Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Jones goes long one last time and retires
Eagles punter Donnie Jones announced his retirement Tuesday.
Jones, 37, was the oldest active Eagles player, topping offensive linemen Jason Peters by a year.
Jones was automatic for five straight Eagles seasons covering 84 consecutive games, including the playoffs. He earned the nicknames Donnie Longball and Thunderfoot for his prowess. Jones exits as the Eagles’ alltime leader in gross punting average (45.37) and net average (40.5), in career punts inside the 20 (138) and most single-season punts inside the 20 (34, 2014), and in best net punting average in a season, having averaged 41.6 yards in the 2015 campaign.
Right now, the replacement is Cameron Johnston, the Aussie by way of Ohio State who was good and not so good competing against Jones in the Eagles’ last training camp. Johnston’s next regular season game will be his first.
“I have decided to retire so that I can spend more time with my family,” Jones said in a statement furnished by the Eagles. “I am grateful for all those who have supported me throughout the years. Specifically, I would like to thank Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson and the entire Eagles organization for allowing me to be a part of their family. I will truly miss my teammates, coaches, friends and the best fans in the NFL. Although I am retiring, I will always be an Eagle and will forever have a special place in my heart for the city of Philadelphia. It is a great honor to be a part of the first Super Bowl championship team in Eagles history and there is no better way to finish my career.”
Jones was the unsung hero on special teams in the postseason leading up to the Super Bowl, his pinpoint accuracy pinning the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings deep in their own territory.
Jones exits as the answer to the trivia question: Who had the only punt in Super Bowl LI? It was a 41-yarder.
“We want to congratulate Donnie Jones on reaching the pinnacle of his career and retiring as a Super Bowl champion,” the Eagles said in a statement. “Donnie is a professional in every sense of the word and we wish him all the best in retirement. We owe much of our recent special teams success to Donnie, as evidenced by the numerous franchise punting records he set during his fiveyear run with the Eagles. We will miss Donnie’s ability on the field but will also miss his enthusiastic personality and the daily commitment he made to engaging with our community and our fan base.”