Welcome back to another edition of Husky History, the column that highlights a former UConn athlete and their accomplishments in Storrs and their professional careers.
This week’s edition is the final one of the 2023-24 school year and I wanted to give my thanks to all who took the time out of their day each week to read my work. It is greatly appreciated.
For the final edition, we are going to look into one of the most impressive athletes to play football at UConn, or any sport for that matter: Byron Jones.
Jones is a Connecticut native born less than an hour away from Storrs in New Britain. He attended St. Paul Catholic High School in nearby Bristol, Conn., where he participated in football, basketball and track and field.
Before we dive into his football career, it is important to highlight his accomplishments on the oval. In his senior season, Jones was one of the best sprinters in the whole state. He won the Naugatuck Valley League Championships in the 200-meter and 400-meter run and placed seventh in New England in both events. If he chose to, he could have easily been able to compete at a high-level Division I track and field program.
That said, Jones opted to pursue his football dream for the Huskies. In his four seasons, he grew from an impactful first-year player to an eventual first-round NFL Draft pick.
After redshirting his first season on campus, Jones saw action in the 2011 season as a defensive back. Starting eight of 12 games, Jones totaled 51 tackles and two interceptions. The highlight of his season was being named Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Week for recovering a fumble and running for a touchdown against USF on Oct. 15.
In 2012, he appeared in all twelve games as a safety. He totaled a career-high 87 tackles and added one interception.
His junior season was more of the same. Starting all twelve games at cornerback, Jones led the team with three interceptions and added 60 tackles.
Unfortunately, in his final season in 2014, he suffered a season-ending injury to his shoulder but still appeared and started in seven games. Before the injury he grabbed two interceptions, one of those being returned for a 70-yard touchdown at USF on Sept. 19.
Wrapping up a solid collegiate career, it was apparent Jones would garner interest from NFL organizations. What was yet to be seen was an NFL Draft Combine performance that would be cemented in the record books.
At the 2015 NFL Draft Combine, Jones set a new world record in the standing broad jump with a leap of 12 feet and three inches. This incredible athletic performance solidified his pitch to play for an NFL roster. His performance in all areas of the combine increased his draft stock dramatically.
In the 2015 NFL Draft, Jones was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 27th overall pick. He spent the first five years of his career with the organization.
Jones’ best season came in 2018. He started all 16 games at right and left cornerback totaling 67 tackles. As one of the nine best cornerbacks in the league, Jones was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl and was awarded Second Team All-Pro by the Associated Press.
Following his tenure with the Cowboys, Jones signed a 5-year, $82.5 million deal with the Miami Dolphins in 2020. Unfortunately, he dealt with injuries that limited his impact to just two playing seasons.
Jones was placed on the reserve list in 2022 and missed the season following an Achilles surgery. That following year, the Dolphins released Jones and he has not played since.
For his short career, he accomplished what very few can say they have. He represented UConn at the highest level, and he’s made returns to campus to inspire current athletes in the pursuit of their dreams.