Top 100 LSU Tigers of All Time: No. 84 Donnie Jones

Punters rarely become household names. They usually take the field after an offense fails to move the chains, kick the ball away and disappear back to the sideline.

Donnie Jones was different.

The Baton Rouge native became one of the greatest punters in LSU history, helped the Tigers win two SEC championships and delivered the final play of LSU’s 2003 national championship season. He then built a 15 season NFL career that included two Associated Press All Pro honors and a Super Bowl championship.

Jones lands at No. 84 in our ranking because he turned field position into a weapon and proved that a punter could leave a championship sized mark on LSU football.

A Baton Rouge Tiger

Jones attended Catholic High School in Baton Rouge before staying home to play for LSU. He arrived in 1999 and became LSU’s starting punter in 2000.

As a freshman, Jones punted 57 times for 2,174 yards. He averaged 38.1 yards per punt, placed 17 punts inside the opponent’s 20 yard line and recorded a season long punt of 69 yards against UAB.

His performance earned him Freshman All SEC recognition. More importantly, it established him as a dependable part of an LSU program that was beginning to change under Nick Saban.

A Championship Weapon

Jones became a major factor during LSU’s run to the 2001 SEC championship.

In the SEC Championship Game against Tennessee, he produced a 58 yard punt and averaged 45.2 yards per attempt. Both figures established SEC Championship Game records at the time. LSU defeated Tennessee 31 to 20 and captured its first conference championship since 1988.

The Tigers finished the season with a 47 to 34 victory over Illinois in the Sugar Bowl. Jones punted eight times, averaged 39.4 yards and placed three punts inside the Illinois 20 yard line.

Those numbers do not appear in a touchdown column, but they mattered. Jones repeatedly forced opponents to begin possessions with long fields, giving LSU’s defense room to attack.

One of the Nation’s Best

Jones took another major step in 2002.

He punted 64 times for 2,813 yards and averaged 44.0 yards per attempt. That average ranked second in the SEC and fifth nationally. The conference’s coaches selected him to the All SEC second team.

His most memorable kick that season came against Kentucky. Jones blasted an 86 yard punt that traveled more than 70 yards through the air before LSU downed it at the Kentucky 1 yard line. The kick established LSU’s modern era record at the time and was listed as the sixth longest punt in SEC history when Jones completed his college career.

LSU also allowed only 4.2 yards per punt return in 2002, the best mark in the SEC. Jones supplied the distance and placement, while LSU’s coverage unit finished the job.

Nine Seconds to a National Championship

Jones completed his LSU career with his most important season.

In 2003, he recorded 65 punts for 2,757 yards. He averaged 42.4 yards per punt, placed 22 kicks inside the opponent’s 20 yard line and produced a season long punt of 67 yards. He finished fourth in the SEC in punting average and was selected as a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award.

LSU won the SEC championship and advanced to face Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game at the Sugar Bowl.

With LSU protecting a 21 to 14 lead, Jones entered the game for its final meaningful play. He punted the ball away with nine seconds remaining, forcing Oklahoma to begin its last possession deep in its own territory. The Sooners could not score, and LSU secured the national championship.

That final kick later inspired Jones to write a book about his LSU career titled “Nine Seconds to a Championship.” The book covered his five years in Baton Rouge, LSU’s transformation under Saban and the journey that ended with the Tigers lifting the national championship trophy.

Jones’ LSU Career by the Numbers

Jones finished his LSU career with:

233 punts
9,798 punting yards
A 42.1 yard career average
Two SEC championships
One BCS national championship
Four selections to the SEC Academic Honor Roll
Second Team All SEC recognition in 2002
A Ray Guy Award semifinalist selection in 2003

When Jones completed his LSU career, his 233 punts and 9,798 punting yards were school records. His 42.1 yard average ranked second in LSU history at that time. He was also responsible for four of the five longest punts in the school record book at the end of his career.

Jones graduated from LSU with a finance degree in December 2003. He later pledged $50,000 toward LSU’s football operations center, helping renovate the program’s special teams meeting room.

LSU honored his career again by selecting him for its “Next Great 25,” a team recognizing outstanding Tigers from 1993 through 2017.

A 15 Season NFL Career

The Seattle Seahawks selected Jones in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft with the 224th overall pick.

Jones went on to play for the Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers. His career covered 15 NFL seasons from 2004 through 2018.

His final regular season totals included:

226 games
1,157 punts
52,490 punting yards
A 45.4 yard career average
379 punts inside the 20 yard line
A career long punt of 80 yards

Jones earned Associated Press All Pro honors with the Rams in 2008 and 2009. During the 2008 season, he punted 82 times for 4,100 yards and averaged exactly 50.0 yards per attempt.

He joined Philadelphia in 2013 and spent five seasons with the Eagles. Jones recorded 374 punts during that period while averaging 45.4 gross yards and 40.5 net yards per punt.

His Philadelphia career ended with the biggest victory in franchise history.

On February 4, 2018, the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41 to 33 in Super Bowl LII. Jones punted once for 41 yards. It was the only punt by either team in the game.

Jones initially announced his retirement after the Super Bowl before returning during the 2018 season. He appeared in 12 games for the Chargers, bringing his NFL career to 15 seasons.

Life After Football

In a 2024 interview published by the Eagles, Jones said he was living in Baton Rouge with his wife, Aubrie, and their two children. He described his life after football as quiet and centered on his family.

His football journey had taken him from Catholic High to LSU, through six NFL organizations and onto a Super Bowl championship team. Yet Baton Rouge remained home.

Why Donnie Jones Ranks No. 84

Jones did not score touchdowns or make tackles, but his impact was impossible to ignore.

He gave LSU control of field position. He performed in championship games. He established school records, earned national recognition and completed his college career with the final punt of LSU’s national championship victory.

His professional career strengthened his legacy. Few punters last 15 NFL seasons, receive multiple All Pro honors and win a Super Bowl.

Donnie Jones was one of the most dependable specialists LSU has ever produced. At No. 84, he represents the value of consistency, precision and doing a difficult job at a championship level.