Chad D'Orsey Jones, born on October 5, 1988, is an American former baseball and football player. Jones attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans before evacuating to Southern Laboratory High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina.
From a young age, both brothers aspired to one day have careers as professional athletes. Their father, Al Jones, Jr., encouraged the boys to achieve those goals. "If they want to be in that one percent, then that's what they should be.
Jones was selected by the Houston Astros in the 13th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft but decided to attend Louisiana State University.
High School Career
Jones prepped at St. Augustine High School in eastern New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina forced him and his family to relocate to Baton Rouge just before his junior season. He enrolled at Southern Lab, recording 81 tackles, eleven pass deflections and four interceptions to earn first-team All-District and All-State Class A honors.
As a senior, Jones had an outstanding season while leading Southern Lab to a state semifinal berth. He collected 138 tackles and 12 interceptions, returning six of them for scores, while rushing for 464 yards and 12 touchdowns to earn first-team All-District and All-State honors for the second-straight season.
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He was a consensus five-star All-American by every recruiting service, and was one of four defensive backs in the country to be named to the prestigious Parade All-American Team. On the baseball diamond, Jones featured a 91 mph fastball and batted over .500 during his final season.
College Career at LSU
He chose to follow his older brother to Louisiana State, where he played both sports for the school, turning down a $745,000 signing bonus from the Astros.
Jones joined the Tigers football program in 2007 and immediately began making his presence felt. As a true freshman, he played in all fourteen games and provided the team with versatility and depth, returning kickoffs and punts in addition to serving as a backup safety, handling dime package duties.
He also made his mark on LSU's special teams coverage units, where he registered a team-leading 23 tackles in that capacity, finishing the year with a total of 34 tackles, two sacks and an interception. He also broke up four passes and caused one fumble. LSU capped off the season with a victory over Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game.
In his second year, Jones saw his role on defense expand as he played in all 13 games and started five contests (one a free safety, one at dime, three at nickel). As a sophomore, Jones started eight games for the baseball team (three in left field, three in right field and two at designated hitter) before leaving for six weeks to participate in spring football practice.
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Jones had an outstanding outing vs. Texas in the final game of the 2009 College World Series. He pitched 1.2 perfect innings, allowing no hits and no walks while striking out two to preserve an 11-4 win for LSU.
Jones joined teammate Jared Mitchell as the only two players in college history to claim a BCS national title and a baseball national title. It was a "family affair" for Jones and his brother, defensive lineman Rahim Alem, the last three seasons, as Tigers fans got to see the duo star for the Louisiana State defensive unit.
As a junior on the gridiron, Jones became the Tigers' fulltime starter at free safety while doubling as a part-time punt returner. He ranked fifth on the team with 73 tackles (37 solos) including 2.5 stops for losses and led the squad with three interceptions.
Jones earned Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after a seven tackle performance vs. Mississippi State, in which he made an electric play by returning a punt 93 yards for a touchdown. He earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the league's coaches and the Associated Press.
Shortly after the Capital One Bowl, Jones announced that he would not be returning to the university for his senior season and had applied for entry in the 2010 NFL Draft.
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Jones played in all 40 games at Louisiana State, starting 19 contests - thirteen at free safety and six as the nickel back. His 93-yard punt return for a touchdown vs. Mississippi State in 2009 was the second-longest punt return in school history behind Eddie Kennison's 100 yard return vs. Mississippi State in 1994.
Table of Career highlights:
| Accolade | Year |
|---|---|
| Second-Team All-SEC (AP) | 2009 |
| Second-Team All-SEC (Coaches) | 2009 |
| Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week | Sept. 27, 2009 |
| SEC Special Teams Player of the Week vs. Miss. State | Sept. 28, 2009 |
Here's a breakdown of his defensive impact in key games during his junior season:
- Louisiana-Lafayette: Contributed four tackles, two interceptions, and one pass deflection.
- Mississippi State: Registered seven tackles and returned two punts for 93 yards and a touchdown.
- Florida: Collected a career-high 12 tackles.
- Mississippi: Recorded five tackles with one stop for a four-yard loss.
- Arkansas: Collected two tackles, one interception, and one pass deflection.
- Penn State (Capital One Bowl): Led the team with eight tackles, one forced fumble, one blocked punt, and one pass deflection.
After declaring for the 2010 NFL Draft following his stellar junior season, Jones will get his opportunity. "Since I was a kid growing up in a family with a strong football tradition, I've always dreamed of playing football in college and hoped one day I'd make it to the NFL," Jones said.
Widely considered to be the best all-around athlete on the team, Jones gave the Tigers secondary a boost when he moved into a full-time starting role at free safety as a junior.
The free safety chipped in a team-high three interceptions for a squad that improved its number of pass thefts from eight in 2008 to thirteen in 2009. The dynamic playmaker also provided a spark in the return game. In that contest, Jones returned a fourth quarter punt 93 yards for a touchdown, weaving through would-be tacklers before falling into the end zone. The play marked the second-longest punt return in school history.
With just one season of fulltime starting experience, Jones is a raw talent. However, there is little doubt that he possesses the physical attributes to excel at the next level. With the versatility and coverage skills to play free safety and the tackling ability to play the strong spot, he should only get better as he refines his technique.
Always A Fire | Chad Jones Documentary
Jones was selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft, and the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth round of the 2013 MLB draft.
As a true freshman in 2007 Jones played in all 14 of the Tigers games at cornerback and was a member of their National Championship team. He finished with 34 tackles, two sacks, and an interception.
Jones was involved in a single-car crash in New Orleans during the early morning hours of June 25, 2010.
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