It’s official: UGA all-star linebacker Jarvis Jones to enter NFL draft as junior
ATHENS – Jarvis Jones is turning pro.
Not that anybody didn’t already know that. The junior outside linebacker has been projected as high as No. 1 in the April NFL if he chose to forgo his senior season. But it wasn’t until late Friday evening that Claude Felton, UGA’s director of sports communications, confirmed the news via Jones. Felton said Georgia is not planning a formal news conference at this point.
Jones issued a statement through UGA:
“This has been a difficult decision, and one that I have talked over with my family and coaches. I want to thank my family, teammates, coaches and support staff and the Bulldog Nation for everything over the last three years. I will always appreciate the chance Georgia gave me after my injury at Southern Cal. There is nothing like the Bulldog fans and I will forever be proud to wear the ‘G’. I think this decision comes at the right time for me and my family and I look forward to seeing what the next level holds for me. Go Dogs!”
Jones leaves with the Bulldogs’ single-season record for quarterback sacks. After getting two against Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl this past Tuesday, Jones finished with 14.5, or point-five more than David Pollack, who set the old record in 2002. That was also tops in the nation.
Jones, a 6-3, 241-pound native of Columbus, a two-time consensus All-American, recorded 28 sacks in his two seasons with Georgia. He played in 26 games over his two seasons with Georgia, starting all of them. He finished his career with 28 sacks in that span (1.08/game), which is tied for third in school history. Jones also recorded 44 tackles for loss of 235 yards, 155 total tackles, nine forced fumbles and an interception during his time as a Bulldog.
Jones, a 2012 consensus First Team All-American, ;ed the nation in tackles for loss (24.5 for loss of 132 yards) and forced fumbles (seven). He was third on the Bulldogs with 85 tackles and added an interception and two fumble recoveries in 12 games played this season (Jones was injured for two of Georgia’s 14 games).
Jones joined the Bulldogs as a scout team member in 2010 after transferring from Southern California. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 2011 after leading the SEC in sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (19.5) and piling up 70 tackles in 14 games.
The 2013 NFL draft is April 25-27.
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132 comments Add your comment
UGA = DUMB
January 4th, 2013
8:40 pm
Shoulda left after last season…will never make back the money he pissed away by coming back to play in a meaningless bowl game…
Ship Him To California.....
January 4th, 2013
8:45 pm
Ship off to some far away land where he will disappear as a nobody….don’t care to ever see him play again……especially as a Falcon…..don’t need another Mike Vick.
BDK
January 4th, 2013
8:50 pm
Wow! Two idiots in a row! Either they have never watched football, or they are Tech fa…Oh, never mind.
T2Dawg
January 4th, 2013
8:53 pm
Oh look, the Nerd Trolls are starting to show up. Must be taking a break from their video gaming. Now, on to the important stuff. Jarvis, thanks for always playing with fire, heart and class. As many have said, you were, are, and always will be a DGD.
Hairy Dawg
January 4th, 2013
8:56 pm
Congrats to Jarvis. He’ll represent UGA well in the NFL.
UGA = DUMB
January 4th, 2013
8:57 pm
It made no sense for him to come back…didn’t change his draft status…didn’t play in a bowl game anyone cares about…why??..
Fan
January 4th, 2013
9:14 pm
We love you you Jarvis. glad you made it back to UGA. You played your butt off. Thanks for coming back this year. You said all along last year that you were coming back and did not waiver. You represented the program well. Thanks and good luck.
gomdawg
January 4th, 2013
9:18 pm
THANKS JJ IT GREAT TO HAVE YOU HAS A DAWG, . GOOD LUCK AT THE NEXT LEVEL.
Ghost of Sinkwich
January 4th, 2013
9:22 pm
Great player and an even a better person. DGD!
Good luck in the NFL.
