Robert Lee Jones (born September 27, 1969) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

, and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

East Carolina Pirates football The East Carolina Pirates are a college football team that represents East Carolina University (variously "East Carolina" or "ECU"). The team is a member of the American Athletic Conference, which is in NCAA Division I, Division I Football Bowl ...

, earning consensus

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors. He was selected by Dallas in the first round of the

1992 NFL draft The 1992 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1992, at the Marriott M ...

with the 24th overall pick.

Early life

Jones attended

Nottoway County High School Nottoway High School is a public high school located in Nottoway County, Virginia Nottoway County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,642. Its county seat is Nottoway. It is sit ...

. As a senior, he tallied 120 tackles and helped his team win the 2A state championship. In order to meet the minimum academic requirements for college, Jones studied one year at the

Fork Union Military Academy Fork Union Military Academy (abbreviated as FUMA) is a private school, private, all-male, college preparatory Christian school, Christian Military school, military boarding school located in Fork Union, Virginia. Founded in 1898, Fork Union is co ...

post-graduate Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...

program. He accepted a football scholarship from

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...

and would become the most accomplished

in its history. In 1988, he started 3 out of 10 games, collecting 43 tackles (one for loss), one pass defensed and one forced fumble, receiving

Freshman All-American Underclass All-American is an honorific for high school and college athletes for excellence in competition. The athletes recognized with this title are considered the best players of a specific season in their sport that are members of a given cla ...

honors. As a sophomore, he was a regular starter at

inside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the lin ...

, recording 117 tackles (led the team), 4 tackles for loss, one sack, 3 passes defensed and one forced fumble. He made 16 tackles against both

Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public university, public research university in Ruston, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and Carnegie Classification of Institu ...

and the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bac ...

. As a junior, he posted 167 tackles (second in school history), 2 interceptions, 3 tackles for loss, 3 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Against

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

, he had 23 tackles. Against the

, he made 17 tackles, returned an interception for a

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

and blocked a field goal. He was a co-captain of the 1991 team that finished ranked No. 9 nationally with a 12–1 record, including a

Peach Bowl The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played annually in Atlanta, Georgia, since December 30, 1968. The first three Peach Bowls were played at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Grant Field on the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech c ...

victory. He finished with 8 quarterback pressures (led the team), 12 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 151 tackles, becoming the second player in school history to lead the team three straight seasons. Against

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

, he had 18 tackles (3 for loss) and 3 quarterback pressures. Against

Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...

, he made 15 tackles and one quarterback pressure. Against the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

, he had 16 tackles, one interception and a blocked extra-point. He was a consensus

choice and one of the finalists for the

Butkus award The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...

. In 2004, he was inducted into the

Athletics Hall of Fame.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Jones was selected by the

in the first round (24th overall) of the

, becoming the first player from

to be drafted that high. The team moved Ken Norton Jr. to

outside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the lin ...

, allowing him to become the second rookie (

Eugene Lockhart Eugene Lockhart, Jr. (born March 7, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. He played college football at the Universit ...

) in Cowboys history to start at

middle linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the li ...

, and the second rookie (

Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide ...

)

in franchise history to start in a season-opener. He helped the Cowboys establish the top defense in the league in

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, was named

NFC NFC usually refers to: * Near-field communication, a set of communication protocols for electronic devices * National Football Conference, part of US National Football League NFC may also refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychol ...

rookie of the year and was selected to the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

All-rookie team. He started 13 out of 15 games, posting 108 tackles (second on the team), one sack, 2 tackles for loss, 4 quarterback pressures, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery. He had 16 tackles against both the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

and

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

. In

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

, he started the first 3 games after being benched in favor of Ken Norton Jr., who took over his

duties. He collected 36 tackles (2 for loss) and 4

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

tackles. He had 16 tackles against the

and 11 tackles against the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

. In

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

, he regained the starting job at

after Norton left in

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

. He would come back to have the best year of his career, going on to be selected to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

, after registering 162 tackles (then the fourth-highest single season total in Cowboys history), 2 quarterback pressures, 4 tackles for loss and 3 passes defensed. In

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

, he was fourth on the team with 100 tackles, despite missing the last 3 games with a strained abdominal muscle. During his four seasons with the Cowboys, Jones helped the Cowboys win

Super Bowl XXVII Super Bowl XXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...

Super Bowl XXVIII Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for th ...

and

Super Bowl XXX Super Bowl XXX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion fo ...

. In the 1990s, the Cowboys organization felt they could find

linebackers Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the lin ...

through the draft, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Seve ...

, so they allowed talented and productive players like Ken Norton Jr., Darrin Smith, Dixon Edwards, and Randall Godfrey, to leave via free agency, instead of signing them into long-term contracts. After he became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, the Cowboys replaced him by signing free agent

Fred Strickland Fredrick William Strickland Jr. (born August 15, 1966) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys ...

St. Louis Rams

On March 5,

, he signed as a

with the

. In

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

, he led the team with 115 tackles. On June 2,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

, he was released from the team for

reasons.

Miami Dolphins

On June 10,

, he signed a one-year contract with the

, reuniting him with Jimmy Johnson. That season, Jones became an integral part of a defense that allowed an

low 265 points. He started all 16 regular season games at strongside linebacker and finished third on the team with 100 total tackles. He also put together career-high numbers of five sacks, two interceptions and five passes defensed. He returned one of those interceptions for the first

of his career. After the season, the Dolphins rewarded him with a five-year contract extension. On March 1,

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, he was released by the Dolphins after not restructuring his contract.

Washington Redskins

On June 12,

, Jones signed a one-year deal with the

, starting 9 of 15 games during the season.

Houston Texans

On April 25,

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, he signed as a

with the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

for the franchise's inaugural year, but upon his request was released before the season started on May 14.

Green Bay Packers

One week later, he signed with the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

, but was released shortly after to make room for signed

Hardy Nickerson. Over his 10-year career, he played in 151 total games and registered 974 tackles, 8 quarterback sacks and 3 interceptions.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Robert's wife is Maneesha Jones. Robert's son Cayleb was a

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

in the

for parts of three seasons. Robert's second son Zay was a wide receiver at East Carolina University and the all-time receptions leader (399) in the history of college football. Zay was drafted by the

in the second round of the

2017 NFL draft The 2017 NFL draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...

. A third son,

Levi Levi ( ; ) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's third son), and the founder of the Israelites, Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites, including the Kohanim) and the great-grandfather of Aaron ...

, is a linebacker for the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

. He has 3 daughters; Leah, Priscilla, and Ana. Leah is President of the family business, Maid Immaculate. Priscilla is a volleyball player at GreenHope High School and Ana is a competitive cheerleader with Cheer Extreme.

References

External links

East Carolina Hall of Fame profileRobert Jones future
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Robert 1969 births Living people People from Blackstone, Virginia Players of American football from Virginia All-American college football players American football linebackers Fork Union Military Academy alumni East Carolina Pirates football players Dallas Cowboys players St. Louis Rams players Miami Dolphins players Washington Redskins players