Las Vegas Sun

April 16, 2024

UNLV

5 Chris Jones

Chris Jones
  • Linebacker
  • Grade: Junior
  • Height: 6′2″
  • Weight: 185 lbs
UNLV: Moved from safety to linebacker by new coaching staff during spring practice and is expected to battle for time at SLB as a junior this fall ... It is Jones' third position with the Rebels as the two-way prep star moved from quarterback to safety as a freshman and went on to start two games on defense ... Was not only a prized local player but also a Rebel football legacy and product of two former elite UNLV athletes.

2009: Played in all 12 games, including starting five at safety ... Finished with 32 total tackles, including 20 solo stops ... Forced a fumble and recovered another to go with a pair of pass breakups.

2008: Earned his first letter as a Rebel by playing in 11 games, including starting two at safety vs. BYU and Wyoming ... Finished with 22 total tackles.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2008 graduate of Shadow Ridge HS ... A PrepStar West Coast All-Region honoree who lettered three years for coach Gabe Gledhill ... Played both ways for the Mustangs, lining up at QB and LB as a senior and WR and DB as a junior ... Threw for 1,111 yards with 15 TDs on offense and totaled 63 tackles and three sacks on defense in 2007 ... Ranked the No. 9 recruit in Nevada by Scout ... Was also a member of the SRHS bowling and track teams.

PERSONAL: Christopher Kirk Jones was born on April 24, 1990, in Las Vegas ... The son of Cheryl Jones and the late Kirk Jones ... His father was a star RB for the Randall Cunningham-led 1984 UNLV conference and bowl championship team ... Jones still ranks third in school history with 2,656 rushing yards from 1983-86 and went on to appear on three NFL rosters ... His mother, the former Cheryl Cheeks, ran track at UNLV and was a member of the three-time All-American 4x100 relay team from 1987-89 ... Majoring in graphic design.

--Courtesy of UNLVRebels.com