From IMPACT Magazine
February 2007
Strong and Steady
What do you get when you combine natural ability with intense passion, and multiply it by two? You get pro football superstars Thomas and Julius Jones. Brothers first, these two phenomenal athletes are making history in the professional world of football, and AdvoCare is helping them to do it.
The Jones brothers grew up in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, where their dad Thomas taught them to work hard and love football. Both Thomas and Julius grew up idolizing Chicago great Walter Payton, one of the best all-time rushers in history, with dreams of one day reaching and setting records of their own. Their sports dominance started at Powell Valley High School, where Thomas rushed for a whopping 462 yards in a single game and set Virginia state records for single-season rushing yards and touchdowns, as well as career touchdowns during his stay from 1992 to 1995. Later, younger brother Julius followed suit with his own set of records, rushing for 321 yards on 19 carries in a playoff game during a string of 28 consecutive wins that produced two state championships for Powell Valley.
Thomas continued his dominance of Virginia football at the University of Virginia in 1996. While a Cavalier, he developed into one of the nation's best running backs, finishing his career as the school's all-time leading rusher with 3,998 yards, a title previously held by New York pro Tiki Barber. His yardage also made him the fourth all-time leading rusher in ACC history, as well as one of the three finalists considered for the coveted Doak Walker award, an honor bestowed upon the nation's top running back. Arizona took notice, and drafted him seventh overall in 1999. Although showing great promise at times during his stay in Arizona, a series of injuries kept Thomas from getting into a groove. Thomas joined Chicago in the 2004 season where he could highlight his talents. Playing on the same team as his idol Walter Payton once did seemed to be just what Thomas needed, as he's compiled well over 3,500 yards and 20 touchdowns in his three seasons there. More importantly, though, has been Jones' irreplaceable contributions in turning Chicago into a force to be reckoned with, leading the team all the way to the "Big Game" as the NFC Champions.
Julius chose the hallowed ground of Notre Dame University to showcase his skills after high school. “Notre Dame’s tradition speaks for itself. Playing in Notre Dame stadium is an incredible experience. It was an honor and a dream come true,” says Julius. While there, Julius added his own contributions to the rich traditions of the Fighting Irish, becoming one of just four running backs in school history to rush for more than 3,000 career yards. In addition, Julius broke the school record for kickoff return yards (previously held by former great Tim Brown) and claimed the top spot for most all-purpose yards, 5,372, in Notre Dame history. With numbers like that, Dallas had no problems picking up Julius in the 2004 draft. Says Julius, “All the hard work paid off. There was nothing like that moment — it was a true sense of accomplishment.” Like his brother Thomas, Julius fought his own issues with injuries in his first two seasons in the league, missing 11 games total due to injury. Still, he became the brightest star to shine in the team’s backfield since all-time leading rusher Emmit Smith held the position. In 19 starts during his first two seasons, Julius used his impressive cutback running style and toughness up the middle to average more than 90 yards rushing a game and collect 12 touchdowns. Now after finishing his third season with Dallas, Jones is an essential part of an offensive powerhouse that led to the Cowboys’ best season since 2003.