Maurice Jones-Drew Confirms Retirement! What’s Next?
After nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), running back Maurice Jones-Drew had to put his cleats on his locker, he said on Twitter on Thursday.
"All good things come to an end!!!" Jones-Drew, who is turning 30 on March 23, posted on Twitter, accompanied with a longer message about his retirement.
The 5-foot-7 football pro thanked the "countless people who have assisted me throughout my NFL journey." He also expressed gratitude over all the NFL fans worldwide.
Jackson-Drew, who signed a three-year, $7.5-million deal with Oakland Raiders in 2014 after completing eight seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, was buried with just 96 yards rushing in his final season.
"I have nothing but the utmost respect for Maurice, and the way he conducted himself at all times while we were together in Jacksonville," new Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, who also coached Jones-Drew in Jacksonville, told USA Today.
"He's one of my all-time favorites," said Del Rio. "I mean, you're talking about a guy that came in here and made an impact on this league."
However, ESPN reported that there was a "little chance" the Raiders would have retained the 210-pound Jones-Drew had he decided to continue playing.
Netizens were quick to bid him good luck on his next career plans and even reminisced on his glorious days in the field.
"I remember when he took the job from Fred Taylor. Always been a [Dallas] Cowboys fan, but watching him play for Jacksonville was my second favorite thing regarding football over the last 10 years," user Trixy Cao from Richardson, Texas, commented on the ESPN article.
User Eric Flores said Jones-Drew was an inspiration for those who wanted to play in a game dominated by 6-foot pros. "Thanks for the good times and letting us 5-8 dream we could [have] also played in the NFL," he said.
Jones-Drew is known for his eight seasons with the Jaguars where he ran for 4,321 yards and 28 touchdowns form 2009 to 2011, including the NFL-best in 2011 at 1,606 yards, according to ESPN stats.
Although he was not the leading rusher -- his 8,071 yards all-season is only sixth overall compared to the Fred Taylor's 11,271, Michael DiRocco of ESPN still put him in high regards as "one of the best running backs in the NFL and carried the franchise on his back as its lone identifiable player" in his article.
DiRocco called Jones-Drew the "Indianopolis Colts killer," among the other notable traits of the player.
He said the NFL pro ran for yards against the Colts than any other opponent. His first two 100-yard games came on their Colts battle (103 and 166). On their team's second meeting with the Colts, the Jaguars ran 375 yards against the NFL's worst rush defense - thanks to Jones-Drew's 166-yard and Taylor's 131-yard runbacks.
However, Jones-Drew was still criticized for his games' impact on the team. From 2009 to 2011 - his prime years - the Jaguars won only 20 games. DiRocco was quick to defend the running back: "[T]he bottom line is that the Jaguars might not have won half that many were it not for one of the most physical runners in the NFL despite his size. Jones-Drew made the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons."
What's next? He hasn't spoken on that yet. Maybe he'll tell us on Twitter.