Greg Jones Returns Home, Retires As A Jacksonville Jaguar

I can honestly say Greg Jones is one of the nicest men I have ever met. The fact he is a fellow Seminole and former Jacksonville Jaguar player makes the announcement of his retirement from the NFL that much more important to me as a fan and a writer.

One of the first stories I ever wrote as a high school writer in South Carolina was about a kid named Greg Jones from Battery Creek. It remains one of my fondest memories from a time long ago.

On Thursday, Jones ended his career as a fullback by signing a one-day contract with the Jaguars to retire from the team that made him a second-round draft pick in 2004.

"The city has meant so much to me and my family and the team and I just felt like it was the right thing to do," Jones said on ESPN.com. "My kids love the Jaguars. Even when we were in Houston and I was playing there they still were Jaguars fans. When Jacksonville came they came to the game in Jaguar gear.

"My heart will always be here."

He wasn’t the fastest running back on the team, as Jones blocked for the likes of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. What he was happened to be one of the most respected on the team and one of the best blockers at him position over his career.

Jones ran for 913 yards and 10 touchdowns in his 10-year career (he missed the 2006 season with a torn ACL) but is known more for his work as a blocker for Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, the top two rushers in Jaguars history. Jones helped Taylor and Jones-Drew reach a combined four Pro Bowls and was the lead blocker when Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing with a franchise-record 1,606 yards in 2011.

In Jones' nine seasons in Jacksonville, the Jaguars finished in the top 10 in the NFL in rushing four times and the Jaguars averaged less than 120 yards per game rushing only three times. They were second in 2007 and third in '10. Jones was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2007.