Aaron Jones
GREEN BAY PACKERS
| Position | College | Years in the NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Running Back | University of Texas El Paso | 5 |
Demonstrates Excellence on The Field
During Aaron's NFL career, he has taken advantage of every opportunity and seen his role on the offense grow each year. After the 2017 fifth-round pick had a breakout season in 2018, his production increased each year. Aaron has developed into a game-changing running back, a growing threat in the passing game, and a veritable touchdown machine. He is one of only two players in NFL history to post 3,000-plus rushing yards (3,363) and 35-plus rushing TDs (37) with an average of 5.00-plus yards per carry (5.17) in their first four seasons. Among RBs with 600-plus career carries, he ranks No. 6 in league history with an average of 5.17 yards per carry. He is tied for No. 2 in the NFL in total TDs (30) since 2019.
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community Efforts this Year
While Aaron has been a constant presence in the community dating back to his time in high school and college, and especially since coming to Green Bay, he has taken his community involvement to the next level this past year. After launching the A&A All the Way Foundation with his twin brother, Alvin, in 2020, they are growing their impact exponentially with new programs and initiatives in 2021. The A&A, All the Way Foundation, is dedicated to impacting the lives of the nation's youth through charitable giving and action. The foundation focuses on addressing children's basic needs, providing opportunities for recreation and fitness, and supporting children in military families.
To help support the needs of children, the Foundation aims to ensure children's basic needs are met, so they have the opportunity to focus on reaching their full potential. Aaron is rerunning his Yards for Shoes campaign, which began during the 2020 playoffs and has been extended for the entirety of the 2021 season. For every rushing yard Aaron gains up to 1,000 yards this season, the Foundation will donate a pair of shoes to children at Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Wisconsin. The Foundation also works to give children the opportunity to compete and care for themselves physically and mentally. Aaron annually runs football camps by coordinating with local businesses and sports recreational organizations, and he continued that tradition this past offseason. The Foundation also gifted bikes to students in El Paso in 2020 and will continue to donate more bikes this year. Perhaps closest to Aaron's heart is the Freedom Is Campaign, which just launched in 2021 and focuses on honoring military families by raising funds to provide joy-filled experiences to children who have parents serving in the military, such as a trip to the zoo or a family movie night. Each month, a different family in Wisconsin or Texas receives a special experience and a video feature on their website,
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past
Like he does on the field, Aaron hit the ground running in the community when he arrived in Green Bay. Having grown up with two parents in the U.S. Army, causes affiliated with the military are particularly important to him. During his time in Green Bay, he's been a big part of the Packers' Salute to Service efforts, from sending videos to veterans to speaking to youth at military academies and taking part in events like the team's Huddle for Heroes aimed at honoring veterans. He's visited service members in the hospital and visited military bases, including Fort Bliss in his native El Paso. He was nominated for the NFL Salute to Service Award in 2018 for his dedication to saluting those who serve our country. Aaron has also been involved with numerous programs and charities that benefit kids. He has attended various events at the Boys & Girls Club, both in Green Bay and in Milwaukee, and he hosts football camps during the offseason in El Paso and Wisconsin. Aaron also has a special connection with kids battling illnesses, including cancer. He has taken part in numerous hospital visits, both in Texas and in Wisconsin.
Perhaps most emblematic of Aaron's good heart and dedication to those in need was his special, albeit brief, connection with a young boy named Ethan who was battling terminal cancer. Aaron worked with nonprofit organization Alex's Lemonade Stand to run a contest ahead of the My Cause My Cleats campaign to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research. Ethan, who turned to art to bring him comfort during his illness, submitted his own design for Aaron's cleats to the contest. After selecting Ethan as the winner, Aaron had the opportunity to surprise him on a Zoom call by showing off the custom cleats and gifting Ethan a set of his matching cleats.
Demonstrates Consistency in Positive Character and Models a Lifestyle of Giving Back
Jones is known in the locker room and among all who interact with him in Wisconsin or his native Texas as a kind, polite, respectful man, he is a model football player and the epitome of a hard worker. Raised in a tight-knit military family, the special combination of Jones' humility, toughness, and trustworthiness makes him unique in the NFL and makes him an excellent teammate both on and off the field. Rarely is a player so universally known and praised for his positive attitude and consideration. Whether it's his three-time MVP quarterback or a Packers fan walking through the Lambeau Field parking lot, he shows the utmost courtesy to everyone.
"He might be one of the best teammates any guy could ask for," guard Lucas Patrick said to packers.com in 2019. "He's the only guy I've had as a teammate where I'm like, 'Hey man, great run. Nice pickup on the blitz.' He says, 'Yes, sir.' He comes every day with the right attitude and just pounds at it every day, just inch by inch by inch…He knows who he is. I think he's confident in who he is as a person." Growing up with two parents in the U.S. Army, Aaron and his family moved around a lot when he was young. Both parents were deployed or frequently traveling for work, and Aaron and his brother often stayed with relatives. Whenever his parents were able, they did whatever they could to be present at their sons' games and sporting events. This commitment to both their country and their family taught Aaron valuable lessons about respect, accountability, and sacrifice, as well as hard work and dedication. He has embodied these principles as he has continued ascending in his NFL career, and he's been able to begin passing along those lessons to his own son.
"He's been really special to watch. There's some guys you can't help but pull for because they do things the right way, and Jonesy is one of those guys," said quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the Rich Eisen Show last year. "He is one of the greatest teammates that I've had in (all my) years; he is the most respectful teammate that we've possibly ever had. He's still 'yes sir, no sir.'…He cheers for his teammates and pulls for them. He blocks his (butt) off and is obviously a great runner of the football and can take it the distance. He's worked hard in areas that he's needed to improve on, whether it's route running, pass catching, blocking, understanding certain intricacies of the system.
