Felix Jones

No. 28     Dallas Cowboys
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1987-05-08) May 8, 1987 (age 25)
Place of birth: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight: 218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
College: Arkansas
NFL Draft: 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 22
Debuted in 2008 for the Dallas Cowboys
Career history
Dallas Cowboys (2008–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Consensus All-American (2007) First-team All-SEC (2006) Second-team All-SEC (2005, 2007)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Rushing yards 2,326 Rushing average 5.1 Rushing TDs 8 Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com

Felix Jones, Jr. (born May 8, 1987) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football at the University of Arkansas, he was drafted by the Cowboys 22nd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He has developed the nickname of "Felix the Cat" for his quick movements and speed.

Early years[link]

Jones was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, where he was a football standout and a teammate of Robert Meachem, a 2010 member of the New Orleans Saints and Mark Anderson, a 2010 member of the Houston Texans.

College career[link]

Jones attend the University of Arkansas, where he majored in kinesiology and played for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team. While serving primarily as the back-up for All-American and two-time Doak Walker Award winner Darren McFadden, Jones was used in a variety of ways alongside McFadden and fullback Peyton Hillis in the Arkansas backfield. In the Wildhog formation, Jones was used as a runner, receiver, blocker, or simply a decoy. Jones gained fame for his ability in returning kickoffs, returning four for touchdowns during his college career.

Sophomore season[link]

In the 2006 season, Jones rushed for 1,168 yards and scored 6 touchdowns on only 154 carries, and averaged an impressive 7.6 yards per carry. He was also an all-American kickoff returner and had one TD on a 100-yard kickoff return against Ole Miss, and caught 15 passes for 107 yards and 3 touchdowns. With Jones alongside McFadden and Peyton Hillis, 2006 was the first time in University of Arkansas history that two different running backs rushed for more than 1,000 yards in the same season. Jones was named 1st Team SEC by the conference's coaches, and 2nd Team SEC by the media. That team finished 10-4 and won the SEC West Division title.^[1]

Junior season[link]

Jones finished with 123 carries for 1,117 yards and 11 TDs, while averaging 9.1 yards per carry, leading the nation. In addition, he led the Southeastern Conference in kickoff returns with 18 for 564 yards and 2 TDs, averaging 31.3 yards per return. Jones also had 13 receptions for 111 yards. 2007 marked the second straight year that Jones and McFadden have each eclipsed the 1,000 yards rushing in a season. The 2007 Razorbacks finished 8-4 before losing to Missouri in the January 1, 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic. Jones was named to the 2007 1st Team SEC squad as a kick returner, and 2nd team SEC as a running back. He was also named an All-American kick returner.

After being hired as the Razorbacks' head coach, Bobby Petrino stated that Jones was his "highest recruiting target" and soon met with Jones to discuss his future with Arkansas. However, Jones decided to forgo his senior season to enter the 2008 NFL Draft where numerous publications projected him to be taken in the first or second round.

Career statistics[link]

Professional career[link]

Dallas Cowboys[link]

Felix Jones during the 2009 NFL season

Jones was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round, 22nd overall, of the 2008 NFL Draft. He signed a professional contract on July 26 for $10.53 million, with $7.67 million guaranteed, including a $3.57 million signing bonus.^[2]

On his first rushing attempt in the NFL, Jones ran for an 11-yard touchdown during the third quarter in a 28–10 victory over the Cleveland Browns. He finished the game with nine carries for 62 yards.^[3] On 15 September 2008, during a Monday Night Football game versus the Philadelphia Eagles, Jones returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Jones was the starting kick returner during the Cowboys' 41–37 win against Philadelphia.^[4]

In his 3rd NFL game, Jones ran for a 60-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on September 21, 2008.^[5] In Week 6, in the game against the Arizona Cardinals, Jones injured his left hamstring. It was reported by ESPN on November 20, 2008 that Jones would be out for the rest of the year due to a torn ligament suffered during rehab of that injury.

In his second season in the NFL Jones has received more carries per game than his rookie year, despite being one of three running backs used in the Cowboys offense. Jones led the NFL in rushing yards per attempt in 2009. In his rookie season he never rushed for more than nine carries a game, but has started reaching the double digits. While not a starting running back he could easily carry the ball for his team whenever he needed to. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has slowly been giving him more rushing attempts. Jones believes that “Patience is a virtue. You need it. You need to have patience. Just wait, your time is coming.”^[6]

Career statistics[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Arkansas Razorbacks bio
• Dallas Cowboys bio
• NFL Profile
• Official Website

LeSean McCoy

McCoy in 2011.
No. 25     Philadelphia Eagles
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1988-07-12) July 12, 1988 (age 23)
Place of birth: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Weight: 208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
College: Pittsburgh
NFL Draft: 2009 / Round: 2 / Pick: 53
Debuted in 2009 for the Philadelphia Eagles
Career history
Philadelphia Eagles (2009–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (2011) All-Pro (2011) FedEx Ground Player of the Year (2011) Philadelphia Eagles record for rushing yards by a rookie (606 yards in 2009) Philadelphia Eagles single-season record for rushing touchdowns (17 touchdowns in 2011) Philadelphia Eagles single-season record for touchdowns (20 touchdowns in 2011) 2× First-team All-Big East (2007–2008) Sporting News Big East Offensive MVP (2008) Rivals.com Big East Player of the Year (2008) Rivals.com second-team All-America (2008) SI.com second-team All-America (2008) Big East Rookie of the Year (2007) Rivals.com Freshmen All-America (2007)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2011
Rushing Yards 3,026 Average 4.8 Rushing TDs 28 Receptions 166 Receiving yards 1,215 Receiving TDs 5 Stats at NFL.com

LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), nicknamed "Shady,"^[1] is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Eagles in the second round (53rd Overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh.

