WhoooLeeOooh: Mr. Jones Is Definitely Ready For Prime Time

Wide receiver Julio Jones is probably the most well-known receiver in the history of the storied Alabama Football program, bar none.

There have been some greats, no doubt, but Julio is the most recognized body ever donning the No. 8 crimson and white jersey standing on the gridiron at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

He is a dominating physical specimen. At 6'4" and 220 lb, Julio Jones demands the attention of the opposition defense. There are very few defenses in the SEC that can match up on this wide receiver one-on-one.

Some say he is over-rated and he has not achieved his potential. But the nay-sayers have not looked at the numbers. In his freshman year, Julio Jones recorded 58 receptions for 924 yards and four touchdowns. He set the Alabama freshman record for receptions and yards as well as receiving touchdowns.

Who did he pass along the way? Ozzie Newsome (1974) for the receiving yards (374) and A.C. Carter (1999) for receptions (45) and touchdowns (3).

He blew past these old freshman records on way to an SEC freshman of the year (AP and Sporting News), first team freshman All-American (Football Writers Association and Sporting News selections), and second team All-SEC selection (Associated Press). 

Don't get me wrong, other programs with pass-happy offenses have done much more, statistically, but we are talking about the University of Smash-mouth, power running football.

In that freshman season, Julio had 18 catches for 20 yards or more, and 44 of his 58 receptions were for first downs or touchdowns. Eleven of the completions were on third down.

He caught a pass in each of the 14 games of the 2008 season and had three or more completions in the final 10 games of the season.

His best effort of the 2008 season came against the Georgia Bulldogs. In a "blacked out" stadium, on the road in Athens, Julio had his best career game; five catches for 94 yards and one touchdown.

That touchdown came late in the second quarter, on a 22-yard fade to the corner of the end zone, giving the Tide a 31-0 halftime lead.

Julio came to the Capstone with promise, and promises were made to him if he would commit to the Alabama program. Both parties delivered on their promises.

His reception on the first play from scrimmage in the 2008 SEC Title game infused an unbelievable sense of confidence and urgency in a team that was overmatched by the eventual National Champion, Florida Gators.

The Herculean effort gave the Alabama team the will and grit to battle for the championship until late in the fourth quarter.

Alabama gave Florida its toughest matchup in the 2008 season; a better match than the national runner-up Oklahoma Sooners.

After his freshman year, he had surgery for injuries that nagged him throughout the year. He had injured his thumb and shoulder during the season but delayed the necessary surgeries in order to complete the season and help his team as much as possible.

2008 ended in an undefeated regular season and a Western Division championship, the Tide's first in more than a decade.

Following recovery from the necessary surgery and rehabilitation process, Julio was able to participate in spring practice and held his position against very good competition.

His catch and run over All-American Rashad Johnson in the 2009 A-day game showed maturity and development of a future gridiron hero. He was clearly ready for a second campaign in 2009.

Against Virginia Tech, Mr. Jones caught four passes for 46 yards, and two of the completions were for first downs.

In the second game of the season, against the FIU Panthers, Julio bruised his knee on his second touch of the game and was sidelined for the remainder of the contest.

He sat out the next game against North Texas in hope of restoring confidence in his knee. The knee injury would nag him for the rest of the season.

Against Arkansas, Julio hauled in his first touchdown pass of the season. It came on a 50-yard strike from Greg McElroy on a double reverse out of the Wildcat formation.

Against South Carolina, Coach Saban found another use for the big man. Substituting for Javier Arenas, Jones returned five punts for 75 yards. He had a longest run of 33 yards.

Though he did not have a catch in the game, he battled double and triple coverage all night. He caused a fumble on an interception, allowing the Tide to retain possession in a closely fought contest in Tuscaloosa.

His contribution against the Volunteers of Tennessee was instrumental in the hard-fought win. Jones had seven receptions for 54 yards, and three of those completions were for first downs.

His most memorable catch of the season was a 73-yard jaunt off a wide receiver screen pass, giving the Tide a lead that proved insurmountable against the pesky Tigers of LSU.

His contribution to the game-winning drive against Auburn is clearly a memorable moment for the 2009 season and his best effort of the year. Jones finished against the in-state rival with nine catches for 83 yards, averaging 9.2 yards/catch.

In his first two seasons, Julio Jones has fulfilled his objectives. Though he would like to have done more, and opportunities were there for the taking, he has accomplished much for the Crimson Tide.

His first season landed him fifth best for receptions in a season. With 101 career receptions, he will likely fall in third or second place following the 2010 campaign.

He needs 32 receptions to surpass David Bailey (132) and 52 pass completions to move into second place over David Palmer (152). D.J. Hall sits at the top of the list with 194 completions.

Jones is 550 yards from overtaking Ozzie Newsome (2,070 yards) for career receiving yards. That would place him second amongst all receivers in Alabama history, in just his third season.

D.J. Hall also owns this record, having amassed 2,923 yards. Hall and Newsome played four seasons at the Capstone.

The record is not likely reachable in 2010 unless the passing attack is totally unleashed and unplugged. That is not likely to happen with the well-stocked horse barn that will supply a powerful running game for the 2010 Crimson Tide.

Julio is on track. He is everything Alabama fans had hoped for and more. He is an unselfish player and excellent down-field blocker. He has the speed of a jackal and the movement of a gazelle.

Expect a phenomenal season if he stays healthy. Only a fool would think otherwise.