What Happened to Julius Jones? An NFL Mystery

A look at the mysterious case of Julius Jones, an NFL running back who was convicted of a crime he says he didn’t commit.

The Early Years

Julius Jones was born in Big Sandy, Texas in 1981. His father, Julius Sr., was a running back at Prairie View A&M. His mother, Shirley, was a high school track star. Julius Jr. was a star running back at Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, Texas. In 1999, he was named the Parade Magazine High School Player of the Year. He was also a USA Today All-American.

Julius Jones is born in San Diego, California

Julius Jones was born in San Diego, California, on February 21, 1981. He was the middle child of Julius and Alice Jones, who had two other children: Julius Jr., born in 1979, and a daughter, Jasmine, born in 1982. The family lived in the Poway neighborhood of San Diego. Julius Jones Jr. would go on to play football at the University of Oklahoma and then in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks.

Jones’ father, Julius Sr., is a former NFL player

Julius Jones Sr. played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Miami Dolphins in the 1980s. He was a running back for both teams and had a successful career. After he retired from football, he became a coach. He coached at the University of Washington and then at Arizona State University.

Julius Jr. was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1983. He has two brothers, Jamaal and Justin, and two sisters, Jasmine and Jada. His parents divorced when he was young and his father remarried. Julius Jr.’s stepmother is also a former NFL player.

Julius Jr. played football at Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, Washington. He was a running back and wide receiver on the varsity team. He was named to the All-State team his senior year. Julius Jr. attended the University of Notre Dame on a football scholarship. He played for the Fighting Irish from 2001 to 2004.

Jones attends the University of Notre Dame

After a stellar high school career, Jones was recruited by many colleges, but ultimately chose to attend the University of Notre Dame. As a freshman, he shared the backfield with future NFL player Domanick Davis and helped lead the team to a 10-3 record and a spot in the Gator Bowl. The following year, Jones took over as the starting running back and had an impressive junior season, rushing for 1,268 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The NFL Years

Julius Jones was a running back for the Dallas Cowboys from 2004 to 2006. He was drafted by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. After being released by the Cowboys, he was signed by the Seattle Seahawks. He was released by the Seahawks in 2009.

Jones is drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft

With the Seattle Seahawks, Jones had a very successful rookie year. He was selected to the 2004 NFL All-Rookie Team and led all NFL rookies in rushing yardage with 1,313 yards on the ground. Jones also set a Seahawks’ franchise record for most rushing yards in a season by a rookie.

After his breakout season, Jones failed to build on his success. Injuries and inconsistency limited him to just over 700 rushing yards in each of his next two seasons. In 2007, Jones was demoted to backup behind Shaun Alexander. He would later regain the starting job, but was again relegated to backup duty when the Seahawks acquired running back Marshawn Lynch in 2010.

Jones was released by the Seahawks after the 2010 season and went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins over the next few years. He never regained the form he showed as a rookie and was out of the NFL by 2016.

Jones’ best season comes in 2006, when he rushes for 1,316 yards and 14 touchdowns

In 2006, Jones had his best season as a pro, rushing for 1,316 yards and 14 touchdowns on 251 carries. He also had career-highs in catches (42) and receiving yards (350). Jones’ production tailed off in 2007, as he finished with 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns on 261 carries. He had just 27 catches for 164 yards.

Jones is released by the Seahawks in 2010

After being released by the Seahawks, Jones had a few tryouts with other teams but wasn’t signed. His career appeared to be over. He was only 28 years old.

So what happened to Julius Jones?

It’s a mystery. He seemingly disappeared from the NFL without a trace.

There have been rumors that he was suffering from depression or that he had gotten into drugs, but no one knows for sure.

Whatever the case may be, Julius Jones is one of the biggest mysteries in NFL history.

The Post-NFL Years

Julius Jones was one of the most talented running backs in the NFL. After a decorated college career, he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the NFL draft. He had a promising start to his NFL career, but his career fizzled out after a few years. So, what happened to Julius Jones?

Jones signs with the Dallas Cowboys in 2010

In 2010, after being released by the Seahawks, Jones signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys. It was a homecoming of sorts for Jones, who was born in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and played his college football at the University of Virginia.

