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Adam Jones (American football)

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Pacman Jones
Tennessee Titans
Career information
College:West Virginia
NFL draft:2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-Big East (2003)
  • First-team All-Big East (2004)
  • Big East Special Teams Player of the Year (2004)
  • PFWA All-Rookie Team (2005)

Adam Bernard ("Pacman") Jones (born September 30 1983) is an American born American football player. He is currently signed to the Tennessee Titans franchise of the National Football League (NFL) as a cornerback and kick return specialist. He currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee, a southern suburb of Nashville. His nickname was given to him by his mother, because at a young age he had a tendency to drink milk with the "voraciousness of the video game character of the same name".[1]

Jones has been suspended for the entire 2007 season for conduct away from the field — a suspension which will be reviewed after 10 games, and from which there is no guarantee of reinstatement. In addition to his NFL contract, Jones signed with the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2007. Though his role with the company has yet to be completely revealed, according to an agreement between TNA and the Titans organization it will be a non-physical role.[2]

Biography

{{main|Pac Man Jones

File:Pacman jones photo by rob beukema.jpg
Pac Man Jones in the TNA Impact Zone Orlando Florida Photo by Rob Beukema

Early life

Adam Jones attended Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Jones was selected as the Conference Player of the Year following his senior year after totaling 120 tackles, six interceptions and 1,850 rushing yards. As well, he played in the Georgia-Florida all-star game. Jones also earned All-American honors in basketball and track. His basketball team won two state-championships. Jones' high school totaled the most players in the NFL from one high school in 2005 with six players.[1] When Adam Jones was ten years old, his father was shot and killed. Jones was raised by his mother, Deborah Jones, and his grandmother, Cristine Jones, for most of his life. When Jones was a freshman at West Virginia, his grandmother died of cancer. Jones missed a game to attend the funeral, the only game he missed in his three-year collegiate career. On the day of the NFL Draft, Jones wore a t-shirt that featured his grandmother's picture.

College career

Aside from his collegiate sports career, Jones 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 WVU as a reserve cornerback and safety. He totaled one interception and one forced fumble with 36 tackles. During the 2003 campaign, he appeared in all 13 games, starting 9 at cornerback, and taking over full-time kick return and punt return duties. Pacman Jones' second season resulted in a second team All-Big East Conference 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 14 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 totaled 98 punt return yards on 16 punt returns and 867 kick return yards, including an 87-yard touchdown return.

As a junior in the 2004 campaign, 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-American 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 ECU 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 as the Mountaineers lost to Florida State.

Pacman Jones is ranked second on West Virginia's school 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 players from West Virginia drafted as well, second to Hall of Famer Sam Huff who was drafted third overall. Jones and fellow-Mountaineer great Major Harris also shared the number #9 while playing in college.

NFL

Draft

After his junior year, Jones opted to forgo his senior year and declare eligible for the NFL Draft. He was the first defensive player drafted, taken 6th overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2005 NFL Draft. He then missed most of training camp, holding out in a contract dispute. After Jones had signed the deal with the Titans, he donated money to the 100 Club, a charity that financially supports the families of firefighters, police, and emergency workers. Also in 2005, Jones traveled to Pearl Cohn High School in Nashville, Tennessee to help the school after one of its football players died in a car crash that also injured others on the team. Jones reached out to them during the season, making at least two trips to visit the team for encouragement. Additionally, Jones donated money so Nashville firefighters and police officers could get new uniforms.

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 1 TD. Jones and Reynaldo Hill made up the only rookie duo to start at least 10 games each at cornerback in the NFL. Many Tennessee fans felt that Jones was a disappointing pick and even a bust, seeing as how seventh round pick Reynaldo Hill had two interceptions with 39 tackles.

2006 season

At the end of his sophomore season in the NFL, Jones totaled career-high 62 tackles, one sack, 1 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 3 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 7th in the league and 6th in the AFC. Pacman 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.

2007 season

Near the 2007 NFL Draft, Jones's off-field issues (One revealed instance involved in a fist fight and a shooting in a Las Vegas strip club that paralyzed one man) led many to believe that the Titans' would cut or trade Jones before his third season in the league began. On April 10, 2007, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced a 1-year suspension for Jones, to be re-evaluated after the 10th regular-season game, pending disposition of current cases. The suspension has been appealed.[3][4] Jones took out a full 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." [2] 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. Pacman is hoping his suspension doesn't keep him out of training camp or preseason games, his agent said on July 17. Regardless, it was reported on ESPN that Pacman would not be allowed to join the team in training camp, although it remains to be seen whether or not he will play in preseason games, although it is unlikely.

