Julio Jones

Julio Jones is a wide receiver who currently plays for the Tennessee Titans. He started his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2011 and leads the NFL in receptions as a wide receiver (tied with Antonio Brown). Jones is an attacking threat due to his size and speed and he is the fastest NFL player to have reached 10,000 career receiving yards. His career average of 91.9 receiving yards per game is the highest in the history of the NFL.

Julio Jones’ Early Life and Background

Julio Jones was born and raised in a violent neighbourhood of Foley, Alabama. He is raised by a single mother and has a brother too. He played as a wide receiver and defensive end for his school team (Lions Football Team). Jones also excelled in track and basketball in school. He was even state champion in the long jump and triple jump (2006 and 2007). Jones joined the State University of Alabama and was an impact player for the Crimson Tides ever since he joined. He was honoured as the ‘SEC Freshman of the Year’. He led his team to victory in the BCS National Championship in 2010 as well as the Capital One Bowl in 2011. Jones finished his college career with 2653 yards and 15 touchdown catches. He did not finish four years of college and decided to enter the NFL draft in 2011.

Who Drafted Julio Jones?

Julio Jones was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Jones was overall pick number 6 in the Draft. Jones had impressed in the 2011 NFL Combine. He recorded the longest jump and the third-fastest 40-yard dash among wide receivers (that too with a broken bone in his foot). Jones was the second wide receiver to be selected in the 2011 Draft. The 2011 NFL Draft also includes greats like wide receiver A.J. Green, quarterback Cam Newton and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus.

Julio Jones NFL Journey

Julio Jones was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2011 Draft. He made his debut against the Chicago Bears. Jones played 13 regular-season games in his Rookie Year and also made it to the 2011 Rookie Team of the Season. Jones also featured in the Falcons’ Wild Card round game against the New York Giants, who knocked them out. In the 2012 season, Jones helped the Falcons reach the playoffs as the top-seeded team of the NFC. He recorded his first career interception when he intercepted a hail mary pass from Russell Wilson, in the Divisional Round game against the Seahawks.

Jones spent most of the 2013 season out-injured. He had fractured his foot in a Week 5 loss against the New York Jets. Although he played only five games that season, he had 580 yards and 2 touchdowns to his name. In the 2014 season, his season record of 104 receptions for 1,593 yards was the first in the NFC in both categories and the third in the entire NFL. Jones helped the Falcons reach their second-ever Super Bowl appearance in the 2016 season. Although they lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI the Falcons fought it out till overtime.

Jones’ spectacular performances in 2017 led to him being ranked 4th in the top 100 NFL players of 2017. He finished the 2017 season with 88 receptions for 1,444 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. Jones continued performing for the Falcons and also became the first Falcons player to record at least 100 receiving yards in 40 games. In his last season with the Falcons, Jones suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4. He finished the 2020 season with 51 receptions for 771 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Jones was traded by the Falcons to the Tennessee Titans in 2021. In the opening game of the season, Jones was fined $10,815 for getting into an altercation with defensive back Byron Murphy. He faced injuries throughout the season and finished the regular season with 31 interceptions, 434 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. The Titans lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs, although Jones made six receptions for 62 yards.

Jones was released by the Titans in March 16, 2022. On July 27, 2022 he signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He became a starting wide receiver for the Buccaneers and even became the first player to score a touchdown in an NFL game in Germany (Week 10 game in Munich against the Seattle Seahawks).

Julio Jones’ Teams

Atlanta Falcons (2011-2020)

Jones was the Falcons’ 1st round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract worth $16.2 million in his rookie year. He helped the Falcons win two Divisional Championships (2012 and 2016) and also reached Super Bowl LI in 2017. He signed an extension with the Falcons in 2014. The contract worth $71 million guaranteed Jones $47 million. As a Falcons player made it to 7 Pro-Bowls, 2 First-Team All-Pro and was named part of the 2010s NFL All-Decade Team. Jones was a crucial part of the Falcons team in his ten-year tenure with them. Although he spent periods plagued with injury, his 91.9 average of receiving yards helped the Falcons through the seasons.

Tennessee Titans (2021-2022)

Julius Jones decided to leave the Atlanta Falcons after the 2020 season. The Tennessee Titans traded Jones for a 2nd round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft and a 4th round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones’ maiden season with the Titans was plagued by injuries and he finished the regular season with 31 interceptions for 434 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. He was also featured in the postseason Divisional Round game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He made six receptions for 62 yards but the Titans ended up losing 19-16.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2022-PResent)

Julio Jones signed a one year contract with the Buccaneers in July 2022 shortly after being released by the Titans. His most impressive catch was a 48-yard reception where he recorded a speed of 20.67 mph, good for the seventh fastest speed by any player in Week 1. He made it to the NFL playoffs with the Buccaneers in the season however, they bowed out after a 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Championships and Rings won by Julio Jones

He has not won any Super Bowl Rings yet. Jones came close to winning a Super Bowl Ring in 2017 when he reached the Super Bowl LI with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons lost 34-28 against the New England Patriots. Julio Jones has won a Conference Championship Ring in 2016.

Julio Jones’ Super Bowl Stats

Total Super Bowl Appearances: 1

Super Bowl Record: 0-1

Julio Jones Awards and Honors

Julio Jones NFL Records

1. Most games with 250+ yards receiving (3)
2. Most games with 300+ yards receiving (1, tied with Jim Benton, Cloyce Box, Stephone Paige, Flipper Anderson, and Calvin Johnson)
3. Fastest to 7,000 career receiving yards (tied with Lance Alworth) (72 games)
4. Fastest to 9,000 career receiving yards (95 games)
5. Fastest to 10,000 career receiving yards (104 games)
6. Fastest to 11,000 career receiving yards (115 games)
7. Fastest to 12,000 career receiving yards (125 games)
8. Fastest to 13,000 career receiving yards (137 games)
9. Consecutive seasons with 1,300+ yards receiving (6) (tied with Torry Holt)
10. Consecutive seasons with 1,400+ yards receiving (5)
11. Consecutive seasons with 1,500+ yards receiving (2, tied with Marvin Harrison, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, and Antonio Brown)
12. Seasons with 1,600+ yards receiving (2, tied with Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt, Antonio Brown and Calvin Johnson)
13. Most seasons averaging 100+ yards per game (5)
14. Only player to average 100+ yards per game (4) seasons in a row
15. Most 100+ yard games in his first eight seasons (49)
16. Fewest games to record 500 career receptions (80, tied with Anquan Boldin)
17. Most receptions in first 90 games: 563
18. Most receiving yards in first 90 games: 8,649
19. Most receiving yards in first 100 games: 9,618
20. Most receiving yards in first 125 games: 12,047
21. Most receiving yards per game average, career: (91.9)
22. Most receiving yards in a single game against the Carolina Panthers (300)
23. Most receiving yards in a single game against the Green Bay Packers (259)
24. Most receiving yards in a single game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (253)

Julio Jones’ Net Worth

Jones’ net worth is estimated to be around $50 million. He became one of the highest-paid athletes in the world in 2019 when he had signed a three-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons worth $66 million. Although he departed from the Falcons in 2020, he received a guaranteed amount of $25 million.

Julio Jones Family

Julio Jones enjoys a private personal life. He is close to his mother Queen Marvin and his brother. He is rumoured to have been dating singer Jasmine Villegas but they have neve made their relationship public.