Tony Jones Bio
Tony Terrell Jones Jr. is an American professional football running back who most recently played for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Born on November 24, 1997, in St. Petersburg, Florida, he is best known for his college career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and his time on NFL practice squads and active rosters. After going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, he built his professional career across multiple league stops, including the New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and Arizona Cardinals. Jones also had a brief stint with the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL) in 2025 before moving north to the CFL. Standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 224 pounds, he has shown resilience through repeated practice squad elevations and active roster appearances.
Early Life and Background
Tony Terrell Jones Jr. was raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he first developed an interest in team sports. He attended St. Petersburg Catholic High School before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, one of the country’s most respected sports preparatory programs. At IMG Academy, he played both baseball and football, sharpening the multi-sport athleticism that would later shape his running back profile.
As a senior at IMG Academy, Jones emerged as a productive running back, recording 78 carries for 514 yards and 11 touchdowns. His performance earned him an invitation to the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, a showcase event for the nation’s top high school football prospects. Following that appearance, he committed to the University of Notre Dame to continue his football career at the collegiate level.
Path to American Football
Jones signed with Notre Dame as part of the program’s 2016 recruiting class and spent his first year developing on the scout team. He redshirted as a true freshman before earning rotational touches as a redshirt freshman in 2017, when he played in 12 games and rushed for 232 yards with three touchdowns. The following season, he appeared in 13 games and added 392 rushing yards with three more scores, showing growth as a downhill runner.
By his redshirt junior year in 2019, Jones had earned the starting running back role for the Fighting Irish. He missed a game and a half because of cartilage damage in his ribs suffered during a loss to Michigan, but he still finished the season with 857 rushing yards and six touchdowns. In the 2019 Camping World Bowl, he broke the record for the longest run in Notre Dame bowl game history with an 84-yard touchdown. He closed his college career by playing in the 2020 East-West Shrine Game in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, then declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Tony Jones Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Jones signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2020. After being waived during final roster cuts in early September, he was re-signed to the Saints’ practice squad the next day. He spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad before being elevated to the active roster for the team’s Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers on January 2, 2021.
In 2021, Jones won a roster spot with the Saints out of training camp, finishing the preseason with 106 rushing yards on 12 carries, a touchdown, and 42 receiving yards. An ankle injury in Week 4 forced him onto injured reserve, where he remained until late November. When healthy, he offered the Saints a complementary backfield option behind veterans Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II.
New Orleans Saints Breakthrough (2020–2023)
Jones’ first true breakthrough moment came in 2023 during his second stint with the Saints. Elevated to the active roster on September 18, 2023, he entered a Week 2 game against the Carolina Panthers after an injury to Jamaal Williams and ran for 34 yards on 12 carries while scoring his first two NFL career touchdowns. The performance was the high-water mark of his time in the league and led the Saints to sign him to the active roster two days later.
Despite the promise of that game, his second Saints tenure lasted only a few more weeks before he was released on October 7, 2023. Across both stints with New Orleans, Jones provided depth at running back and contributed on special teams, but the franchise’s crowded backfield limited his long-term role.
Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and Arizona Cardinals Tenures (2022–2024)
After being waived by the Saints on October 8, 2022, Jones was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks two days later. He appeared briefly on the active roster before being waived in mid-December, spending the rest of the season on Seattle’s practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster again in January 2023 before moving on in free agency.
In March 2023, Jones signed with the Denver Broncos but was waived at the end of August. He joined the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad in October 2023 and was signed to the active roster in early November, then released and re-signed multiple times over the next year. He finished his NFL career with 329 rushing yards, 96 receiving yards, and 3 total touchdowns, primarily serving as a versatile practice squad contributor.
Arlington Renegades Era (2025)
On May 7, 2025, Jones signed with the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League, becoming part of the spring league’s revamped rosters. He provided the Renegades with veteran backfield experience and a familiar special teams presence. The move gave him a clearer path to consistent touches than he had seen in his late NFL career.
BC Lions Era (2026)
On January 26, 2026, Jones left the Renegades to sign with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He was released during the Lions’ initial round of preseason roster cuts in May 2026, then re-signed nine days later. He was released again following the Lions’ first 2026 preseason game as the team shaped its regular-season depth chart.
Notable Events and Milestones
Jones’ most celebrated moment came in the 2019 Camping World Bowl, where his 84-yard touchdown run set the record for the longest run in Notre Dame bowl game history. He also became a 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant and a 2020 East-West Shrine Game selection, milestones that reflected his standing among the top college players of his class. His two-touchdown game against the Panthers in 2023 marked his first NFL scores.
Tony Jones Career Wins
Tony Terrell Jones Jr.’s career has been defined more by perseverance and versatility than by headline win totals. Across his college career at Notre Dame, he helped the Fighting Irish reach major bowl games and served as a featured back in 2019, while his professional career has included stints on practice squads and active rosters for multiple NFL franchises.
College Highlights
Jones finished his Notre Dame career with more than 1,400 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns across the 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons. He capped his senior year with 857 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns and was a key part of a Fighting Irish team that reached the Camping World Bowl. He also earned the right to play in both the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the 2020 East-West Shrine Game.
Professional Highlights
In the NFL, Jones appeared in limited regular-season action for the New Orleans Saints and recorded 3 total touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers in September 2023. He also earned roster spots with the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and Arizona Cardinals during the 2022–2024 seasons. His move to the Arlington Renegades in 2025 marked his debut in spring professional football.
Tony Jones Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
Tony Terrell Jones Jr. is the son of Tony Jones Sr., who played college football as a fullback and linebacker at Illinois State. His father also spent time in the Arena Football League with the Cleveland Thunderbolts, Tampa Bay Storm, and Buffalo Destroyers. That football lineage helped shape Jones Jr.’s path into the sport and gave him an early understanding of the demands of professional play.
Personal Life
At Notre Dame, Jones majored in Film, Television and Theatre, a focus that reflected his creative interests outside of football. During the 2019 college football season, he co-directed his first short film, “Come Together,” with classmate Conor Fitzgerald. The short premiered at the 2020 Sundial Film Festival in Redding, California, and starred football teammate Ovie Oghoufo and fellow FTT student Teagan Earley.
2025 Season Performance
Tony Terrell Jones Jr.’s 2025 season unfolded in the United Football League with the Arlington Renegades, his first full season as a signed player in a spring professional league. After years of bouncing between NFL practice squads and active rosters, the move gave him a chance to compete for a steady role in a smaller league environment. He brought veteran backfield experience to a Renegades team looking to establish its offensive identity in the UFL’s second year.
Across the 2025 UFL campaign, Jones contributed as a complementary running back and special teams player, providing the Renegades with a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield. His familiarity with NFL-style protection schemes and route running helped him earn a defined role in the offense. The team used him in situational packages, particularly on third downs and in two-minute drills.
At season’s end, Jones had showcased enough durability and consistency to attract interest from Canadian Football League scouts. That paved the way for his January 2026 signing with the BC Lions, extending his professional career into a new league and a new country. Looking ahead, the CFL’s wider field and three-down rules could open up fresh opportunities for the veteran running back.
