Byron Jones has had quite the journey as a football player. He went from youth football in New Britain to St. Paul. His tremendous career at St. Paul led him to UConn, and then a memorable effort at the NFL Combine helped him land a job with the Dallas Cowboys.
Jones is in his fourth year with Dallas, and now he’s headed to the NFL Pro Bowl. The remarkable thing about Jones heading to the Pro Bowl is he’s doing it in his first season as a cornerback. Jones played safety in his first three years with the Cowboys, but he has blossomed as a cornerback this season.
Jones is the first Cowboy cornerback to be selected for the Pro Bowl since 2009, according to a story posted on the team website. Jones leads the Cowboys in pass breakups (14) and is fifth on the squad in tackles (65).
“It’s a great honor to be named to my first Pro Bowl,” Jones said in the story on the team website. “Just thinking about the teammates and how I got to this point, it took me a couple years to kind of get my home at cornerback. It just feels good, and it’s a testament to what this team has done around me and how much the coaches believe in me, and the front office.”
The St. Paul community was euphoric over Jones’ selection.
“In case you haven’t heard, St. Paul Catholic and UCONN alumni @Byron31Jump is a Pro Bowler!” Falcons assistant coach Chris Kennedy tweeted on Tuesday.
UConn, of course, was also happy with the selection of Jones.
“Congrats to former @UConn greats @Shermanator_42 [Anthony Sherman] and @Byron31Jump for their selection to the Pro Bowl!” tweeted UConn Football.
The Pro Bowl takes place on Jan. 27, 2019, in Orlando.
