Former Alabama WR Julio Jones announces retirement from NFL
An Alabama legend is hanging up his cleats.
Former Crimson Tide star Julio Jones announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday, April 4. Jones, 36, teased his decision on Instagram before posting a full video on the app Squad.
“Today, I’m announcing my retirement,” Jones said. “I started when I was 8 years old, just a kid from Foley, Alabama. It was an amazing ride.”
Jones spent 13 years in the NFL, with most of his career being spent with the Atlanta Falcons, who drafted him with the No. 6 pick in the 2011 draft out of Alabama. Jones also spent a season each with the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles.
When his time with the Falcons came to an end in 2020, Jones held several franchise records, including the most career receiving yards (12,896) and most career receptions (848). Jones was a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro throughout his tenure with Atlanta.
Jones led the NFL in receiving twice in his career – 1,871 in 2015 and 1,677 in 2018. His 13,703 career receiving yards are the 16th-most on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards leaderboard.
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The Falcons selected Jones after a stellar collegiate career at Alabama, where he helped lead the Crimson Tide to its first national championship under Nick Saban in 2009. A former 5-star recruit out of Foley, Alabama, Jones was widely attributed with kicking off the Saban era and its incredible recruiting run over the head coach’s 17-year stint in Tuscaloosa.
Jones contributed all three years he was at Alabama, earning SEC Freshman of the Year in 2008 and then being named a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC in 2010. He caught 179 passes for 2,653 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns from 2008-10.
“I want to say thank you to all of my teammates,” Jones said. “Coach Saban was a great father figure for me for those three years in college. I want to thank Curt Cignetti, my receiver coach, Coach (Scott) Cochran, strength and conditioning. Just hard work. I know what hard work is but just needed the guidance to hone it, to be the best version of myself.”
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