Julius Jones Class: Senior Hometown: Big Stone Gap, VA High School: Powell Valley Height / Weight: 5-10 / 210 Position: Running Back Birthdate: 08/14/1981

A dangerous ground gainer and kick returner for the Irish who missed the ’02 season … ranks second on the all-time Notre Dame kick return yardage list with 1,857 yards and is only 233 yards away from breaking Tim Brown’s all-time record of 2,089 yards … also ranks second all-time in career kickoff returns with 59 (Brown is first at 69) and kickoff return yards at 1,435 (Brown is the leader at 1,613) … has also gained over 1,750 rushing yards in his career … rated second-team preseason All-America as kick returner by Athlon and Street & Smith’s in ’01 … rated 15th nationally among tailbacks in ’01 preseason position ratings by The Sporting News … earned first-team All-America honors in 2000 from CNNSI.com as kickoff-return man … boasts outstanding speed and ability to turn the corner … tremendous with the ball in his hands … possesses great vision and speed with ability to adjust on the run … named by Athlon to its National Football League All-Decade team for 2000-2009 — joining Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning at quarterback and Edgerrin James as the other running back.

AS A JUNIOR: Irish starter at tailback in ’01 … also was Notre Dame’s top kick returner … led the team in rushing with 718 yards … named to collegefootballnews.com all-independent team … ranked 34th nationally in all-purpose yardage … 53-yard punt return set up only Irish touchdown of game vs. Michigan State, a six-yard Matt LoVecchio-to-Tony Fisher pass … 53-yard return was the second longest punt return of his career … scored first two touchdowns of the season vs. Pittsburgh … recorded season-high 25 carries vs. Pittsburgh, the third-highest number of carries in his career … recorded season-long kickoff return with 58-yarder vs. West Virginia … rushed for two TDs vs. West Virginia – second consecutive week he had two TDs … recorded his third-straight game with a rushing touchdown, a five-yard TD run vs. USC … made first touchdown reception of his career, a 21-yard catch, vs. Boston College … finished the Boston College game with 87 rushing yards … led the Irish in rushing vs. Navy with 24 carries for 117 yards … record career-long rush of 59 yards vs. Stanford … recorded 106 yards in the first half against the Cardinal, but suffered an ankle injury and did not play in the second half … saw limited action vs. Purdue in season finale due to same ankle injury.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Notre Dame’s leading groundgainer in 2000 campaign … big reason why Irish ranked 12th in the country in punt returns (15.13) and third in kick returns (24.92) … led team in rushing attempts (162), rushing yards (657) and rushing TDs (seven), as well as all-purpose yards (1,169), … all-Independent pick by Collegefootballnews.com … named the best kickoff returner in the country, according to CNNSI.com’s “Half-America Team” — a list of the nation’s top players in the first half of the season … named to the NFL all-decade team for 2000-09 by Athlon … ranked 19th nationally among running backs in preseason listing by The Sporting News … also named to the preseason all-Independent team by The Sporting News … led Irish in rushing with 14 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown vs. Texas A&M … made first career start against Nebraska and responded with 227 all-purpose yards … with 8:30 remaining in the third quarter, he fielded a kickoff in the end zone and returned it 100 yards it for a TD (first of his career by kickoff return) to bring the Irish to within seven at 21-14 … became just the fourth player in Notre Dame history to return a kickoff 100 yards and the first since Clint Johnson did it against Stanford in 1993 … named NBC Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame Player of the Game for his efforts against the Huskers … led Irish with 56 yards rushing against Purdue, including two key third-down conversions on final drive that led to game-winning field goal … rushed for team-high 126 yards vs. Michigan State … scored on two-yard plunge on second play of fourth quarter to pull Notre Dame to within 21-14 against the Spartans and then added another two-yard score seven minutes later after Anthony Weaver’s interception, giving the Irish 21-20 lead … named ABC Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame Player of the Game for his efforts against Michigan State … had 50-yard kickoff return to open second half vs. Stanford, but saw limited action due to hamstring injury … had 18 carries for 105 yards vs. Navy, including a one-yard scoring run in first period that made it 14-0 for Irish … had fourth career 100-yard rushing game vs. Air Force, compiling 111 yards on career-high 27 carries … scored one-yard touchdown on opening Irish drive vs. Boston College … vs. USC rushed for team-high-tying 71 yards on 20 carries … Notre Dame’s leading rusher in 2001 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl vs. Oregon State with team-high 13 carries for 30 net yards in reserve effort … also caught one pass for 10 yards and returned four kickoffs for 88 yards in Fiesta Bowl … received Art Bodine Sportsmanship Award at conclusion of 2001 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl vs. Oregon State.

