During Julio Jones’ 13-year NFL career, which officially ended on April 4 when the Alabama alumnus announced his retirement, he played in one Super Bowl.
In their second appearance in the NFL championship game, the Atlanta Falcons lost to the New England Patriots 34-28 in overtime in Super Bowl LI on Feb. 25, 2017.
Post-career, Jones has launched a podcast – “Legacy Locker-Room” – with two other former Falcons wide receivers, Harry Douglas and Roddy White, a former UAB standout.
During the first episode, Jones said he had never watched his Super Bowl appearance, which featured Atlanta blowing a 28-3 second-half lead, and he lamented his use in the game.
“I have yet to go back and watch it,” Jones said. “I haven’t went back to watch the game, and, too, for me, in that game, it was just like I had four opportunities in that game – in that whole game, too. Like, all this what I’ve done and as a team, and we got to the Super Bowl and I have four opportunities. I had four opportunities, though, the whole game. That’s insane. Four targets in the Super Bowl. But again, I did what was asked of me.”
During the 2016 regular season, Jones had garnered first-team All-Pro recognition for the second straight year with 83 receptions for 1,409 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. Jones averaged 9.2 targets per game and was not thrown to fewer than five times in any contest.
To help the Falcons get to Super Bowl LI, he had six receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown in a 36-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round and nine receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns in a 44-21 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
In Super Bowl LI, the former Foley High School star caught his four targets for 87 yards.
On Atlanta’s first snap of the second quarter, Jones made his first reception for a 19-yard gain. On the next snap, he made his second, this time for 23 yards to the New England 29.
Three consecutive carries by running back Devonta Freeman from there put the first points up as the Falcons took a 7-0 lead with 12:15 left in the first half.
On Atlanta’s next possession, Jones caught his third pass in seven snaps by the Falcons. The 18-yard gainer put Atlanta at the Patriots 20-yard line, and three plays later the Falcons scored to take a 14-0 lead with 8:48 remaining in the first half.
Quarterback Matt Ryans threw to Jones only one more time in the game. Jones made one of the great catches in Super Bowl history for a 27-yard pickup to give the Falcons a first down at the New England 22-yard line nursing a 28-20 lead with 4:40 to play.
A 1-yard loss on a carry by Freeman, a 12-yard loss on a sack and an offensive-holding penalty that nullified a 9-yard completion to Mohamed Sanu led to a punt by Atlanta.
After New England tied the score, Ryan threw twice to tight end Austin Hooper and once to Sanu before the Falcons punted again with three seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Atlanta never got the football in overtime as New England won the coin toss and drove for a touchdown.
Jones spent four more seasons with Atlanta and set franchise records with 848 receptions and 12,896 receiving yards.
Jones received Pro Bowl recognition seven times and earned first-team All-Pro selection twice. Jones led the NFL in receiving yards in two seasons and the NFC in receiving yards for five consecutive seasons.
