December 25, 2015

Highlighted Year: Maurice Jones-Drew, 2009

Running Back, Jacksonville Jaguars


Age: 24
4th season in pro football & with Jaguars
College: UCLA
Height: 5’7”   Weight: 208

Prelude:
The undersized Jones-Drew displayed outstanding all-purpose skill in college, receiving consensus All-American honors for his kick returning and earning second-team Pac-10 recognition as a running back. He was chosen by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft and, splitting time with veteran RB Fred Taylor, rushed for 941 yards and 13 TDs as a rookie. Jones-Drew also caught 46 passes for 436 yards and two more scores and returned 31 kickoffs for a 27.7-yard average and another touchdown, to give him a total of 16 TDs in addition to 2250 total yards. Expected to be more of a third-down back, he proved tough enough to run between the tackles and had the speed to be a breakaway threat. Jones-Drew gained another 2014 yards in much the same fashion in ’07. He saw his kick returns decrease but rushing attempts increase in 2008 and he gained 824 yards on the ground and caught a career-high 62 passes for 565 yards to total 1389 yards from scrimmage and score 14 TDs. Taylor was released and Jones-Drew, who was signed to a contract extension, became the starting running back, although there were concerns about his ability to withstand injury in an increased role.

2009 Season Summary
Appeared in all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 312 [5]
Most attempts, game – 33 (for 133 yds.) vs. St. Louis 10/18
Yards – 1391 [4]
Most yards, game – 177 yards (on 8 carries) at Tennessee 11/1
Average gain – 4.5 [18]
TDs – 15 [2, 1st in AFC]
100-yard rushing games – 5

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 53      
Most receptions, game – 5 on five occasions
Yards – 374
Most yards, game – 45 (on 5 catches) vs. St. Louis 10/18
Average gain – 7.1
TDs – 1

Kickoff Returns
Returns – 4  
Yards – 102
Average per return – 25.5
TDs – 0
Longest return – 30 yards

Punt Returns
Returns – 2
Yards – 19
Average per return – 9.5
TDs – 0
Longest return – 12 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1886 [9]

Scoring
TDs – 16 [2, tied with Chris Johnson, 1st in AFC]
Points – 96

Awards & Honors:
2nd team All-NFL: Pro Football Focus, Sporting News
Pro Bowl

Jaguars went 7-9 to finish fourth in the AFC South.

Aftermath:
“MJD” went to the Pro Bowl following each of the next two seasons. He gained 1641 yards from scrimmage in 2010 and led the NFL in rushing with 1606 yards in 2011, when he was also a consensus first-team All-NFL selection. But after three years of impressive durability in which he missed just two games due to injury, Jones-Drew was sidelined by a foot injury that cost him most of the 2012 season. He came back in 2013 to play in 15 games but averaged only 3.4 yards per carry in rushing for 803 yards and was allowed to depart to Oakland as a free agent in ’14, where he saw scant action after breaking his hand in the first week and retired in the offseason. Overall, Jones-Drew rushed for 8167 yards on 1847 attempts (4.4 avg.) and 68 touchdowns, caught 346 passes for 2944 yards (8.5 avg.) and 11 TDs, returned 79 kickoffs for a 26.0 avg. and another two TDs and averaged 8.9 on 15 punt returns. All but 167 of his yards from scrimmage came with Jacksonville, and he gained 13,277 total yards and scored 81 touchdowns, all with the Jaguars, making him the franchise’s career leader. Jones-Drew was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection once, received other first- or second-team honors after two other seasons, and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose: Total Yards
Defense: Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff Returns: Average
Punt Returns: Average
Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970