Alabama has become a wide receiver factory in recent years. Over the last decade alone, seven Crimson Tide wideouts have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft—Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith, to name a few.
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But arguably, the path was first paved by none other than Julio Jones. Before he went sixth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, the last Alabama receiver to be taken on Day 1 was Joey Jones in 1984.
Well, had Julio Jones chosen a different path in high school, both his career and Alabama’s trajectory might have looked very different today. He wrapped up his NFL journey with the Eagles in 2023 and recently announced his retirement—putting a bow on a Hall of Fame-worthy career. One different choice, and this would have never happened.
When Jones was stepping into the college football landscape, he was heavily recruited by Pete Carroll, then head coach of USC. Surely, Carroll had a compelling offer for the youngster. However, Jones’ high school coach made sure that the wideout stayed on course for Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide. Even if it meant locking the school doors to keep Carroll from making his pitch.
Jones was born and raised in Foley, Alabama. He also went to high school in the area, a very rural place. When Carroll visited the wideout, he described it as “in the sticks.” It was that remote. But Jones made quite a name for himself in his high school, emerging as a five-star recruit. It would’ve been a shame if Carroll hadn’t pursued him.
NBC Sports Radio host Rob Buska shared the story back in 2017, recalling how the former USC head coach had a strong admiration for Jones. “We loved Julio so much,” Buska remembered the head coach saying.
Carroll and his staff then flew in to see the wide receiver, who could become a cornerstone in his offense. And they arrived at the perfect moment. Everyone was out practicing on the field. But the head coach of the school (presumably Steve Mask) recognized Carroll and quickly pulled Jones, along with the principal and athletic director, inside.
“We flew in to see him, and once we got out of the car, at the football field, during the middle of practice, coach saw me and knew who I was. He took Jones off the field, ran him inside, got the principal and the athletic director, and locked the school,” Buska said.
Mask then called Nick Saban to let him know that Carroll was outside their school. That was all the leverage Jones needed, as Alabama offered him a full scholarship. And the rest, as they say, is history.
That said, if you ask Carroll, the story is a little different. He recently revealed that he got a brief chance to meet Jones in the parking lot before the wideout was grabbed by the school staff and brought inside. Then, he stated, an Alabama coach arrived on campus and offered the future NFL star his scholarship.
“We had a chance to see him like in the parking lot, and some people from the school grabbed him and took him in the back room, and before you knew it, I think there was an Alabama coach on the way to the campus, and we couldn’t even get near the guy at the time.”
Jones was worth all the hype. In his freshman year, he racked up 924 receiving yards—almost triple that of the school’s second-leading receiver. After a down year in 2009, Jones returned to form, producing a 1,000-yard season. He accumulated 1,133 yards through the air and 7 touchdowns.
Notably, he was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2008 and then helped lead his team to a BCS National Championship in 2009. In the NFL, he was drafted by the Falcons, where he posted league-leading receiving yard seasons in 2015 and 2018. With two First-Team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowls, Jones will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028.