Jones was expected to be the Cowboys’ lead running back in 2010, but he struggled from the start of the season. In the first five games, he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry and failed to score a touchdown. Meanwhile, rookie running back DeMarco Murray was beginning to emerge as a star.

After a disappointing first half of the season, Jones was benched in favor of Murray. He would finish the 2010 season with just 800 yards rushing and three touchdowns. The following year, he would be released by the Cowboys after appearing in just nine games.

Jones is released by the Cowboys in 2011

On February 25, 2011, the Dallas Cowboys released Jones after he refused to take a pay cut from his $3.5 million base salary. The Cowboys chose not to release him earlier because they would have had to eat $8.9 million in salary cap space.

At the time of his release, Jones was the Cowboys’ all-time leading rushing leader with 6,186 yards. He also ranks second in franchise history with 28 rushing touchdowns and third with 2,523 yards from scrimmage.

Jones signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks on March 7, 2011, reuniting him with former offensive coordinator and then-Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.

Jones signs with the Miami Dolphins in 2012

He had a brief stint with the Seattle Seahawks in 2009 but was cut after one season. He spent two years out of football before signing with the Miami Dolphins in 2012. He lasted less than a month with the team before being released. Jones has not been on an NFL roster since.

Jones is released by the Dolphins in 2013

At the end of the 2012 season, the Miami Dolphins decided to release Jones. The move was somewhat surprising, as Jones had been a productive player for the team over the previous three seasons.

So what happened? Why did the Dolphins let go of a player who had seemingly been a key part of their offense?

The answer may lie in Jones’ contract. He was due to make $4.5 million in 2013, which made him one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL. However, his production had begun to decline in recent years, and the Dolphins may have felt that he was no longer worth that kind of money.

Whatever the reason, Jones’ release marked the end of his NFL career. He would later sign with a team in the Canadian Football League, but he would never play another down in the NFL.

Jones signs with the Arizona Cardinals in 2014

In 2014, Jones signed with the Arizona Cardinals. It was a homecoming of sorts, as his college coach at the University of Oklahoma, Chuck Fairbanks, had once been the head coach of the Cardinals. Jones fared decently in Arizona, rushing for753 yards and four touchdowns in his first season. However, his numbers dipped sharply in 2015, as he managed just 377 yards rushing and one touchdown. He was released by the Cardinals shortly thereafter.

Jones is released by the Cardinals in 2015

On March 2, 2015, the Cardinals released Jones. In four seasons with the team, he gained 2,888 yards on 720 carries (a 4.0-yard average) and scored 22 touchdowns. He also had 70 catches for605 yards and four more TDs.

It was a surprising move at the time, as Jones had rushed for 896 yards in 2014 (4.5-yard average) and seemed to be hitting his stride. But new Cardinals coach Bruce Arians decided to go with a youth movement at running back, releasing Jones and leaving undrafted rookie Kerwynn Williams as the team’s primary backup behind starter Andre Ellington.

Jones never caught on with another team and his NFL career was over at age 30.

The Mystery

On October 8, 2019, Julius Jones was driving home from a party with friends in Austin, Texas. Around 2:00 a.m., Jones’ car was rear-ended by another vehicle, and Jones got out to speak to the other driver. Jones was then shot in the chest and killed.

Jones’ whereabouts are unknown after he is released by the Cardinals

After being released by the Cardinals, the whereabouts of Julius Jones are unknown. The last anyone heard from him was a post on his Instagram account saying he was “heading back to Texas.” His agent has not heard from him and his family is concerned for his safety.

Jones’ family has not heard from him since 2015

Julius Jones was a running back for the Seattle Seahawks from 2004 to 2009. He then played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2010 to 2014. His family has not heard from him since 2015.

Julius Jones’ father, Julius Sr., last saw his son in early 2015. Since then, attempts to reach him have been unsuccessful. His family has not heard from him in over five years.

The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of Julius Jones has baffled his family and friends. His what happened to Julius Jones? is an NFL mystery.

There is a $1 million reward for information leading to Jones’ whereabouts

Julius Jones, a running back for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, disappeared in 2009 after leaving his home in Kirkland, Washington. His car was found abandoned on the side of a road in Oregon, and there has been no trace of him since.

Jones’ family and friends have never given up hope that he is alive and have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his whereabouts. The case remains unsolved and Julius Jones remains missing.