The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones with their second fourth round pick of the 2013 NFL draft.
Audio of Randy Fichtner on Landry Jones
[audio:http://prod.video.steelers.clubs.nfl.com//PIT/videos/dct/video_audio/2013/04-April/042713-4th-Rnd-Presser-Fichtner_Steelers_com_-0.mp3]LANDRY JONES
Quarterback
University of Oklahoma Sooners
#12
6:03.5-221
Artesia, New Mexico
Artesia High School
OVERVIEW
When it comes to collecting “real estate,” the Sooners’ rifle-armed passer is “leaps and bounds” more effective than any quarterback in today’s collegiate game. That is evident by the fact that Jones leads all NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision players in pass attempts (2,183), completions (1,388), passing yardage (16,646), touchdown tosses (123), pass interceptions (52), aerial yards per game (320.12), total plays (2,315), yards gained in total offense (16,271), touchdowns responsible for (126) and average total yards gained per game (312.90).
In addition to holding nearly every passing and total offensive yardage record in school history, along with numerous Big Twelve Conference marks, Jones has also moved up the NCAA all-time record charts. His pass attempts, completions, yards passing and total offensive yardage all rank third on the FBS all-time lists. He is also eighth in NCAA annals with an average of 320.12 yards passing per game.
A model of consistency, Jones has produced 27 300-yard passing performances during his 50 games as a starter (played in 52 total). His twelve 400-yard passing efforts are also an Oklahoma record, as is his consecutive starts string of 48 games. He holds the second spot on the school season passing yardage record list with 4,718 as a sophomore, ranking third with 4,463 as a junior before placing fourth on that chart with 4,267 yards during his final campaign in 2012. His fifty games as a starter produced 39 victories for the Sooners.
The New Mexico native led Artesia High School to consecutive Class 4A state champion-ships, throwing for a combined 7,013 yards and 89 touchdowns. The first title came during his junior campaign, as the All-State selection threw for 3,432 yards and 45 scores, also rushing for 294 yards and nine scores in 2006.
As a senior, Jones earned EA Sports and Parade All-American honors, in addition to being a finalist for the Joe Montana Quarterback of the Year Award, given to the nation’s best prep passer. He was selected as New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year in 2007, gaining 3,850 yards on 366 pass attempts and 44 touchdowns with only eleven interceptions on his way to yet another state title.
Jones finished his high school career by starring in the Under Armour ESPN All-American game. He was rated the nation’s second-best multi-purpose quarterback by EA Sports and ESPN regarded him as the third-best passer in the prep ranks. Both Scout.com and Rivals.com placed him sixth on their national quarterback recruiting list, with Rivals also rating him the best overall player in the state of New Mexico.
The four-star prospect, named after former Dallas Cowboys head coach and Hall of Famer, Tom Landry, was recruited by many schools including Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Virginia and Wisconsin. He later committed to Oklahoma, red-shirting at the university during the 2008 campaign. He was listed fourth on the depth chart at quarterback entering 2009 fall camp, but third-stringer, Keith Nichol, transferred to Michigan State, leaving senior Joey Halzle and Jones as back-ups to All-American Sam Bradford.
It did not take Jones long to surpass Halzle as Bradford’s main “caddy,” evident when the starter was injured in the 2009 season opener vs. Brigham Young, Jones took over as the starting quarterback for the Sooners after Bradford suffered an injury to his shoulder, but Oklahoma would go on to lose the game.
However, in the next week, his first as the starter, Jones completed 18 of 32 passes for 286 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception in the Sooners 64–0 win vs. Idaho State. In his second start, Jones threw a Sooner-record six touchdown passes in a 45–0 win vs. Tulsa, earning AT&T All-America Player of the Week honors. He finished his rookie season with 3,198 yards and 26 touchdowns passing, both figures that rank ninth on the school season-record lists. Both his 261 completions and 449 attempts (58.13%) are good for eighth place on the Sooners’ annual record charts.
In 2010, Jones continued his starting job as Oklahoma\’s quarterback and guided the team through its first four out-of-conference victories. He would continue his dominant play heading into the 2010 Red River Shootout, and defeated Texas by a score of 28-20. He would go on to throw for at least 300 yards in nine of the fourteen games he appeared in, setting school season-records with 405 completions of 617 tosses.
