Four days ago, I covered why being a punter would be one of the best jobs to have–and featured P Rod Widby as the Greatest #10— as I used him as the prime example for my bold statement.
Well, in today’s piece, I’m doubling down on my statement and covering another punter who got the nod for today’s Countdown to Kickoff series piece.
Currently, we sit six days away from kickoff.
Throughout this whole series, I have commemorated the number of days till Week One with the player who not only represented that number but who I felt was the greatest as well.
With the series quickly coming to a close, I would like to thank everyone who’s not only kept up with it–but also provided opinions and insights on the player who got honored or with someone else they felt should’ve won.
But, let’s shift gears and look at today’s winner.
While it was a short list of players who wore #6, one player stood out more than the others. This player was arguably a fan favorite, and there is no doubt fans loved seeing him boom punts.
Also, everyone arguably had to love seeing him dropping the hit stick on opposing players when needed.
So without further ado, let’s welcome Mr.Chris Jones to the stage, and be sure to check out the four players he beat out below.
The Following Players Also Wore #6:
- K Nick Folk
- K Tim Seder
- S Donovan Wilson, *current player*
- K Luis Zendejas
Chris Jones Football Career
Death, taxes, and the Cowboys front office consistently hitting on undrafted free agents should be the motto hung up in the team’s facility because Jones was another player the franchise successfully transformed from UDFA to a viable contributor.
His career with the Boys began in 2011 as a UDFA, and he didn’t land the starting punter gig until 2013. In his first year as the “guy,” Jones netted a 45-yard per punt average, which was 18th-best in the NFL.
Stats-wise, his best per punt average was 45.9 yards in 2016.
While I could flood you all with stats and numbers from his punting career, I wanted to highlight the two most memorable moments he had with the team, as they were plays that made me jump out of my seat.
The first play that comes to my mind is the hit he had on Lions WR Andre Roberts in Week 16 on MNF. Roberts, a respected special teams weapon, was casually trying to make a play for his team, and Jones meets him like a freight train and lays down a Sean-Taylor-esque hit.
“Oh my god, Jones,” was my reaction after seeing that play.
#Cowboys punter Chris Jones with the hit of the night! pic.twitter.com/l6dJtZcIvE
— Derek Forrest (@DerekFSpx) December 27, 2016
The second play was the savvy trick play he had against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016. Down 20-10 to the Eagles, the Boys needed a spark, and Jones got the green light to make a play. He looked like he could have lined up at RB that night, but I’m a sucker for trick plays and special-teams guys getting their chance to make a highlight.
June 30th. 6/30.#Cowboys Punter Chris Jones, who wears #6, had a 30-yard gain on a fake punt that helped Dallas beat the #Eagles in 2016. pic.twitter.com/yh3rEmkm2i
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) June 30, 2017
Despite those two moments, Jones was a reliable punter the franchise was able to have for almost a decade. Although he got released from the team in 2021 for salary-cap reasons, Jones will always be remembered for his reliability and booming punts, but don’t forget, he’s arguably a Top-5 Punter in franchise history–so give that man his roses.
Congratulations to Mr. Jones on being the Greatest #6 in franchise history, and be sure to come back on Tuesday to see who’s the Greatest #5.
