Mr. Irrelevant: Donnie Jones, Jr.

Source: Miami Dolphins Website

Donnie Jones, Jr.
FINS FACT
Donnie chronicled LSU’s National Championship season of 2003 in his book “Nine Seconds to a Championship.” The title refers to the fact that he took the final snap in the Tigers’ 21-14 Sugar Bowl victory over Oklahoma, and was able to run off the final nine seconds of the game. For Donnie, that championship season was extremely gratifying, as he had the opportunity to see the transformation of an LSU team that went 3-8 in his redshirt freshman season in 1999, the year prior to Nick Saban’s arrival. “As a team, that was a group of guys who played together,” Donnie says about that 2003 national championship squad. “There were a lot of great players on that team, but they were unselfish players. It was a true team and that’s why we were able to accomplish so much. Everyone worked together and did what they had to do.”

CAREER TRANSACTIONS
Was awarded off waivers from Seattle to Miami on July 25, 2005 ... Was waived by the Dolphins on September 3 and signed to the practice squad on September 5 ... Was activated to the 53-man roster on September 10, a day before the season-opener ... Originally was a seventh-round draft choice (224th overall) by Seattle in 2004 ... Was waived by the Seahawks on September 5, 2004 and then signed to the team’s practice squad on September 6 ... Was activated to the 53-man roster on October 15 and released on October 19 ... Was re-signed by Seattle to the practice squad on October 20 and then activated on October 23 ... Was released on October 25 and re-signed to the practice squad a day later ... Was activated to the 53-man roster on October 29 and released again on November 23 before being re-signed to the practice squad on November 24 ... Was released off the practice squad on December 29 and then re-signed to the practice squad on January 4, 2005.

PRO
2006 - For the preseason has 14 punts for 621 yards, an average of 44.4 yards per punt with a net average of 39.0 yards ... On August 19th at Tampa Bay had six points for 272 yards, an average of 45.3 yards per punt.

2005 – Played in all 16 games in his first season with the Dolphins ... Left-footed punter hit 88 punts for a 43.5-yard average, including a net of 39.3, which led the NFL in ’05 and marked a new Dolphins’ single-season record ... Added 31 punts inside-the-20, which ranked second in the AFC and was a Dolphins’ single-season record as well ... Of his 88 punts, 24 went 50 yards or longer, with three traveling 60 yards or longer ... Had a punt of 50 yards or longer in all but three games ... Had a net average of 40.0 or better in nine games ... Also handled the placement duties throughout the course of the season ... In 27-24 win over Carolina, hit six punts for a net average of 41.8 with three inside the 20, the second week in a row he achieved that feat as the Panthers’ average drive start that day was their own 25 ... That game also marked the first of four in a row in which he had a net of 40.0 or better ... Final game of this four-game stretch occurred vs. Kansas City (10/21) when he hit eight punts for a 45.9-yard average with a net of 43.5, as he connected on a 60-yard punt for the first time in his career ... Also hit a 60-yarder at Cleveland (11/20) ... Turned in his top performance of the year at Oakland (11/27) when he averaged 51.3 on four punts, with three inside the 20 and three punts of 50 yards or longer ... Net that day was a season-best 47.0, as he had punts downed at the 2 and 4, both in the second half ... Over the final six games of the season, a span which began with the Oakland contest, amassed 15 punts inside the 20 with just one touchback ... Had a potential touchdown-saving tackle when he took down Roscoe Parrish at the Dolphins’ 26 following a 36-yard punt return ... Had career-long 63-yard punt vs. Tennessee (12/24), when he totaled a career-high nine punts, which averaged a gross of 44.4 and a net of 41.7 . . .

AMONG DOLPHINS SINGLE-SEASON LEADERS: In just his second NFL season and his first with the Dolphins, Jones proved adept at pinning opponents deep in their own territory, as attested to by his team-record 31 punts inside the 20, a figure which ranked second in the AFC in 2005 ... This also translated into a net average of 39.3, which led the NFL in ’05 ... This figure also represented a new Dolphins’ single-season record.

2004 – Played in seven games with Seahawks in between stints on the practice squad ... Shared Seahawks punting duties along with Tom Rouen and Ken Walter ... Punted 26 times for a 38.0 average with a net of 32.2, six inside-the-20 and two touchbacks ... Established a season long with a 51-yard punt vs. Carolina (10/31) ... Punted three times for a 49.3-yard gross average and a net of 42.7 at St. Louis (11/14), when he had another 51-yard punt.

COLLEGE
Played in 49 games for LSU during his four-year career (2000-03) ... Set school records with 233 punts for 9,798 yards (42.0 avg.) ... Punting average ranks second in school annals ... In his career, had 69 punts land inside the 20 ... Hit a school-record 86-yard punt his junior year against Kentucky ... Majored in finance.

PERSONAL
Married (Aubrie) ... Couple resides in Weston, Fla ... Attended Catholic High School in Baton Rouge ... Was an All-State and All-District selection as a senior when he put together a 43.4-yard average and helped the team to the semifinals in the Class 5A playoffs ... Started the Donnie Jones “Last Play Foundation,” which grew out of his desire to give something back and help young people achieve their full potential ... The Foundation’s web site is located at www.donniejones.org ... Has taken part in the team’s annual Golf and Fishing Tournaments, both of which benefit the Miami Dolphins Foundation ... Has also made hospital visits and participated in the Miami Dolphins/United Way Hometown Huddle event at Hispanic Unity ... Enjoys playing golf in spare time ... Full name is Donald Scott Jones, Jr., born July 5, 1980 in Baton Rouge.