Felix Jones

This article is about the American footballer. For the rugby player, see Felix Jones (rugby union). For the fictional foster care social worker, see Fair City.

Felix Jones

Felix Jones during the 2009 NFL season.
No. 28     Dallas Cowboys
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: May 8, 1987 (1987-05-08)
Place of birth: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	Weight: 218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
College: Arkansas
NFL Draft: 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 22
Debuted in 2008 for the Dallas Cowboys
Career history
Dallas Cowboys (2008–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Consensus All-American (2007) First-team All-SEC (2006) Second-team All-SEC (2005, 2007)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2011
Rushing yards	2,272
Rushing average	5.1
Rushing TDs	8
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com

Felix Jones, Jr. (born May 8, 1987) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football at the University of Arkansas, he was drafted by the Cowboys 22nd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He has developed the nickname of "Felix the Cat" for his quick movements and speed.

Early years

Jones was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, where he was a football standout and a teammate of Robert Meachem, a 2010 member of the New Orleans Saints and Mark Anderson, a 2010 member of the Houston Texans.

College career

Jones attend the University of Arkansas, where he majored in kinesiology and played for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team. While serving primarily as the back-up for All-American and two-time Doak Walker Award winner Darren McFadden, Jones was used in a variety of ways alongside McFadden and fullback Peyton Hillis in the Arkansas backfield. In the Wildhog formation, Jones was used as a runner, receiver, blocker, or simply a decoy. Jones gained fame for his ability in returning kickoffs, returning four for touchdowns during his college career.

Sophomore season

Jones before the Alabama game in 2006.

In the 2006 season, Jones rushed for 1,168 yards and scored 6 touchdowns on only 154 carries, and averaged an impressive 7.6 yards per carry. He was also an all-American kickoff returner and had one TD on a 100-yard kickoff return against Ole Miss, and caught 15 passes for 107 yards and 3 touchdowns. With Jones alongside McFadden and Peyton Hillis, 2006 was the first time in University of Arkansas history that two different running backs rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the same season. Jones was named 1st Team SEC by the conference's coaches, and 2nd Team SEC by the media. That team finished 10-4 and won the SEC West Division title.

Junior season

Jones finished with 123 carries for 1,117 yards and 11 TDs, while averaging 9.1 yards per carry, leading the nation. In addition, he led the Southeastern Conference in kickoff returns with 18 for 564 yards and 2 TDs, averaging 31.3 yards per return. Jones also had 13 receptions for 111 yards. 2007 marked the second straight year that Jones and McFadden have each eclipsed the 1,000 yards rushing in a season. The 2007 Razorbacks finished 8-4 before losing to Missouri in the January 1, 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic. Jones was named to the 2007 1st Team SEC squad as a kick returner, and 2nd team SEC as a running back. He was also named an All-American kick returner.

After being hired as the Razorbacks' head coach, Bobby Petrino stated that Jones was his "highest recruiting target" and soon met with Jones to discuss his future with Arkansas. However, Jones decided to forgo his senior season to enter the 2008 NFL Draft where numerous publications projected him to be taken in the first or second round.

Career statistics

		Rushing					Receiving					Kickoff Returns
Year	G	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Lg	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Lg	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Lg
2005	11	99	626	6.3	3	80	8	100	12.5	0	23	17	543	31.6	1	100
2006	14	154	1,168	7.6	6	85	15	107	7.1	3	29	23	554	24.1	1	100
2007	13	134	1,160	8.7	11	73	16	176	11	0	40	24	647	27	2	90
Totals	38	387	2,954	7.6	20	85	39	383	9.8	3	40	64	1,744	27.3	4	100

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Jones was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round, 22nd overall, of the 2008 NFL Draft. He signed a professional contract on July 26 for $10.53 million, with $7.67 million guaranteed, including a $3.57 million signing bonus.

On his first rushing attempt in the NFL, Jones ran for an 11-yard touchdown during the third quarter in a 28–10 victory over the Cleveland Browns. He finished the game with nine carries for 62 yards. On 15 September 2008, during a Monday Night Football game versus the Philadelphia Eagles, Jones returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Jones was the starting kick returner during the Cowboys' 41–37 win against Philadelphia.

In his 3rd NFL game, Jones ran for a 60-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on September 21, 2008. In Week 6, in the game against the Arizona Cardinals, Jones injured his left hamstring. It was reported by ESPN on November 20, 2008 that Jones would be out for the rest of the year due to a torn ligament suffered during rehab of that injury.

In his second season in the NFL Jones has received more carries per game than his rookie year, despite being one of three running backs used in the Cowboys offense. Jones led the NFL in rushing yards per attempt in 2009. In his rookie season he never rushed for more than nine carries a game, but has started reaching the double digits. While not a starting running back he could easily carry the ball for his team whenever he needed to. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has slowly been giving him more rushing attempts. Jones believes that “Patience is a virtue. You need it. You need to have patience. Just wait, your time is coming.”

Career statistics

Team	Season	G	Rushing					Receiving					Kickoff Returns
			Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Long	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Long	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long
Dallas Cowboys	2008	6	30	266	8.9	3	60	2	10	5.0	0	7	16	434	27.1	1	98
Dallas Cowboys	2009	14	116	685	5.9	3	56	19	119	6.3	0	30	30	678	22.6	0	41
Dallas Cowboys	2010	16	185	800	4.3	1	34	48	450	9.4	1	71	0	0	0	0	0
Dallas Cowboys	2011	12	127	575	4.5	1	40	33	221	6.7	0	27	7	186	26.6	0	69
Career Totals	(4 seasons)	48	458	2,326	5.1	8	60	102	800	7.8	1	71	53	1,298	24.49	1	98

External links

• Arkansas Razorbacks bio
• Dallas Cowboys bio
• NFL Profile
• Official Website