It has been a decade since Byron Jones stunned the world at the NFL Combine.
The 2025 NFL Combine will happen this week and with it will come all sorts of juicy nuggets and pieces of information relative to the Dallas Cowboys. In case you are curious, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer is scheduled to speak to the media on Thursday so that is when we will really find out a lot about how the 2025 team is going to look.
At some point Jerry Jones will also hold court from his bus as he usually does and we will likely hear his thoughts on important things relative to how the club is going to approach free agency as well as where they stand with Micah Parsons and a long-time contract extension.
Before we look all the way forward though we figured we could look back at something that now happened a decade ago, unbelievably.
Byron Jones stunned the world at the NFL combine a decade ago
It has been 10 whole years since the 2015 NFL Combine, an important few days for the Cowboys to say the least. At the time the wound from Dez Bryant catching it was still fresh and raw and the Cowboys were looking for ways to get back to that fateful spot at Lambeau Field, metaphorically speaking. The first place to look for help was in Indianapolis and it was not hard to notice a cornerback out of UConn by the name of Byron Jones. Everyone saw him.
Maybe you don’t even know what happened. You see, Jones was obviously an incredible athlete at Connecticut, but he elevated his stock to an entirely different level across the league when he set a world record in the broad jump during drills. He leapt 12’ 3” and stuck the landing. Going viral was sort of a new thing around then and Jones certainly did.
Just thinking about that time Byron Jones broke the broad jump world record at the 2015 NFL Combine
: @NFL pic.twitter.com/d9QBANISHI
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) August 1, 2023
Needless to say his stock took off and he soon found himself tabbed as a first-round prospect. The Cowboys held the 27th overall pick in that draft and took him as the fourth cornerback off of the board. Trae Waynes (Minnesota Vikings), Kevin Johnson (Houston Texans) and Marcus Peters (Kansas City Chiefs) were the ones to go ahead of him.
Jones ultimately played out his rookie contract with the Cowboys and signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency ahead of the 2020 season. He played two seasons for them before missing all of the 2022 season due to injury and would later go on to become an advocate for players making sure that their health and wellness was taken care of during their playing days.
Much has changed in 8 years. Today I can’t run or jump because of my injuries sustained playing this game. DO NOT take the pills they give you. DO NOT take the injections they give you. If you absolutely must, consult an outside doctor to learn the long-term implications. https://t.co/g5TTHDQGSY
— Byron Jones (@TheByronJones) February 25, 2023
It was an honor and privilege to play in the NFL but it came at a regrettable cost I did not foresee. In my opinion, no amount of professional success or financial gain is worth avoidable chronic pain and disabilities. Godspeed to the draft class of 2023.
— Byron Jones (@TheByronJones) February 25, 2023
The seriousness from Jones in his words offered two years ago is important to remember relative to the NFL. So much of what is seen is all about the fame and attention associated with the league, but as Jones himself noted there are potential consequences associated with playing a contact sport for a living.
Jones’ jump at the NFL combine a decade ago is something that nobody will ever forget. Hopefully they also remember the words he offered about the career he lived.
