Khari Jones

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Khari Jones
Date of birth:	May 16, 1971 (1971-05-16) (age 37)
Place of birth:	Hammond, Indiana
Career information
Position(s):	Quarterback
College:	UC Davis
Organizations
As player:
1995-1996 1996 1997-1999 2000-2004 2004 2005	Albany Firebirds (AFL) Scottish Claymores (WLAF) B.C. Lions (CFL) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) Calgary Stampeders (CFL) Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL)
Career highlights and Awards
Awards:	2001 CFL MOP

Khari Okang Jones [ke-HAR-ee] (born May 16, 1971 in Hammond, Indiana) is a former professional Canadian football player and current television sports reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Jones played quarterback in the Canadian Football League, where he enjoyed his most success with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Jones also played briefly for the Arena Football League's Albany Firebirds and the World League of American Football's Scottish Claymores.

[edit] College career

Jones was a record setting college quarterback at the University of California, Davis, where in two seasons as a starter he became the first UC Davis quarterback to pass for over 3,000 yards and over 50 touchdowns in a season, while leading the Aggies to a 17-2-1 record during his junior and senior seasons (1992-1993). In 2000, Jones was inducted into the UC Davis Aggies Hall of Fame.[1] It is important to note that during these formative college years, while he might have singularly focused upon his athletic career, he chose to also focus on the Dramatic Arts. Notable roles include the part of Juan Perón in Evita, and of Vladimir, in Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot. Jones is married to another UC Davis alumnus, Justine^{[citation needed]}. They have two daughters together, Jaelyn and Siena^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Arena Football League

Jones joined the Arena Football League's Albany Firebirds in 1995. For the next two seasons, he received very little playing time, making only 3 out of 5 pass completions in his first season, and 3 out of 4 pass completions in 1996.

[edit] Canadian Football League

In 1997, Jones signed with the British Columbia Lions. Jones played very little during his two year tenure with the Lions, as he was relegated to the backup spot behind incumbent quarterback Damon Allen.

In 1999, Jones joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Though he initially served as a backup to Kerwin Bell, Jones eventually won the starting job during the middle of the 2000 season, thereby clearing the way for the Bombers to release Bell in midseason.

In 2001, Jones was the CFLs Most Outstanding Player after leading the Bombers to a 14-4 record, including 12 straight wins. Jones was the Bombers quarterback in the 2001 Grey Cup in Montreal, where heavily favoured Winnipeg lost to the Calgary Stampeders, 27-19.

Jones' following season (2002) was even better statistically, which included 5,353 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes. Jones is one of only three quarterbacks in CFL history to pass for over 40 touchdowns in one season (Doug Flutie and Peter Liske are the only others to do so[2]). From 2000 to 2002, Jones' 117 touchdown passes exceeded the record by any other quarterback in the CFL or NFL over the same period of time. In four seasons with Winnipeg, Jones set seventeen Bomber passing records, including throwing for five touchdowns in a game four times in one season.

During the 2004 CFL season, Jones was traded from the Blue Bombers to the Calgary Stampeders, partially due to a shoulder injury which had affected his play. In the off-season between the 2004 and 2005 seasons, the Stampeders signed free agent Henry Burris and Jones was released.

Jones attended the Edmonton Eskimos training camp at the beginning of the 2005 CFL season, but with the Eskimos signing Ricky Ray (and already having the 2004 season starter Jason Maas), Jones was released again. Midway through the 2005 season he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but was released after eight games.

Prior to the 2006 season Jones was signed by the Eskimos only to be released by them once more on June 10, 2006 as part of training camp cuts.

Three days later, on June 13, 2006, the CBC announced that Jones would be their sideline reporter for their CFL on CBC broadcasts.[3]

On October 17th, 2007, Jones inked a standard one-year contract plus an option with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and then turned around and signed his retirement papers. The paperwork means Jones officially retires as a Bomber, the team he had the most success with during his four-team, nine-year CFL career.[4]

[edit] Trivia

• Jones is also an accomplished actor and has appeared in over 50 stage productions, with numerous movie and commercial appearances.
• Jones owns a Booster Juice franchise in Winnipeg
• Currently (March 2008) Jones is playing Thomas in RougeTheatre's play "Cowtown" in Calgary Alberta.

[edit] External links

• UC Davis Aggies Hall of Fame - 2000 Inductee Khari Okang Jones
• June 14, 2006 Edmonton Journal article - Khari finds new job as TV reporter
• AFL stats