His 4,718 aerial yards and 4,590 yards in total offense are both second on the Sooners’ annual record lists, while his 38 touchdown tosses rank third. Jones would be named the Sammy Baugh Award recipient and chosen All-Big Twelve Conference first-team. He was also named the MVP of the Fiesta Bowl clash vs. Connecticut after throwing for 429 yards and three scores in that 48-20 OU victory.
In 2011, Jones led the Sooners on dominant performances vs. opening foes such as Tulsa and Florida State. He would outdo his last year\’s performance in the 2011 Red River Shootout by defeating Texas by a score of 55-17. The junior threw for over 300 yards eight times, including five games with at least 400 yards and a season-best 505-yard effort (second on the school game-record list) that included five touchdowns vs. Kansas State. He had thrown five other scores the previous week vs. Texas Tech and had five other touchdown tosses in an October meeting vs. Ball State.
Jones, a Manning Award finalist and All-Big Twelve Conference first-team choice, tallied 4,463 yards passing and 4,439 yards in total offense, both ranking third on the Sooners’ annual record books. He also placed third with 355 completions and second with 562 attempts, adding 29 touchdown tosses and two more scores via rushing attempts.
As a senior, Jones was a senior CLASS finalist and Associated Press All-Big Twelve second-team selection. His 30 touchdown passes are good for seventh on the school annual record list, as his 4,267 yards passing and 4,157 yards in total offense both rank fourth, 555 pass attempts placed third and 367 completions second on the OU season-record charts. He also recorded the ninth-best pass efficiency rating in a season by a Sooner (144.55).
CAREER NOTES
Jones started 50-of-52 games at Oklahoma, setting the school position record with 48 consecutive starts (previous mark was 34 by Steve Davis; 1973-75)…Shattered school and Big Twelve Conference career-records and placed himself high on the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record charts with 1,388 completions of 2,183 passes (63.58%) for 16,646 yards, 123 touchdowns and 52 interceptions…Scored three times on 132 carries for minus 375 yards…On 2,315 offensive plays, he amassed 16,271 yards in total offense and was responsible for 126 touchdowns…His passing yardage total ranks third in NCAA annals behind Case Keenum of Houston (19,217; 2007-11) and Timmy Chang of Hawaii (17,072; 2000-04), as his 16,646 yards topped the old conference mark of 15,793 yards by Graham Harrell of Texas Tech (2005-08) and shattered the previous Oklahoma record of 8,403 yards by Sam Bradford (2007-09)…His average of 320.12 yards per game passing is the eighth-best figure by an NCAA FBS performer…His 123 touchdowns placed fifth in major college annals, topped by Case Keenum (155), Kellen Moore of Boise State (142; 2008-11), Graham Harrell (134; 2005-08) and Colt Brennan of Hawaii (131; 2005-07)…His 123 scoring strikes surpassed the previous school mark of 88 by Sam Bradford…His 16,271 yards in total offense ranks third in college football history, chasing Timmy Chang (16,910) and Case Keenum (20,114) on the NCAA all-time chart…That total bettered the old Big Twelve career-record of 15,611 yards by Graham Harrell and shattered the Sooners’ all-time mark of 8,439 yards by Sam Bradford…Jones’ 2,315 total plays broke the old league all-time record of 2,283 by Brad Smith of Missouri (2002-05)…His 2,183 pass attempts broke Graham Harrell’s previous Big Twelve mark of 2,011 (only two players in conference history with at least 2,000 attempts in a career) and surpassed the old Sooners record of 1,025 by Josh Huepel (1999-2000)…Jones’ 1,388 pass completions bettered the previous school career record of 654 by Huepel and rank second in Big Twelve history behind Graham Harrell’s NCAA record 1,403.
