Julio Has Starred On Running Team

Earlier this year, ’BAMA Magazine continued a long tradition of having its readers select the Alabama Team of the Decade. The team was previously announced, but this summer we are revisiting and taking a deeper look at those selected. Linebacker Rolando McClain was the Player of the Decade.

Readers of ’BAMA Magazine had the opportunity to select two wide receivers when they chose the Alabama football Team of the Decade for the first ten years of the New Millennium (2000-2009). One of those selected was Julio Jones of Foley, who played for the Crimson Tide in 2008 and 2009.

And Julio has at least one more season to play for the Crimson Tide as he is an upcoming junior.

As a measure of how good Julio Jones is, consider that many thought he had something of an off-season in his sophomore season. Just as he did for a 12-2 team in 2008, Jones was led Bama’s 2009 national championship team in receiving.

(One other measure, at least of star power, is that he is well known by just his first name.)

As a freshman, Julio had 58 catches for 924 yards and four touchdowns. Last year he had 43 catches for 596 yards and four touchdowns.

He had an outstanding game in Bama’s win at Auburn last year with nine receptions, five of them on a clutch 15-play fourth quarter drive for the winning points.

He set every Alabama freshman receiving record and was Freshman All-America and both national and SEC Freshman of the Year. He has been second team All-SEC each of his first two seasons on a team that was successful running the football, and which included the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, tailback Mark Ingram.

He started the first game of his freshman year, the 11th Alabama player to do so since freshman eligibility returned in 1972.

He had a 50-yard touchdown reception against Arkansas and took a short pass for a 73-yard touchdown against LSU.

Editor’s Note: This is one in a series on members of the Alabama Team of the Decade.