Sad news: Doug Pederson suffered a heart attack after discovering that his favorite player had declared his retirement.
Thursday marked the announcement of running back Maurice Jones-Drew’s retirement from the NFL, following nine seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jones-Drew announced on Twitter that he had decided to retire from the National Football League after consulting with his family and business team during the offseason. “The last nine years were incredible! I will always be appreciative to all of the individuals who helped me along the way in the NFL.
Jones-Drew played three years at UCLA, where he was named a consensus All-American and led the Pac-10 in punt return yards. He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. In addition, he gained 2,503 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns.
Jones-Drew ran for 13 touchdowns in his rookie season with Jacksonville, which was fourth in the league, and he also caught two passes for touchdowns.
He played for the Jaguars for three seasons, averaging over 300 carries per season and setting career highs in rushing yards (1,391, 1,324, 1,606).
Frequently, Jones-Drew would trail his bigger offensive line teammates and locate openings just big enough to fit the 210-pound, 5-foot-7 running back. In order to get into the secondary and break for long touchdowns, he punished his would-be tacklers with strong hits when they weren’t big enough.
Jones-Drew returned two kicks for scores of 93 and 100 yards, and he had 12 rushing touchdowns of more than 30 yards over the course of nine seasons. He only had one postseason experience, though, and that was in 2007 after the Jaguars were eliminated in the divisional round.
In the previous season, Jones-Drew went back to Oakland, his hometown, to play for the Raiders. However, he broke his hand in the season’s first game and was no longer a starter, carrying the ball just 43 times for 96 yards.
Jones-Drew totals 8,167 rushing yards and 68 touchdowns in his career. In addition, he hauled in 346 passes for 2,944 yards and 11 points.
“For the last 24 years, football has played a major role in my life,” said Jones-Drew, who turns 30 this month. “However, I’m thrilled and anticipating the next phase of my life right now.”
