Thomas Jones ( American football ) Thomas Quinn Jones ( born August 19 , 1978 ) is a former American football running back who played twelve seasons in the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for the University of Virginia . He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals seventh overall in the 2000 NFL Draft , and played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in addition to the New York Jets , Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs . He is among the top 25 leading rushers in NFL history . Early years . Thomas was born in Big Stone Gap , Virginia . His mother , Betty , worked the graveyard shift in a Virginia coal mine for nearly 20 years while raising seven children , including his younger brother , Julius Jones . While in Appalachia , Virginia , his father encouraged the children to learn five new words per day , and made them read the front page of the newspaper , before they could read the sports section . Jones credits his parents with instilling the ambition and strong work ethic that he is known for in professional football . While playing for Powell Valley High School in Big Stone Gap , he led the team to back - to - back state championships in 1994 and 1995 . He still holds the VHSL record for the most rushing yards in a season with 3 , 319 . He broke his late uncle ' s ( Edd Clark ) single - game rushing record in 1994 ( 462 yards against John I . Burton High School ) . He also tied for most career touchdowns ( 104 ) with Terry Kirby . Thomas was featured in the January 22nd ( 1996 ) issue of " Sports Illustrated " section , " Faces in the Crowd " . College career . Jones attended the University of Virginia , and played for coach George Welsh ' s Virginia Cavaliers football team from 1996 to 1999 . Through four years , he left his mark on the record books of both the team and the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . He ended his career at Virginia with eight conference and fifteen team records , including finishing as the Cavaliers ' all - time rushing leader with 3 , 998 yards , eclipsing the previous mark of 3 , 389 yards set by Tiki Barber . His rushing total was the fourth highest in conference history . Jones also set the conference and school record for single season rushing ( 1 , 798 yards ) and single season all - purpose offense ( 2 , 054 yards ) . While becoming the first player in ACC history to attain 200 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in a single game , Jones set a single game school record with 331 all - purpose yards against the University at Buffalo . Setting an ACC record for 200 - yard games , Jones finished with six 200 - yard rushing performances . He finished his college career with 4 , 698 all - purpose yards , fourth all - time at Virginia . As a senior in 1999 , Jones was voted as a consensus first - team All - American by The Associated Press , Football News , the Football Writers Association of America , Walter Camp Foundation , and The Sporting News . Finishing 8th in balloting for the 1999 Heisman Trophy , he was the first ACC consensus All - American running back since 1978 ( Ted Brown , NC State ) and third in league history . Jones led the conference running backs and receiving yards , amassed four 200 - yard games , and finished third in the nation in rushing ( 163 . 5 yards / game ) and all - purpose yards ( 186 . 7 yards / game ) . While successful on the field , Jones also focused in the classroom , earning his bachelor ’ s degree in psychology in three years . Professional career . Arizona Cardinals . Thomas Jones was chosen by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft with the seventh overall selection . In his three years with Arizona he rushed for 1 , 264 yards and 9 touchdowns . He often was injury - prone , however , and finished only one full season ( 2001 ) for the Cardinals . Up until the 2002 season he also was splitting time with running back , Michael Pittman . Jones was traded in 2003 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Though not the featured back in Tampa Bay , Jones played an injury - free season , gained 627 yards , and scored three rushing touchdowns while averaging 4 . 6 yards per carry . Chicago Bears . As a free agent in 2004 , Jones received his opportunity to be a featured back , signing a multi - year contract with Chicago . In his first season with Chicago , he rushed for 948 yards and 7 touchdowns . After the season , Ron Turner took over as offensive coordinator and installed zone blocking schemes that utilized Jones ' speed and ability to make quick decisions . Heading into the 2005 NFL season , Jones figured to return to sharing duty as the Bears used their top draft pick on running back Cedric Benson . However , a lengthy hold - out prevented Benson from pushing Jones for playing time . After starting the season with a poor performance against the Washington Redskins defense , Jones proceeded to recover with season statistics of 1 , 335 yards and 9 touchdowns . Jones amassed 61 first downs while averaging 4 . 