2012 SEASON
The fifth-year senior earned All-Big Twelve Conference second-team accolades from the Associated Press and The NFL Draft Report, in addition to being named an honorable mention by the league’s coaches…Guided a unit that ranked fifth in the nation in passing (336.46 ypg), 12th in total offense (497.85 ypg) and 15th in scoring (38.15 ypg)…Jones finished 11th in the major college ranks with an average of 319.77 yards per game in total offense, as he completed 367-of-555 passes (66.13%) for 4,267 yards, 30 touchdowns and eleven interceptions…Carried fourteen times for minus 110 yards and on 569 plays, he amassed 4,157 yards while guiding the Sooners to a 10-3 record…Threw for at least 300 yards in six contests, including a pair of consecutive 500-yard performances…His 367 pass completions rank second on the school season-record chart behind Jones’ 2010 total of 405…His 555 pass attempts placed third on that school annual record chart behind his record 617 from the 2010 season and 562 in 2011…His 4,267 yards passing rank fourth on the OU annual chart, topped by Jones’ 4,463 in 2011, 4,718 in 2010 and 4,720 by Sam Bradford in 2008…His 30 touchdown tosses are good for seventh on the Sooners’ season-record list, while his 4,157 yards in total offense rank fourth…In a 52-7 rout of Kansas, he hit on 20-of-29 tosses for 300 yards and three scores…That was followed by 356 yards on 35-of-51 attempts vs. Notre Dame, but for only the third time in 50 games as a starter, he did not have a touchdown pass…He bounced back with 32-of-45 tries for 405 yards and four scores vs. Iowa State, marking the 14th time in school history a Sooner threw for 400 yards in a contest…For only the second time in Oklahoma annals, Jones generated 554 yards passing and six touchdowns on 38-of-51 throws vs. West Virginia. His six scoring strikes tied the school game-record Jones set in 2009 vs. Tulsa. His 554 yards broke his own OU record of 505 yards vs. Kansas State in 2011. His 38 completions are the third-best game total by a Sooner and his 554 yards in total offense established another school mark, along with placing fifth on the Big Twelve game-record list (his passing yardage was also good for fifth in league game annals)…Jones recorded the third 500-yard passing game for his career (also only three ever by a Sooner) when he gained 500 yards with three touchdowns on 46-of-71 passes the next week vs. Oklahoma State. His passing yardage is good for third on the school chart and his 46 completions topped the old OU game-record of 39 by Josh Huepel vs. Mississippi in 1999. His 71 attempts broke his own school record of 62 vs. Oklahoma State in 2010…In the Cotton Bowl, Jones closed out his career by hitting on 35-of-48 chances for 278 yards and a score vs. Texas A&M.
2011 SEASON
The Manning Award finalist would end his junior season as the owner of thirteen program passing records, including become Oklahoma’s all-time passer with a then 12,379 career yards, which had ranked fifth in Big Twelve Conference history…The All-Big Twelve first-team pick by The NFL Draft Report guided a team that finished fifth in the nation in passing (349.38 ypg) and total offense (512.31 ypg) while the Sooners ended tenth in scoring (39.54 ppg)…Jones was the nation’s sixth-rated player with an average of 341.46 yards per game in total offense…His 355 pass completions rank third on the school season-record chart, while his 562 attempts are topped by Jones’ 2010 record 617 tries…
He ranks third on the OU annual list with 4,463 yards passing and eighth with 29 touch-down tosses, but also had fifteen interceptions…Scored twice on 32 carries for minus 24 yards and generated 4,439 yards in total offense (third-best season total by a Sooner) on 594 offensive plays…Threw for over 300 yards eight times, with five 400-yard efforts that included a then career-best 505 yards (second on the school game-record list) on 35-of-47 tosses, along with five touchdowns vs. Kansas State…That was the third time in 2011 that Jones had five touchdowns in a game, accomplishing that feat a week before the KSU clash, when he connected on 30of-55 attempts for 412 yards vs. Texas Tech; and hit on 23-of-33 throws fore 425 yards in an October meeting vs. Ball State…Prior to the BSU game, he had completed 35-of-48 passes for 448 yards and three touchdowns vs. Missouri…His final 400-yard performance for the year came vs. Baylor, as he threw for 447 yards on 36-of-51 attempts vs. the Bears.
