- published: 13 Apr 2016
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Don Jones (born May 14, 1990) is an American football strong safety for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arkansas State University for the Red Wolves.
Played running back and defensive back for the Hazlewood Golden Bears in Town Creek, Alabama, coached by Aaron Goode. He starred as a guard on the basketball team, coached by Shane Childress. As a senior, Jones won the Class 1A 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters in track.
Jones ran for 1,869 yards and 22 touchdowns his senior year and had scholarship offers from 10 Division I schools. In July 2007, before his senior year, Jones was timed at 4.38 in a 40-yard dash at the Alabama-Birmingham football camp.
Hazlewood High School also has produced former NFL players Antonio Langham, Kerry Goode, Chris Goode, Kalvin Pearson, Joe Manley and Bob Penchion.
He played college football for the Arkansas State Red Wolves, where he started as a running back for head coach Steve Roberts. While with the Red Wolves, Jones rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 24 attempts and had 12 catches for 146 yards and a score as a freshman in 2009.
He then transferred to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he became a safety for head coach Steve Campbell, now head coach at the University of Central Arkansas. He then returned to Arkansas State in 2011, where he moved to defensive back and linebacker under head coach Hugh Freeze, now head coach at Ole Miss. As a senior for the Red Wolves, Jones played for Gus Malzahn, now head coach at Auburn University.