Steven Sedgewon Jones Jr. Bio
Steven Sedgewon Jones Jr. is an American professional football cornerback for the Dallas Renegades of the United Football League (UFL). A native of North Carolina, Jones built his reputation as a ball-hawking defender during a productive college career at Appalachian State, where he earned First-team All-American honors in 2021. After going undrafted in the 2023 National Football League Draft, he spent a brief stint with the Tennessee Titans before joining the Renegades, where he has continued to develop as a playmaker in the secondary.
Listed at 5 ft 10 in and 183 lb, Jones is recognized for his instincts in coverage, his work against the run, and his nose for the football. Through the spring of 2025, he had already produced two interceptions and 12 pass breakups, statistics that reflect the coverage skills he first showcased in the Sun Belt Conference.
Early Life and Background
Steven Sedgewon Jones Jr. was born on February 1, 1999, in Rockingham, North Carolina. He grew up in a tight-knit community in the central part of the state, where high school football remains a centerpiece of local culture. From an early age, Jones gravitated toward the defensive side of the ball, and his competitive drive became clear as he rose through the youth ranks in Richmond County.
Jones attended Richmond Senior High School, where he closed out his prep career as a senior with 35 tackles and three interceptions. His play earned him all-conference recognition and a two-star rating as a cornerback from recruiting services 247Sports and Scout.com. Although he was not the most heavily recruited prospect in his class, his production and instincts made him an attractive fit for programs looking for technically sound defensive backs willing to contribute on special teams.
Path to American Football
Coming out of Richmond Senior, Jones fielded interest from several programs before committing to Appalachian State University, a school with a strong tradition of developing defensive backs and a reputation for competing at a high level within the Sun Belt Conference. The Mountaineers offered him a path to play early on special teams while he continued to grow as a coverage corner, an opportunity that aligned with his strengths as a tough, intelligent defender.
Jones spent his first season in Boone, North Carolina, as a redshirt, focusing on strength and technique. In 2018, his second year with the program, he appeared in 13 games, almost exclusively on special teams. In a 72–7 win over Gardner–Webb, he blocked two punts and returned one for his first career touchdown, a performance that earned him Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors. The Mountaineers’ investment in his development was already beginning to pay off.
Steven Sedgewon Jones Jr. Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
During the 2018 season, Jones carved out a role on coverage units, finishing the year with five tackles and quickly establishing himself as a willing special teams contributor. Appalachian State rewarded that consistency with an expanded role in 2019, when he started two games and appeared in 13 overall, making seven tackles while continuing to refine his technique on the boundary.
As a junior in 2020, Jones played in every game as the third cornerback on the depth chart. He was used as a kick returner, averaging 21.9 yards per return, and his ball skills flashed when he picked off passes for 97 total yards and scored a touchdown against Troy. That season gave the Appalachian State coaching staff confidence that he was ready for a full-time starting role the following year.
Appalachian State Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Jones’ senior season in 2021 was the defining stretch of his college career. He appeared in all 14 games for the Mountaineers and started all but one, finishing the year with 51 tackles. He ranked in the top 20 nationally in passes defended with 13 and produced a signature performance against Arkansas State, intercepting three passes and returning two for touchdowns, a display that earned him both the Walter Camp and Bronko Nagurski national defensive player of the week awards.
By season’s end, Jones ranked second in the country and first in the Sun Belt with five interceptions, and he led the nation in interceptions returned for touchdowns. The Football Writers Association of America named him a First-team All-American, and he was also a First-team All-Sun Belt selection. In 2022, he returned for his final college season and was recognized as a Second-team All-Sun Belt pick, capping a five-year run at Appalachian State that transformed him from a lightly recruited two-star prospect into one of the most decorated defensive backs in program history.
Tennessee Titans Era (2023)
Jones entered the 2023 National Football League Draft as an undrafted free agent and signed with the Tennessee Titans on May 12, 2023. He spent the offseason and the start of training camp with the organization, working to earn a depth role in the secondary and on special teams. On August 29, 2023, the Titans waived him as part of their final roster cuts, ending his NFL rookie season before it could fully take shape.
