Thomas Jones

At 45 years old, Thomas Jones has this physical status:

Thomas Jones (born August 19, 1978) is an American actor who appears as Thomas Q. Jones and a former American football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

He played college football for the University of Virginia.

He was drafted seventh overall in the 2000 NFL Draft and spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in place of the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Kansas City Chiefs.

He retired as one of the top 10 leading rushers in NFL history (currently 26th), as well as a member of the 10,000 rushing yards club.

He was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 in September 2019. He began acting under the name Thomas Q. Jones in 2013.

Straight Outta Compton, a starring role in A Violent Man, and a recurring role in the Luke Cage TV series are among his credits.

Early years

Thomas was born in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Betty Jones' mother worked the graveyard shift in a Virginia coal mine for nearly 20 years while raising seven children, including his younger brother Julius Jones. His father pushed the children to learn five new words per day and made them read the newspaper's front page before they could read the sports section. Jones cites his parents with instilling the passion and strong work ethic that he is known for in professional football.

He helped the team win back-to-back state championships in 1994 and 1995 while playing for Powell Valley High School in Big Stone Gap. With 3,319. He now holds the VHSL record for the most rushing yards in a season. In 1994 (480 yards against John I. Burton High School), he tied his late uncle's (Edd Clark) single-game rushing record (Edd Clark) for a single game (48 yards). Terry Kirby also tied for the most career touchdowns (104) during his career (1954). Thomas was included in the Faces in the Crowd, January 22, 1996 issue.

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College football career

Jones attended the University of Virginia and spent time with Virginia Cavaliers football team from 1996 to 1999, under coach George Welsh. He left his mark on the official books of both the squad and the Atlantic Coast Conference over four years (ACC). He finished his career at Virginia with eight conference and fifteen team records, including finishing as the Cavaliers' all-time rush leader with 3,998 yards, eclipsing Tiki Barber's previous record of 3,389 yards. His rushing total was the fourth highest in conference history. Jones also set a single season rush (1,798 yards) and a single season all-purpose offense (2,054 yards), beating the conference and school record for single season rush (1,798 yards). Jones set a single game school record with 331 all-purpose yards against the University of Buffalo, making him the first ACC player to record 200 yards passing and 100 yards receiving in a single game. Jones finished with six 200-yard rush games, setting an ACC record for 200-yard games. He had 4,698 all-purpose yards, his fourth all-time at Virginia, and finished his college career with 4,698 all-purpose yards.

Jones was named as a senior in 1999 by the Associated Press, Football News, Walter Camp Foundation, and The Sporting News as a consensus first-team All-American. He was the first ACC consensus All-American running back since 1978 (Ted Brown, NC State) and third in league history, placing eighth in voting for the 1999 Heisman Trophy. Jones dominated the conference in running backs and receiving yards, played four 200-yard games, and finished third in the nation in rushing (163.5 yards/game) and all-purpose yards (186.7 yards/game).

Jones, who was successful on the track, also honed in the classroom, earning his bachelor's degree in psychology in three years.

Professional football career

Thomas Jones was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft with the seventh overall pick. He ran for 1,264 yards and 9 touchdowns in his three years with Arizona. He was injury-prone, but the Cardinals only saw him in one complete season (2001). He was splitting time with running back Michael Pittman up until the 2002 season. Jones was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003.

Jones played an injury-free season, gained 627 yards, and scored three rushing touchdowns while going for 4.6 yards per carry in Tampa Bay, though not the featured back.

Jones, a free agent in 2004, had a chance to be a featured back after committing to Chicago for a multi-year deal. He ran for 948 yards and 7 touchdowns in his first season with Chicago. Ron Turner took over as offensive coordinator and introduced zone blocking programs that utilized Jones' speed and ability to make quick decisions. Jones, the Bears' top draft pick on running back Cedric Benson, was expected to return to sharing duty heading into the 2005 NFL season. Benson was unable to press Jones for playing time due to a lengthy hold-out. Jones, after starting the season with a poor showing against the Washington Redskins' defense, has continued to play with season statistics of 1,335 yards and 9 touchdowns. Jones has scored 61 first downs while also going for 4.3 yards per carry. Jones, who had six years in the league, was able to help with pass blocking for Rex Grossman. Jones fired his agent and hired Drew Rosenhaus in April 2006.

Jones did not enroll in the Bears' voluntary off-season program in 2006, opting instead to work out on his own, resulting in Benson's introduction to the first team at workouts. Jones strained his hamstring during a physical at the Bears' summer camp on July 26, and Lovie Smith said Jones would fall behind Cedric Benson on the depth chart. However, Benson sustained his shoulder after colliding with Brian Urlacher during a regular practice drill on August 4, and Jones returned to his featured back role.