3 yards per carry . A veteran with , at that time , six years league experience , Jones continued to see extended playing time to assist the offensive line with pass blocking for Rex Grossman . After the 2005 season , Jones fired his agent and hired Drew Rosenhaus in April , 2006 . Jones did not participate in the Bears ’ voluntary off season program in 2006 , opting instead to work out on his own , leading to Benson lining up with the first team during workouts . On , July 27 , 2006 , Jones injured his hamstring during a physical at the Bears ' summer camp ; Lovie Smith announced Jones would fall behind Cedric Benson on the depth chart . However , on August 4 , Benson injured his shoulder after colliding with Brian Urlacher during a routine practice drill , and Jones returned to his featured back position . The Bears ’ two - headed rushing attack showcased both players during the 2006 season . Benson , at 5 - foot - 11 and 230 pounds , acted as a straight - ahead runner , whereas Jones used his quicker 5 - foot - 10 and 215 - pound frame to find holes in Chicago ’ s zone - blocking scheme to get through the defense . During the regular season , Jones gained 1 , 210 yards and Benson amassed 647 yards ; both averaged over four yards per carry . Jones had four 100 - yard performances during the regular season and continued to see an increased role in the passing game as Benson had not yet mastered pass protection . In 2006 , Thomas and his brother Julius became the first brother tandem in NFL history to rush for 1 , 000 yards in the same season . During the 2006 playoffs , Jones rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries en route to a 27 - 24 Bears ’ victory over the Seattle Seahawks . The next week he rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in the NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints , helping the Bears advance to the Super Bowl with a 39 - 14 win . Jones ’ 123 rushing yards against the Saints set a Bears postseason record . On a crucial drive late in the first half , after three stalled Bears drives ended in field goals , Jones ran the ball on every play of an eight - play , 69 - yard drive and scored the Bears ' first touchdown of the game . Jones was one of three college teammates who reunited in Super Bowl XLI . Jones , his teammate John St . Clair , and Terrence Wilkins of the Indianapolis Colts were roommates at the University of Virginia . In Super Bowl XLI , Jones finished with 112 yards rushing and 18 yards receiving , including a 52 - yard run that marked Chicago ' s longest run of the season . Though averaging 7 . 5 yards per carry in the game , the Bears ' only called 15 running plays in the 29 - 17 loss to Indianapolis . New York Jets . On March 5 , 2007 the Bears traded Jones and their second - round pick ( 63rd overall ) in the 2007 NFL Draft to the New York Jets in exchange for their second - round pick ( from the Washington Redskins ) ( 37th overall ) . Following the completion of the trade , the Jets signed Jones to a four - year , $ 25 million extension . In the 2007 season , Jones carried the ball 310 times for 1 , 119 yards , his third straight one - thousand yard season . Of note , Jones scored the first receiving touchdown of his career as well . However , he averaged a subpar 3 . 6 yards a carry , and scored only one rushing TD , as the Jets stumbled to a 4 - 12 finish . Jones had his best season in 2008 . Named the AFC ' s starting running back in the Pro Bowl , Jones scored 15 total touchdowns , including two via receptions , and rushed for 1 , 312 yards to lead the AFC . On October 18 , 2009 , in a game against the Buffalo Bills , Jones rushed for a Jets franchise record 210 yards and a touchdown , breaking the old mark set by Curtis Martin . However the Jets lost 16 - 13 in overtime . On December 3 , 2009 , Jones reached 1 , 068 rushing yards for the 2009 season against the Buffalo Bills . This would mark the fifth consecutive season in which Jones has rushed for 1 , 000 + yards . On January 17 , 2010 , Jones converted a final minute 4th and 1 to lead the Jets to victory over the San Diego Chargers in a 2009 playoff game . The win ensured that the Jets would play the Indianapolis Colts in the 2009 AFC championship game . On March 1 , 2010 , the New York Jets announced that they would release Jones as of March 5 , 2010 due to an upcoming contract bonus ( all despite having a career - high season with 1 , 402 rushing yards ) and talks with LaDanian Tomlinson . He was officially released on March 5 . Kansas City Chiefs . Jones signed a two - year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 9 , 2010 . In week 15 against the St . Louis Rams , Jones ran for 62 yards on 22 carries with one touchdown . In this game he achieved the 10 , 000 - yard rushing mark . He is only the 25th player in NFL history to do so . Post Football . Jones has said that he has decided to donate his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute , which studies the link between sports and brain trauma , for research upon his death . Jones is planning to return to the game in some capacity . He is reportedly joining the New United States Football League as the director of league expansion and scouting , a position in which he will appoint an assistant , and has accepted on a two - year contract .