of former NFL players and associate members who work voluntarily to raise funds for youth-oriented causes and engage in hands-on service to foster the development of "youth through sports and sports through youth." The NFL Alumni advances its motto...
.
Although the Jaguars did not make the playoffs, Jones-Drew drew attention in the postseason with comments he made questioning the severity of an in-game injury to Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
in the NFC Championship Game.
NFL career statistics
Statistics taken from ESPN.com and NFL.com| Year | Carries | Yards | Rushing Touchdowns | Yards Per Carry | Receptions | Yards | Receiving Touchdowns | Return Yards | Return Touchdowns | Fumbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 166 | 941 | 13 | 5.7 | 46 | 436 | 2 | 860 | 1 | 1 |
| 2007 | 167 | 768 | 9 | 4.6 | 40 | 407 | 0 | 811 | 1 | 2 |
| 2007 postseason | 14 | 48 | 1 | 3.4 | 7 | 92 | 1 | 159 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 197 | 824 | 12 | 4.2 | 62 | 565 | 2 | 350 | 0 | 6 |
| 2009 | 312 | 1,391 | 15 | 4.5 | 52 | 374 | 1 | 121 | 0 | 2 |
| 2010 | 299 | 1,324 | 5 | 4.4 | 34 | 317 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2011 | 191 | 854 | 4 | 4.5 | 15 | 108 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Career | 1,332 | 6,102 | 58 | 4.6 | 250 | 2,207 | 7 | 2183 | 2 | 6 |