Dallas Renegades Era (2024–Present)
On December 20, 2023, Jones signed with the Arlington Renegades of the XFL, a league that would later merge into the United Football League as the Dallas Renegades. He quickly established himself as a regular in the secondary, and on October 8, 2024, he re-signed with the franchise ahead of its 2025 spring campaign. Through the spring 2025 season, he had recorded 52 total tackles, 45 solo tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, 12 pass breakups, and one forced fumble, statistics that underline his reliability in coverage and against the run.
Driving Style and Strengths
Jones is at his best when he can read the quarterback’s eyes and break on the football in zone coverage, but he is also a willing tackler in the run game and a reliable performer on special teams. His instincts and ball skills allow him to play the position with a quarterback’s timing, and his competitiveness shows up on every snap, whether he is matched up on the boundary, working in the slot, or flying downfield on kick coverage.
Notable Events and Milestones
His three-interception game against Arkansas State in 2021 stands as the signature performance of his career, earning him two national defensive player of the week honors in a single afternoon. He followed that up with First-team All-American recognition from the Football Writers Association of America, making him one of the most honored Appalachian State defensive backs of his generation.
Steven Sedgewon Jones Jr. Career Wins
Throughout his college and professional career, Jones has been recognized primarily for his playmaking production rather than team championships. His on-field resume includes All-American and All-Sun Belt honors, national statistical leadership in interceptions returned for touchdowns, and a steadily growing body of work as a starting cornerback in the spring professional ranks. He has not yet been publicly tied to a team championship at the professional level, and his individual accolades remain the clearest measure of his success to this point in his career.
Appalachian State Highlights
During his time with the Mountaineers, Jones collected his most celebrated honors. He was named a First-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America in 2021, a First-team All-Sun Belt selection that same season, and a Second-team All-Sun Belt pick in 2022. He also earned Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors in 2018, a sign that his impact was felt in all three phases of the game long before he became a full-time starter.
Other Wins and Performances
At the professional level, Jones has continued to produce at a steady rate, with 12 pass breakups and two interceptions through the spring 2025 UFL season. While he has not yet added a professional individual award to his résumé, his statistical production suggests he is trending toward additional recognition as he continues to grow within the Dallas Renegades defensive scheme.
Steven Sedgewon Jones Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public details about Steven Sedgewon Jones Jr.’s family background remain limited, and verified information about his parents and any extended family in football has not been widely reported. What is clear is that he grew up in Rockingham, North Carolina, and that his development as a player was shaped by the strong football culture of his hometown and his high school program at Richmond Senior.
Personal Life
Jones has kept much of his personal life private, and publicly available sources do not detail a spouse, partner, or children. Off the field, he has remained focused on his professional career, continuing to train and develop as a cornerback while building his profile within the United Football League.
2025 Season Performance
Through the spring 2025 United Football League season, Jones had emerged as one of the more productive defensive backs for the Dallas Renegades. His 52 total tackles, 45 solo stops, and 12 pass breakups placed him among the team’s leaders in coverage, and his two interceptions continued a ball-hawking trend that began in college. His steady presence in the secondary gave the Renegades a reliable veteran on the back end as the team pushed through the middle of its schedule.
The 2025 campaign represented a continuation of the momentum he built with the franchise in 2024, and his decision to re-sign in October of that year reflected the organization’s confidence in his role. With experience at both the NFL and spring professional levels, Jones brought a calming influence to a defensive backfield that relied on his instincts and tackling in both zone and man situations.
Looking ahead, Jones remained a key piece of the Dallas Renegades’ secondary plans, and his production suggested he was trending toward another season of meaningful contributions. As the United Football League continues to grow, his combination of college pedigree and professional production positioned him as a player to watch in the evolving landscape of spring football.