Professional Wrestling

On July 30 2007, news that Jones was working on a deal with the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) broke.[5] As the news circulated, Titan's coach Jeff Fischer stated that his football contract could preclude him from actually wrestling with the company,[6] but negotiations continued for a non wrestling role.[7] On August 6, TNA confirmed through their website that a deal had been signed,[8] 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.[9][10] In response the Titans organization were granted a restraining order barring him from working with the company at all,[11] prompting the two companies to negotiate a compromise stating that Jones wouldn't be allowed to "touch or be touched, use or be hit by any object or anything else that could injure him", but he would be allowed to appear with the company in a non-physical role.[2]

Pacman made his first appearance at TNA's Hard Justice pay-per-view, taking part in an interview with Mike Tenay explaining that he chose professional wrestling to prove that he could be "the ultimate team player", and TNA specifically because they were both "trend setters". They were interrupted, however, by Ron Killings who proceeded to run down and "threaten" Jones until Jones challenged him to enter the ring and fight, only to be kept separated by (kayfabe) security guards. In later backstage segments Jones was shown laid out and bleeding, then being taken away in an ambulance.[12][13]

Music

Also during his suspended season, Jones announced that he would be collaborating on a hip hop album. He, along with producer Spoaty — known together as Posterboyz — will release their first song, "Let it Shine" on August 28, 2007, with an album to follow in 2008.[14] 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.[15]

Career Stats

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 62 50 12 8 1 1 0 0 4 130 1
2007 TEN - - - - - - - - - - - -
TOTAL 30 116 94 21 23 1 1 0 0 3 130 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 TEN - - - - - - - - - - -
TOTAL 30 63 712 4 11 90 63 1648 0 0 85

As of July 2007, Jones has been arrested 5 times and questioned by police 11 times since he was drafted by the Titans in 2005. Many NFL commentators are quick to point out that Jones has more arrests than interceptions since being in the NFL.[16] Nearly all of his troubles happen at night/strip clubs. On July 13, 2005 Jones was arrested on charges of assault and felony vandalism stemming from a nightclub altercation. On September 5, 2005 Jones was a guest at the annual Nashville Sports Council Kickoff Luncheon. After a loud verbal tantrum when 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 didn't have money at the time. In October 2005, in a petition filed by the State of West Virginia, it was alleged 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.

On August 25, 2006, 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.[17] 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 and was scheduled to be booked on the charge on November 17, 2006.

On the morning of February 19, 2007 during the 2007 NBA All-Star Game weekend in Las Vegas, Jones is alleged to have been involved in an altercation with an exotic dancer at a local strip club. Cornell Haynes Jr. and Jones patronized the club on the evening in question. Haynes began to shower the stage with hundreds of one-dollar bills, an act known as "making it rain". Jones then joined Haynes 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 become 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.[18] During this time Mitchell and a male associate left the club with a garbage bag filled with $81,020 of Jones' money and two Breitling watches, which police later recovered.[19] After club patrons exited following the original confrontation, the club owner says a person in Jones' entourage returned with a gun and fired into a crowd, 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 Police recommended to the city's district attorney that Jones be charged with one count of felony coercion and also a misdemeanor count of battery and a misdemeanor count of threat to life.[20]

More trouble followed Jones after the altercation, when drug dealer Darryl Moore reported to the police after being busted during a deal about his phone conversations with Jones. "We gotta slow down, man. We gotta get him focused on football, man. He's focused on too much other shit," 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.[21] Jones also is set to appear in a Fayetteville, Georgia court in 2007 for his February 2006 incident on subpoenas for felony and misdemeanor obstruction of justice charges for an incident outside a home. The charges of marijuana in the same state were dismissed.[22] Jones has not been connected to the Moore drug arrests or convicted for the Vegas stripper incident. But Titans management have said they will talk to Jones about his future with the Titans, and that there is always a possibility of letting him go. The NFL has issued an investigation into the situation, which is looking into setting up stricter penalties for off-field conduct.[23]

