Quintorris Lopez “Julio” Jones Jr. is a professional American football wide receiver currently a free agent.
Born on February 3, 1989, in Foley, Alabama, he played college football at the University of Alabama, winning a national championship in 2009.
Selected as the 6th overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2011 NFL Draft, Jones has earned seven Pro Bowl selections and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s.
Notably, he holds the record for the highest average receiving yards per game in NFL history at 96 yards.
Siblings
Julio has one sibling, an older brother named Phillip Jones.
They were raised by their mother, Queen Marvin, after their father left when Julio was five years old.
The brothers share a strong bond, having faced various challenges together throughout their lives.
College career
Jones played college football at the University of Alabama from 2008 to 2010.
He was a highly sought-after recruit out of Foley High School in Alabama, where he gained recognition for his exceptional athleticism and playmaking ability.
In his freshman year, Jones made an immediate impact by recording 58 receptions for 924 yards and four touchdowns, helping lead the Crimson Tide to an undefeated season and a national championship.
In his sophomore year, although his statistics dipped slightly due to injuries, Jones still contributed significantly to the team with 43 receptions for 596 yards and four touchdowns.
Alabama won another national championship that year, further solidifying its football program’s prominence.
By his junior year in 2010, Jones had a breakout season, amassing 78 receptions for 1,133 yards and seven touchdowns.
His performance that year solidified his status as one of the top wide receivers in college football.
Throughout his college career, he received numerous accolades, including selections to the All-SEC team.
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NFL career
In the 2011 NFL Draft, Jones was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 6th overall pick, marking the beginning of a prolific NFL career.
In his rookie season, he recorded 54 receptions for 959 yards and eight touchdowns, quickly establishing himself as a key target for quarterback Matt Ryan.
Over the course of his career with the Falcons from 2011 to 2020, Jones earned seven Pro Bowl selections from 2012 to 2018 and consistently ranked among the league leaders in receiving yards and touchdowns.
One of his most notable seasons came in 2015 when he led the NFL with 1,871 receiving yards—a franchise record—and caught eight touchdown passes.
Throughout his time with Atlanta, he set multiple records, including having the highest average receiving yards per game in NFL history at 96.0 yards.
In the 2016 season, Jones played a crucial role in leading the Falcons to Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots.
Although they lost in a dramatic overtime finish, he had a standout performance with over 80 receiving yards in that game.
In his later years with Atlanta, injuries began to affect his performance and availability; however, he remained a highly respected player in the league.
In June 2021, Julio was traded to the Tennessee Titans.
His time there was marked by injuries that limited his impact on the field.
After one season with Tennessee, he became a free agent and has not signed with another team as of January 2025.
Accolades
In college, Jones was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and earned Second-Team All-American honors in 2010.
He led Alabama to a national championship in 2009 and set school records for receptions and receiving yards during his tenure.
In the NFL, Jones has been selected to the Pro Bowl seven times (2012, 2014-2019) and was a First-Team All-Pro in 2015 and 2016.
He also earned Second-Team All-Pro honors three times.
Notably, he became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards in 2018 and is the Falcons’ all-time leader in both receptions and receiving yards.
Additionally, he was named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2010s, highlighting his impact on the game during that period.
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