JB
January 4th, 2013
9:31 pm
With Garner out of the way Maybe Richt/Bobo and whoever takes over recruiting can start a “sooner” relationship path with some of the top highly ranked Georgia high school students who are leaving the state every year. Yes, we get our share and can’t sign them all, but look at this big class this coming year and see that only 2 or 3 of the top 10 rated in the state are coming to Athens. That needs to stop.
bucket
January 4th, 2013
9:35 pm
Jarvis gave his word that he was going to play 2 seasons for the Dawgs and that’s exactly what he did. Thanks for keeping your word JJ and for providing the kids of this state with a great example to follow.
PIERCE COUNTY DAWG
January 4th, 2013
9:56 pm
Jarvis hope you got Jenkins ready to take your place next year. Dam good dog. Thanks for all the memories you made us DOG FANS,wish you happiness,health and hope you make millions. Thanks for being dedicated to the “G”. WiLL ALWAYS REMEMBER “29″ AND WHATNHE BROUGHT THE TEAM!!!!!
Murray the millionaire
January 4th, 2013
9:59 pm
still another millionaire on that team! Wow!
Lonnie
January 4th, 2013
10:31 pm
Congrats Jarvis! So proud of you and what you have accomplished!!! Will see you on Sundays!!!!
Eldawg
January 4th, 2013
11:03 pm
Thank you Jarvis! well done!
It never ends
January 4th, 2013
11:09 pm
Jarvis leads the nation in sacks and tackles for loss in only twelve games. Ogletree has 115 tackles in twelve games and the linebacker from Notre Dame gets an invitation to the Heisman ceremony. The ND bias is alive and well.
Ole Dawg
January 4th, 2013
11:11 pm
Here we go again…Joe Jenkins…..you are some kind of idoit….Javis Jones is the best player to come through the SEC in the pass 25 years….and you have some negative crap to come up with…I bet you are a jewel to live with …if your even marriedl..or have a girlfriend….I wish you would not even take time to say anything about Georgia…………..Thank you Jarvis…you are the BEST!!
bubba4dawgs
January 4th, 2013
11:16 pm
Here’s wishing you the very best, Jarvis! You’re indeed ad DGD!! I know your hometown of Columbus, Ga. is very proud of you as is the DAWG Nation! Looking forward to seeing you play on Sundays with so much pride from where you came from!! GO JARVIS! GO DAWGS!!
Taco
January 4th, 2013
11:19 pm
Congrats Jarvis and I hope you make millions. I am very glad to see you go as a Tech fan. I was also pleasantly surprised to see you were not a thug like all of the other trash from Carver of Columbus. You are a fine young man. Stay Straight and Stay Clean and make the state and UGA proud of you. Come back and get that diploma as well. You are an example other great players in this state need to follow. At USC you were treated as just another number. In state you have become a hero and a legend.
UGA in SC
January 4th, 2013
11:38 pm
JJ your a damn good Dawg! I’m sad to see you go, UGA will miss your leadership but GATA in the NFL!
GO DAWGS!!!!
graydog
January 4th, 2013
11:52 pm
Good luck in the NFLJarvis. We’ll be pulling for you on Sundays. DGD! Love you. man.
NorthGaDAWG
January 5th, 2013
12:05 am
@ joe jenkins January 4th, 2013 7:37 pm … Hey Jenks, like one of your tech nerds wouldve done any better trying to stop anyone run at them..? Go back to our BasketBall blog looser!! Nerd…
Ga # 1 Gamecock Fan!
January 5th, 2013
12:17 am
Great player!
He made a great decision to leave before making history next Sept with the cocks take their 4th straight from GA!
BV
January 5th, 2013
1:16 am
What a thug, self-serving, loser!
Iluvnutela
January 5th, 2013
2:10 am
Aint gonna miss ya…..good Luck in the NFL! The hometown team needs you bad! (Falcons) Not sorry to see you go AT ALL! Go Jackets!
Fourth and 15
January 5th, 2013
3:37 am
Thank you Jarvis for coming to Georgia and for allowing us to watch how the game was meant to be played by a real man. We will miss you.
zbulldawg
January 5th, 2013
5:49 am
Thank you Jarvis Jones. LET THE BIG DAWG EAT
Pi Muon
January 5th, 2013
7:34 am
Jarvis Jones will fit right in with the other thugs in the NFL. Give a thug millions of dollars, and all you’ve got is a wealthy thug with no class.