Early years[link]

McCoy was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He attended Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, the same high school attended by Ricky Watters. As a high school senior, he earned first team Class AAAA Associated Press All-State; as a sophomore, he once broke out for 406 yards in a game ^[2]; as a junior he ran for 2,828 yards, scored 33 touchdowns, and earned Associated Press Class AAAA player of the year, Offensive MVP of the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Conference, 1st team Associated Press All-State.^[3] At one point during his junior year of high school, LeSean was considered to be the top prospect in the country. During his senior season, McCoy had committed to the University of Miami. However, experiencing academic difficulties at Bishop McDevitt and suffering a broken ankle led McCoy to attend prep school at Milford Academy in New Berlin, New York for the 2006–07 school year. He had been invited to play in the Big 33 Football Classic and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl that year, but ultimately did not participate in those games as he was still recovering from his injury. Following a coaching change at Miami, McCoy committed to the University of Pittsburgh on January 16, 2007.^[4]

McCoy was considered "One of the country's elite running back prospects...rated the nation's No. 7 running back by Scout.com"^[5] A 2006 ESPN evaluation described him as "lightning in a bottle every time he touches the ball."^[6]

At the 2004 State College NIKE Training Camp, LeSean McCoy recorded a 4.25 40 yard dash, the fastest 40 time of the event.^[7]

College career[link]

McCoy was the cornerstone of the "Wildcat offense" which the Pittsburgh Panthers unveiled in a September 2007 game against the Michigan State Spartans. In the Wildcat offense, McCoy lined up as quarterback in a shotgun formation and took direct snaps from center,^[8] Sporting News, while commenting in an Associated Press story that "LeSean McCoy is off to one of the best starts by any Pitt freshman running back not named Tony Dorsett", criticized the Wildcat offense by remarking further, "McCoy might need to be a combination of both Dorsett and Dan Marino for the Panthers to start producing some offense other than through his running."^[9]

McCoy finished his freshman year 2nd in the Big East Conference and is 19th in the NCAA Division I FBS (formerly I-A) in rushing yards with 1,328. He also finished third in the conference and tied for 19th in the NCAA Div I-FBS with 14 rushing touchdowns. McCoy was named to the freshmen All-American team by Rivals.com and was also a first team All-Big East selection by Rivals.com.^[10] In his final game of his Freshman year he ran for 148 yards against rival West Virginia in the 100th Backyard Brawl to help the 28-point underdog Panthers knock off the then-#2 Mountaineers.^[11]

On January 14, 2009, the University of Pittsburgh announced that McCoy declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft forgoing his final two years of eligibility.^[12]

Professional career[link]

Pre-draft[link]

Philadelphia Eagles[link]

McCoy was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round (53rd Overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract with the team on June 29, 2009.^[14]

McCoy was pressed into service as a starter against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 27, 2009 when the Eagles deactivated starter Brian Westbrook due to an ankle injury. He scored his first touchdown in the first quarter of the game on a five-yard rush. McCoy started against the New York Giants on November 1, 2009. He carried the ball 11 times for 82 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 10 yards. McCoy made his third start for a NBC Sunday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys. McCoy rushed 13 times for 54 yards and caught five passes for 61 yards in a 20-16 losing effort. Westbrook sustained a concussion against San Diego and McCoy was called on yet again to be the starter in a road game against the Chicago Bears on NBC Sunday Night Football. He performed very well and he rushed 20 times for 99 yards and a touchdown, as the Eagles won the game 24-20.

On December 20, 2009 against the San Francisco 49ers, McCoy broke the all-time Eagles rookie rushing record with 606 yards on the year. The record was previously set by Correll Buckhalter with 586 yards in 2001.^[15]

On March 18, 2010, McCoy changed his number from 29 to 25, which he previously wore when he was at the University of Pittsburgh. He became the starting running back after Westbrook was released from the team prior to the start of the 2010 season.

LeSean McCoy finished the 2011 season as the league's fourth leading rusher, after sitting out the last game. During the December 18, 2011 game against the New York Jets, McCoy broke the Eagles' single season touchdown and rushing touchdown records previously set by Steve Van Buren in 1945. McCoy currently holds the records with 17 rushing and 20 total touchdowns. He was also voted into the Pro Bowl for his season's performance. McCoy won the Fed Ex Ground Player of the Year Award, and was also voted Associated Press All-Pro First Team running back.

On May 17th, 2012, it was announced that McCoy had signed a 5-year contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles. The contract is worth $45 million with $20.765 million guaranteed.^[16]

Career Statistics[link]

Personal[link]

McCoy's brother, LeRon McCoy, is a wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League.

References[link]

External links[link]

• University of Pittsburgh-sponsored website
• LeSean McCoy on Twitter
• Philadelphia Eagles bio
• Pittsburgh Panthers football bio
• Scout.com bio
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