2010 SEASON
Jones, the Sammy Baugh Award winner, earned honorable mention All-American from Sports Illustrated…The All-Big Twelve Conference first-team pick by the Dallas Morning News and Kansas City Star, he added league second-team accolades from the Associated Press…Named the Fiesta Bowl Offensive Player of the Game after setting OU bowl records in yardage (429) and passing touchdowns (three) in Oklahoma\’s win over Connecticut, the sophomore set school season-records by completing 405-of-617 passes (65.64%), topping the previous marks of 355 completions and 562 attempts by Jones in 2009…His 4,718 yards passing are topped by only Sam Bradford’s 4,720 in 2008 and is good for eighth on the conference annual record report…His 38 touchdown tosses rank third on the OU record list, topped by Bradford’s 50 scoring strikes in 2008 and Jason White’s 40 in 2003…
His pass efficiency rating of 146.31 ranked second in the conference and was the eighth-best rating ever by a Sooner…Gained 4,590 yards in total offense, ranking behind Sam Bradford’s 4,767 yards in 2008 on the OU record chart. That yardage figure also ranks eighth on the Big Twelve season-record list…Threw for over 300 yards ten times, with three of those contests generating at least 400 aerial yards, including 453 with four touch-downs on 32-of-46 chances vs. Colorado; adding 468 yards and four scores on 37 pass completions (tied for third on the OU game list) of 62 throws (second-highest game total by a Sooner) vs. Oklahoma State before he connected on 34-of-49 throws for 429 yards and three touchdowns vs. Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl…His 59 pass attempts vs. Texas A&M (completed 36 for 290 and a score) ranks third on the OU game-record chart.
2009 SEASON
Listed fourth on the depth chart at quarterback during fall drills, Jones emerged from that low rung to start ten of the twelve games he appeared in, replacing an injured Sam Bradford…The NFL Draft Report’s Freshman All-American placed third in the voting by the league’s coaches for Big Twelve Conference Freshman of the Year accolades…He led a team that ranked 11th in the nation in passing (289.23 ypg), as Jones finished 28th in the FBS with an average of 257.08 yards per game in total offense…His 261-of-449 passes (58.13%) rank eighth on the school season-record list and his 3,198 yards passing, along with 26 aerial touchdown strikes both rank ninth in OU season annals…Lost 113 yards on 35 carries and threw fourteen interceptions while generating 3,085 yards on 484 offensive snaps…Threw for over 300 yards three times, picking up 336 yards with a school game-record six touchdowns behind 25-of-37 throws vs. Tulsa…Added four scores and 294 yards on 26-of-37 chances vs. Kansas State and 392 yards with five touchdowns while hitting on 24-of-39 passes in the Texas A&M clash…Finished his rookie season with 30-of-51 throws for 418 yards and three touchdowns to guide the Sooners to a 31-27 decision over Stanford in the Sun Bowl, as his 418 yards set a then school postseason record and rank second-best in Sun Bowl history.
2008 SEASON
Red-shirted as a freshman.
INJURY REPORT
No major injuries reported.
AGILITY TESTS
4.92 in the 40-yard dash…1.69 10-yard dash…2.80 20-yard dash…4.27 20-yard shuttle…
6.98 three-cone drill…29 1/2-inch vertical jump…8’10” broad jump…32 1/8-inch arm length…9-inch hands…78-inch wingspan.
HIGH SCHOOL
Jones attended Artesia (N.M.) High School, playing football for head coach Cooper Henderson…Led his team to consecutive Class 4A state championships, throwing for a combined 7,013 yards and 89 touchdowns…The first title came during his junior season, as the All-State selection threw for 3,432 yards and 45 scores, also rushing for 294 yards and nine scores in 2006…As a senior, Jones earned EA Sports and Parade All-American honors, in addition to being a finalist for the Joe Montana Quarterback of the Year Award, given to the nation’s best prep passer…Selected as New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year in 2007, gaining 3,850 yards on 366 pass attempts and 44 touchdowns with only eleven interceptions on his way to yet another state title…Finished his high school career by starring in the Under Armour ESPN All-American game…Rated the nation’s second-best multi-purpose quarterback by EA Sports and ESPN regarded him as the third-best passer in the prep ranks…Both Scout.com and Rivals.com placed him sixth on their national quarterback recruiting list, with Rivals also rating him the best overall player in the state of New Mexico.
PERSONAL
The Multidisciplinary Studies major married Oklahoma Sooners women\’s basketball guard Whitney Hand on July 6th, 2012…He was featured in an “I am Second” video proclaiming his faith in Jesus Christ…Landry was named after Dallas Cowboys Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry…Son of Kellye and Kevin Jones…Born 4/04/89…Resides in Artesia, New Mexico.