CHDawg
January 5th, 2013
7:50 am
Class act! Blessings on a great future, wherever that takes you…
UGA = DUMB
January 5th, 2013
7:55 am
Ole Dawg.. Jones is the best player to come thru the SEC in the last 25 yrs??? Put the bottle down…he wasn’t the best player this year…Manziel and Clowney were better…CJ Mosely, Kevin Minter and Damontre Moore were just as good this season…like Cam, he was a good rental…
ZinoDawg
January 5th, 2013
7:59 am
Jarvis Jones – Damn Good Dog!
We will miss you man- good luck in the NFL. Please go easy when you play the Falcons!
ZinoDawg
January 5th, 2013
8:04 am
@Pi Muon – I am trying to think of the correct word to describe you. Idiot, tool, racist, jacka$$, those are just a few that come to mind.
ugacolumbusgafan2012
January 5th, 2013
8:13 am
JJ, BEST WISHES TO NFL AND GOD BLESS YOU… THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT AT UGA , YOU ARE ONE OF BEST PLAYERS TO PLAY FOR UGA AND ON TO PRO U GO. SMILES . ONE OF YOUR GOALS IS COMPLETED.
JJ will always
January 5th, 2013
8:32 am
Jarvis will always be remembered for his many performances in the clutch, like vs MO or stripping the ball on a TD run, late vs. Florida.
GOOD LUCK and put some money away for when football is over.
BigTimeTECHFan
January 5th, 2013
8:37 am
Best of luck from this Tech fan.
Jones was a very fine player and represented UGA well, always played hard. Would fit very well on 3/4 or 4/3, like to see him lined up with Attoachu, Spoon as the Falcons LB’s
BigTimeTECHFan
January 5th, 2013
8:41 am
FYI,
ESPN contributer Kipp Adams is reporting that Mississippi State assistant Chris Wilson will be named defensive line coach at Georgia. I have not confirmed this information
David
January 5th, 2013
8:47 am
This is no shock to me that JJ entering the NFL. He can start for almost any NFL team now. I would love to see him in a Falcons uniform; however, I believe 99.9% he will draft way before Atlanta picks. This is not by first time saying this to all recruits who may think about going to UGA; UGA will give you a great education, great coaches, and a great opportunity to play early and go into the NFL it just a great pipeline, and I know there are other great programs out there. It is that simple, do you prefer to be in the mix to go elsewhere or go to UGA where the “G” and in three years be pick first round in the NFL draft. There will be a bunch this year!
cattledawgs
January 5th, 2013
9:02 am
Football scoop has the hire of Wilson as well. He was the dl coach at Miss State.
snoop dawgy dawg
January 5th, 2013
9:07 am
Wish UGA had done more with him while he was there none the less good look in the NFL Jarvis and GO DAWGS
snoop dawgy dawg
January 5th, 2013
9:07 am
*luck
cattledawgs
January 5th, 2013
9:07 am
Actually was the dc at miss state.
DawgFan
January 5th, 2013
9:29 am
Congratulations to one of the all time great players and people to play at UGA. Good luck in the NFL and hope you come back when you can to finish your degree. DGD to the nth degree
ClassDawg
January 5th, 2013
9:53 am
Thanks Jarvis for the outstanding memories and being the best super-class student athlete since #34. Best of luck in the Pros!
ATLien
January 5th, 2013
10:00 am
Good luck JJ….DGD. Here’s hoping the Falcons trade another haul of picks to move up and keep you in the red and black.
OkieDawg
January 5th, 2013
10:27 am
Good luck Jarvis…One of my favorite dawgs of all time. The NFL can’t pay him enough. I hope he has a long and prosperous career. Jarvis’s is a feel good story…Columbus-Carver to USC and an injury set back that was considered career ending followed by a second chance and one year on the practice squad ending in college greatness and a top NFL draft pick. But the story is not over and I hope it only gets better. He deserves it because he persevered through adversity when most kids would have just given up.
