Chris Jones (punter)

Chris Jones (born July 21, 1989) is an American football punter for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at Carson-Newman College.

Early years

Jones attended Coosa High School where he was an All-Area punter. He accepted a scholarship from Carson-Newman College where he was a four-time starter and All-SAC performer.

As a freshman in college he led the SAC with a 41.4 average per punt. As a senior, he was second in the league with a 42.1 yards average. For his career he averaged 40.3 yards per punt, registered 46 punts inside the 20-yard-line, 20 punts of at least 50 yards and his longest punt was 73 yards.

Professional career

Jones was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cowboys in 2011 and was released before the season started. He was signed to the team's practice squad and filled in for an injured Mat McBriar in two games, recording a 42.6-yard gross average.

In 2012, the Cowboys decided to not resign McBriar. Jones entered the season as the starter, but suffered a left knee injury on September 23, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when he nearly had a punt blocked. On October 14, a practice injury to punter Brian Moorman forced him to play against the Baltimore Ravens with a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament he was still rehabbing. He was placed on the injured reserve list on October 24.

On August 24, 2013, during a preseason game, he was the second player (first Cowboys player) to hit the Cowboys Stadium high definition "jumbotron" scoreboard. In 2013, he regained his starting job and in his first full season finished with a 45-yard gross average, a 39.1-yard net average and 21 punts inside the 20-yard-line.

On March 10, 2014, he signed his exclusive rights tender of $645,000. He had a 45.4-yard per punt average with 21 downed inside the 20-yard line and a 39.8-yard net average.

In 2015, he ranked third in the league with a career-best 42.5 net average, though the Cowboys require him to directional punt. He tied for fifth with 22 fair catches and tied for fourteenth with 27 punts inside the 20-yard line. On December 7 against the Washington Redskins, he became the first punter in franchise history to recover a fumble during the return of one of his own punts.

On December 26, 2016 in a Monday Night Football game against the Detroit Lions, Jones garnered attention from social media for a big hit on Lion's returner Andre Roberts during a 4th quarter punt return. Roberts received the punt at the Lions 47 yard line. As Roberts broke the return down the left sideline, Cowboys LB Kyle Wilber had the angle on him. At the 20-yard line, Wilber dove toward Roberts where Jones met them both - lowering his shoulder and delivering a blow on Roberts that took the returner off his feet.