A San Jose native, James Jones was a 3-sport star at Gunderson HS in football, basketball and track. He accepted a scholarship to play football at San José State Univ., where he excelled as a wide receiver and punt returner. As a senior, he caught 70 passes for 833 yards and 10 TDs, earned second-team all-WAC honors and was offensive MVP in the Spartans’ New Mexico Bowl win.

Drafted in 2007 by the Green Bay Packers, Jones played nine seasons in the NFL, eight with Green Bay and one with the Oakland Raiders. He totaled 433 career receptions for 5,861 yards and 51 TDs, including an NFL-leading 14 in 2012. His clutch performances in the 2010 postseason culminated with five receptions in the Packers’ Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

James Jones was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.