RedandBlackDAWG
January 5th, 2013
10:46 am
UGA = DUMB
Ship Him To California
Ga # 1 Gamecock Fan!
BV
Iluvnutela
Pi Muon
And the list of losers just keeps getting bigger.
Paul Johnson #1 Offensive Mind
January 5th, 2013
10:57 am
Glad you told me his last name….
Locks made it impossible
My-Guy
January 5th, 2013
11:31 am
My concern about the 2013 season for UGA is that it could be another 2003 or 2008!
Notice how the 2001-2006-2011 five year period are the year we have improved as a team with ups & downs during the season, but make expectations for the next season!
2002-2007-2012 are the years we are capable of winning a national championship, and the season turns out to be one of the greatest seasons in UGA history, but one or two losses that ruined our season or blew out our national title hopes
2003-2008-possibly 2013 are the years when we’ve still had talent left on the team, but our defense starts to slack off and give up tons of points and our “could’ve been season” turns out to be a dangerous nightmare! We still finish the season out strong though, and still proud!
My-Guy
January 5th, 2013
11:34 am
Read This WHOLE Statement!
Let’s recap Georgia’s 2008 losses of the season, we broadcasted Sanford Stadium on ESPN for the blackout game against Alabama, it turned out to be a huge embarrassment, we were thinking it was the 2007 Alabama team, but they shocked the world and gave us revenge in 2008 because of the 2007 overtime win in Tuscaloosa (26-23), they payed us back in Athens with a 31-0 halftime lead, our game plan for the 2nd half worked pretty well, but it was too late, they finished 41-30. Florida definitely gave us revenge as well because they knew what we did to them in 2007; their players prepared all offseason long for us, and were quiet during the Georgia-Florida 2008 hate week ready to surprise us! We missed trillions of opportunities in the first half of that game, if we would’ve used those opportunities against Florida in 2008, the momentum would’ve been ours, but who knows what could’ve happened afterwards! It ended with a devastating 49-10 loss which took us out of the national championship, again…. like 2002 & 2005, when Florida upset us those years. Now I bet nobody thought of this, we do lead GT in the series 62-40-5, however, you want to know what’s funny, GT still has the longest winning streak against us for 8 years (1949-1956), from 2001-2007 we defeated GT for 7 years straight, but in 2008, we were so close, one year away, but we had to start over the streak, the GT players introduced their triple option offense & were so motivated and MADE SURE we wouldn’t tie their 8 year winning streak in the series, they knew that! It was so simple, all we had to do was beat GT in 2008 then we could’ve possibly had the longest winning streak against GT right now (12 years), but no, it started over in 2009, same issue with (1991-1997), but blew it in 1998 against tech, right now we have a 4 year streak but we have to beat GT again from 2013-2015 to get our streak back in business for a rematch in 2016 & who knows how good GT could be by then! Florida & GT out scored 30+ unanswered points in the second half against us in 2008!
So with our defense building next year, including all the front seven and secondarys, it could be another high scoring fest season again like 2008, trying to get stops against tougher senior offensive teams and relying on our offense to help us win games with that tough schedule next year! SYKE…. I DON’T BELIEVE THIS CRAP, 2013 the BULLDAWGS WILL STEP IT UP WITH NEW HUNGRY DEFENSIVE PLAYERS, AARON MURRAY WILL RETURN AND WE WILL SHOCK THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL WORLD! 14-0 season coming right up! Don’t worry guys, Alec Ogletree and Jarvis Jones made the best decision, it’s time for them to go & help their families! Our new defense/backups will step it up and get the experience they need!
Lagdawg
January 5th, 2013
11:42 am
Good for JJ. He showed a lot of class and determination while he was here. Now it is time for the young pups to step up and do better. Also, BTW, I don’t think anybody on the AJC staff is reporting on the Dawgs today, but there has been a hire as the DL Coach. He was actually hired Friday night. As ususal the AJC is behind once again. We might get this story by Monday.