Both players were showcased during the 2006 season by the Bears' two-headed rushing attack. Benson, who was 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, was a straight-ahead runner, while Jones was able to find holes in Chicago's zone-blocking scheme to crack the defense. During the regular season, Jones gained 1,210 yards and Benson 647 yards; both averaged over four yards per carry. Jones had four 100-yard appearances during the regular season and gained more prominence in the passing game as Benson did not yet have pass protection. Thomas and his brother Julius became the first brother team to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season last season.

Jones rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns on 21 attempts en route to the Seattle Seahawks' victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the 2006 playoffs. In the NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints next week, he rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 19 attempts, assisting the Bears in their NFC championship victory, which they defeated the Saints by 39-14. Jones' 123 rushing yards against the Saints was a record for the Bears in postseason. Jones played the ball on every play of an eight-play, 69-yard drive, scoring the Bears' first touchdown of the game on a critical drive late in the first half after three stalled Bears drives ended in field goals.

Jones was one of three college teammates who reunited in Super Bowl XLI. Terrence Wilkins of the Indianapolis Colts, as Jones, his colleague John St. Clair, and Jones were roommates at the University of Virginia. Jones led Chicago to 112 yards receiving and 18 yards receiving in Super Bowl XLI, with a 52-yard run that marked the city's longest stretch of the season. Despite the fact that the Bears only had 15 running plays in the 29–17 loss to Indianapolis, despite averaging 7.5 yards per carry in the game.

Jones and their second-round pick (63rd overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft were traded to the New York Jets in exchange for their second-round pick (from the Washington Redskins), a third overall pick (37th overall). Following Jones' trade, the Jets signed him to a four-year, $25 million contract extension.

Jones carried the ball 1,119 yards in the 2007 season, his third straight one-thousand yard season. Jones also scored his first receiving touchdown of his career. However, as the Jets stumbled to a 4–12 finish, he averaged a subpar 3.6 yards per carry and scored just one rushing touchdown.

Jones had his best season in 2008. Jones, who was named as the AFC's starting running back in the Pro Bowl, scored 15 touchdowns, two via receptions, and rushed for 1,312 yards to lead the AFC.

Jones rushed for a touchdown in a game against the Buffalo Bills on October 18, 2009, breaking Curtis Martin's record of 210 yards per game. In overtime, the Jets lost 16–13. Jones passed for 1,068 yards against the Buffalo Bills on December 3, 2009. This will be Jones' fifth straight season in which he has passed for 1,000 yards.

Jones led the Jets to victory over the San Diego Chargers in a 2009 playoff game on January 17, 2010. With the victory, the Jets ensured that they would meet the Indianapolis Colts in the 2009 AFC championship game.

The New York Jets announced on March 1, 2010 that Jones would be released as a result of a forthcoming contract extension (all after having a career-high season with 1,402 rushing yards) and talks with LaDainian Tomlinson. He was officially released on March 5 on March 5.

Jones signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 9, 2010.

Jones ran for 62 yards on 22 attempts against the St. Louis Rams in week 15, scoring one touchdown. He set the 10,000-yard rushing record in this game. He is only the 25th player in NFL history to do so.

Post-football career

Jones has reported that he has agreed to donate his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute, which studies the connection between sports and brain injury, in order to conduct into his death. Jones said in January 2017 that if he had to do it over, he would not play football due to the physical risks.

Castar Applications Inc. is a technology firm founded and CEO. Jones is the founder and CEO of Castar Applications Inc.

Acting career

Jones has since worked as a film and television actor, primarily under the name Thomas Q. Jones.

Jones is the owner of Independently Major Entertainment Films (IME Films), which produced A Violent Man (2019) for Sony Pictures, in which he starred and directed by Matthew Berkowitz. He appeared on Lorraine Toussaint and Aisha Hinds in the independent film Runaway Island (2015). He appeared in Straight Outta Compton, the 2015 feature film based on the lives and careers of hip-hop group N.W.A.

Jones produced and appeared in a screen adaptation of Loyalty, with Lucien Laviscount, and participated in the independent short film project Love and the Line and the independent film 9 Rides, shooting entirely with a 4K video using an iPhone 6s in 2016.

Jones is best known for his Marvel character "Comanche" on Netflix's Luke Cage, and he's most well-known in television. He appeared in Tales on BET Network and 3rd and 3 of the BET hit drama series Being Mary Jane as "Brandon 'Cutty Buddy' Gibson," a love interest in Gabrielle Union's title character. Born Again Virgin Jones, Jones, a love interest of the series's lead actor Danielle Nicolet, appeared on the television version. He has appeared in starred roles in Showtime's Shameless and IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang! Jones will appear in a recurring role on the Starz series P-Valley (2020).

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