On April 3, 2007 Jones met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss his future and the future of fellow-former West Virginia Mountaineer and Cincinnati Bengals' receiver Chris Henry. On April 10, 2007 the NFL announced that Jones would be suspended for the entire 2007 season, a suspension not assessed a player in 44 years (for reasons other than substance abuse) since Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were each suspended for one season for gambling. This suspension also stated that Jones will not receive pay during this suspension and that it is subject to additional review after the tenth regular season game, pending disposition of pending charges. In anticipation, Nick Harper was signed as an unrestricted free agent. What effect the suspension will have on the salary cap is not yet known, although the Titans could seek repayment of the approximately $1.9 million in signing bonus money due Jones in 2007. The suspension carries no guarantee of reinstatement after it has been completed. On April 14, 2007, Jones announced that he would appeal the suspension set by Goodell.[24] However, since Goodell also hears appeals, the chances of winning any reduction in the suspension are extremely slim. On May 7, 2007, Jones was stopped at 12:45 a.m. on Interstate 65 heading into downtown after an officer clocked him on radar at 79 mph in a 55 mph zone. Jones was driving his red 2004 Cadillac XLT he bought at police auction last fall. Police seized the Cadillac last spring in a drug bust. The car was not registered to Jones then, but he told a local TV reporter he had loaned the Cadillac to someone for a music video. Police called the man who had the car the main target of their investigation. June 12, 2007, Jones drops his appeal to the season-long suspension.[25] 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 is not being charged.[26] On June 20, 2007, the Las Vegas Police and Clark County District Attorney's office announced that Jones will face two felony charges stemming from the strip club melee that occurred on February 19, 2007.[27] On June 25, 2007, a bouncer at the Las Vegas strip club sued Jones, claiming that he shot him and had bitten his left ankle.[28]

On August 13 2007, 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 didn't know Moore was a drug dealer and felt surprised and betrayed. Jones also said he didn't think he got a fair say in his April meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.[29]

  • His traditional touchdown celebration of sliding down the goal post has been imitated by many other NFL players.

References

  1. ^ a b "Pacman Jones". Player bios. Tennessee Titans Online. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  2. ^ a b "Titans, Jones agree to modified wrestling restrictions". ESPN. 2007-08-11. Retrieved 2007-08-11.
  3. ^ Pacman Jones banned for 2007 season
  4. ^ Goodell suspends Jones, Henry for arrests ESPN News Services, 10 April 2007.
  5. ^ "Pacman to pro wrestling". The Sports Network. 2007-07-30. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
  6. ^ "Titans could nix Pacman's deal for wrestling". FOX Sports. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
  7. ^ "Titans' Jones seeking non-wrestling TNA gig". NFL.com. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
  8. ^ "Adam "Pacman" Jones Signs Contract With TNA Wrestling". TNAwrestling.com. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
  9. ^ Houston, Ryan (2007-08-07). "Adam 'Pacman' Jones exclusive interview". NBC Sports. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  10. ^ "Pacman stepping into ring". AP. 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  11. ^ "Titans intend to block Pacman's wrestling appearance". ESPN. 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
  12. ^ "Hard Justice 2007 results". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  13. ^ Reed, Travis. "Pacman Jones makes pro wrestling debut". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  14. ^ "Pacman to try hand at music". Sports Illustrated. 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  15. ^ "Pacman one half of 'Posterboyz' duo; NFL scrutinizes label name". Associated Press. 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
  16. ^ Pacman Jones at NFL.com
  17. ^ Charges will be dropped if Pacman stays out of trouble, ESPN.com, January 11, 2007.
  18. ^ Warrant includes details of club melee, shootings, Las Vegas Review-Journal, February 22, 2007.
  19. ^ Police: Pacman's cash display sparked Vegas melee, ESPN News, February 23, 2007.
  20. ^ Pacman Jones could face misdemeanors, felony
  21. ^ Drug Dealer's Recorded Calls Mention Pacman's Troubles, NewsChannel5.com (Nashville), February 27, 2007.
  22. ^ Associated Press, Pacman faces obstruction charge in Georgia, March 1, 2007.
  23. ^ Jason Cole, NFL investigating Pacman Jones, Yahoo! Sports, February 22, 2007.
  24. ^ NFL Suspends Pacman Jones, Bengals' Henry, April 10, 2007.
  25. ^ [1] , June 12, 2007.
  26. ^ Pacman wanted for questioning after shooting allegedly involving crew at ESPN.com
  27. ^ Pacman faces felony charges in shooting that paralyzed man at ESPN.com
  28. ^ Vegas strip club bouncer sues 'Pacman' Jones over melee, shooting
  29. ^ "'I never hit no girl' - Pacman claims innoncence in Vegas strip club melee". Sports Illustrated. 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
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