AS A FRESHMAN: Rookie tailback made major contributions for Irish in ’99 … served as top Irish kick returner, leading Notre Dame in both kickoff and punt return yardage … set Notre Dame single-season record in ’99 with his 26 kickoff returns — and his 603 kickoff return yards in ’99 ranked behind only Heisman winner Tim Brown’s 698 from ’86 on single-season basis . . . his 798 overall kick return yards (195 punt, 603 kickoff) ranked second all-time in a season behind Brown’s 857 in ’87 … rushed for 36 yards overall and a 13-yard, third-quarter touchdown vs. Arizona State … led Notre Dame rushers with 35 yards vs. USC and also had a 49-yard reception … had only 105 rushing yards through seven games before gaining career-high 146 yards on 19 carries vs. Navy, marking most rushing yards by a freshman since Jerome Heavens’ 148 yards vs. Georgia Tech in 1975 … named NBC Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. the Middies … led Irish in rushing with 46 yards against Tennessee … had seven kick returns (second most in a game by a Notre Dame player — George Gipp had eight vs. Army in 1920) for 163 yards (23.3) vs. Pittsburgh … after averaging just nine yards per return heading into the game, took a fourth-quarter punt 67 yards for a touchdown to bring the Irish within two, 31-29, vs. Boston College … that marked Notre Dame’s first punt return for a touchdown since Autry Denson’s vs. Pittsburgh in ’96 … named NBC Sports/Chevrolet Notre Dame MVP vs. the Eagles … had 897 all-purpose yards over his last five games (179.4 per game) … took over top punt returning assignment after Joey Getherall was injured in Michigan game … led Irish freshmen in playing time … made 109 combined special-team appearances. HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA: Honorable mention USA Today prep All-American … listed 88th nationally on Chicago Sun-Times list of top 100 players … rated one of top 40 players in Virginia and one of top six running backs by Richmond Times-Dispatch … named to Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team … rushed for 2,564 yards and 36 touchdowns as senior in ’98 at Powell Valley High School in Big Stone Gap, Va. … earned four letters in football, captaining team as a senior … named Virginia Group A offensive player of the year in ’97 and ’98 by Associated Press and Virginia High School Coaches Association … Virginia Region D and Lonesome Pine District player of the year as junior and senior … career totals included 614 carries for 5,803 yards and 86 TDs … intercepted 10 career passes as a safety … helped Powell Valley to 28 straight victories and Virginia Group A-Division 2 state titles in 1997 and 1998 … set Virginia record with 321 rushing yards in one state playoff game, on 19 carries, while also scoring five TD’s … selected for Virginia High School Coaches Association all-star game … won four letters in basketball, serving as captain as senior and leading team to league titles as sophomore and junior … won four letters in track and field, captaining team as senior and earning all-state honors his last three seasons while competing in hurdle and jump events … helped team to four straight conference titles in track and field … set state record with 38.7 in the 300 hurdles in ’98 and has run a 14.2 in 110 hurdles … brother Thomas earned All-America football honors as senior in ’99 while leading Virginia in rushing with 1,798 yards (163.45 per game to rank third nationally) that set an Atlantic Coast Conference record … Thomas ended up as sixth pick in first round of 2000 National Football League draft by Arizona Cardinals … twin sister Knetris attended Virginia as well … full name is Julius Andre Maurice Jones … born Aug. 14, 1981 … fourth oldest of seven children … enrolled in College of Arts and Letters, majoring in sociology.

Jones Game By Game
1999

2000

2001