Felix Jones
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[edit] Biography
Felix Jones is a junior running back at the University of Arkansas. Along with teammate Darren McFadden, Jones is a part of one of the nation's best running attacks. Jones also excels in the return game for the Razorbacks.
[edit] High School
Jones played at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In his senior season, he ran for more than 2,200 yards and 48 touchdowns. He led his team to the state championship game, where he ran for 166 yards and 3 scores in a loss. In his junior season, despite breaking his ankle early in the year, he still ran for more than 800 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was rated the 19th best player in the country and the 4th best in the state of Oklahoma by Rivals.com. He chose Arkansas over Tennessee, Texas A&M, Kansas, LSU, Oklahoma State and Nebraska.
[edit] College
Jones made his name as a freshman in 2005 as one of the nation's best kick returners. He became the first freshman in Arkansas history to earn First Team All America honors; he was given the honor by CollegeFootballNews.com as a kick returner. He averaged 31.9 yards/return (second in the nation) on 17 returns for a total of 543 return yards (second in school history) and he scored one touchdown. As a running back, Jones carried 99 times for 626 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was named a freshman All American by Scout.com, the Football Writers Association of America (kick returner) and CollegeFootballNews.com (kick returner); second-team by Rivals.com and The Sporting News (both as a kick returner); and an honorable mention freshman All-American at tailback by The Sporting News.
In his sophomore season in 2006, Jones showed his versatility and became one the best players in the SEC. While teammate McFadden won the Doak Walker Award (nation's best running back) and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up, Jones made two starts at running back and four at wide receiver. He ran for 1,168 (seventh best in school history) yards on 154 carries, becoming the eigth Razorback in school history to run for 1,000 yards in a season, while scoring 6 touchdowns. He led the SEC and ranked second in the nation with 7.58 yards per carry. His 1,829 all-purpose yards broke the single-season school record, but was bested by McFadden in the same season (2,058 yards). He ran for 100 yards in 5 games in 2006, three times against top 10 teams. McFadden and Jones were the top rushing tandem in the country, with a combined average of 201.1 yards per game. They also became just the third pair of players to each run for 1,000 yards in SEC history. While McFadden received the accolandes, Jones remained a key cog in the Hogs' offense.
Jones' junior season in 2007 statistically has been his best as a Razorback. He ran the ball 123 times for 1,117 yards and 11 touchdowns. He led the nation with 9.1 yards per carry. He once again led the SEC in kick returns, with 18 returns for 564 yards and two touchdowns. He was named to the All-SEC First Team as a kick returner and All-SEC Second Team as a running back. Jones and McFadden each gained more than 1,000 yards once again, and, like last year, McFadden finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up.
McFadden is expected to enter the 2008 NFL Draft, and is projected to be a Top 10 draft pick. Jones may follow suit, and could be selected in the first round also. Before the draft, Jones and the Razorbacks will face the Missouri Tigers in the Cotton Bowl on January 1st.
[edit] Scouting Report
At Arkansas, Jones offered a change of pace to McFadden's style of running. Maybe a bigger version of Brian Westbrook. While McFadden relies on his size and speed, Jones is more explosive, with times reported between 4.3 and 4.4 in the 40 yard dash. He has excellent vision, shiftiness and speed that make him difficult to defend against and a dangerous threat every time he touches the ball.
Jones is also a very patient runner that will squeeze through holes, or use his quickness to bounce to the outside and spring a big gain. He makes quick cuts and is elusive once he gets into the open field. He has great leverage to earn tough yards, and makes defenders miss. He has good hands out of the back field, make him a viable all-around offensive weapon.
Many scouting reports are advising Jones to stay at Arkansas for his senior year, so he can be the #1 tailback after McFadden enters the draft. Even so, many mock drafts have him being drafted in the mid-to-late first round.
[edit] Statistics
| Year | Att. | Yds. | Avg. | TD | Rec. | Rec. Yds. | YPR | Rec. TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 99 | 626 | 6.3 | 3 | 8 | 100 | 12.5 | 0 |
| 2006 | 154 | 1,168 | 7.6 | 6 | 15 | 107 | 7.1 | 3 |
| 2007 | 123 | 1,117 | 9.1 | 11 | 13 | 111 | 8.5 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 376 | 2,911 | 7.7 | 20 | 36 | 318 | 8.8 | 3 |
[edit] Transactions
[edit] Trivia
- Jones was rated a 4-star recruit coming out of high school by Rivals.com
- His 7.09 yards per carry average is the best in Arkansas history.
- Jones is one of two players in SEC history to have two 100-yard kickoff returns for a touchdown.
- Jones is majoring in kinesiology, with an emphasis in teaching.
- Felix is the son of Felix Sr. and Debra Jones.
[edit] Video Gallery
[edit] Picture Gallery
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[edit] See Also
University of Arkansas Profile
