RICHMOND, Ky. – Former Eastern Kentucky University football player Aaron Jones is one of four people to be inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame on Friday, June 26. The Class of 2015 will be inducted at Louisville’s Brown Theatre.
Jones, a 1987 Division I-AA first team All-American defensive lineman, earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors in 1985 and 1987. Following the 1987 season, Jones was chosen as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. The Apopka, Florida native made 40 tackles, 26 assists, and 12 tackles for loss during his senior season.
Following his senior season at EKU, Jones was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first round pick in the 1988 NFL Draft. Jones played nine years in the NFL, also playing for the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins. At the time of his selection, Jones was only the third OVC student-athlete to be picked in the NFL Draft’s first round (EKU Athletics Hall of Famer Wally Chambers and Morehead State’s Phil Simms).
During his professional career, Jones played in 113 contests. He made 20 sacks, including a career-high four with New England in 1994, recovered five fumbles and had one interception.
Jones was inducted into the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. He will be the sixth Colonel inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining Wally Chambers (2006), Jason Dunn (2006), John Jackson (2009), Yeremiah Bell (2010) and Chad Bratzke (2013).
The three other members of the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 are Doug Buffone, Gil Mains and Jacob Tamme.
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The purpose of the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame is to appropriately honor persons that have brought significant recognition to the state of Kentucky, or have by their unusual successful service achieved significant accomplishment on behalf of their school, or have by a significant act or contribution distinguished themselves as an unusual former National Football League player, coach, referee, owner, management, etc. or have been a significant or unusual supporter of Pro Football. Kentucky is the only state to have its own Pro Football Hall of Fame.
This year marks the 13th anniversary of the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame. To purchase tickets or for more information on the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame, please visit www.kyprofootballhof.org.
Last fall, Eastern Kentucky (9-4, 6-2 OVC) reached the FCS playoffs for the third time in seven seasons under head coach Dean Hood and finished second in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. EKU is poised to return eight starters on both offense and defense for 2015. The Colonels kick off their 2015 schedule with a home Thursday night contest against Valparaiso on Sept. 3.
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