Maurice Jones-Drew retires and that makes me sad

Maurice Jones-Drew was one of my favorite players of all time. Because I have a soft spot for the Jaguars, I naturally fell in love with the running back and what he did for the Jaguars. (I even own a Jones-Drew jersey.) He was a great complement for Fred Taylor and when the Jones-Drew became the feature back, he was a joy to watch.

In the eight seasons in Jacksonville, he had 8,071 yards and 68 touchdowns, 11 receiving touchdowns to go along with 2,873 receiving yards. But his most impressive stat may have come in the great playoff game against the Steelers. He had 8 carries for 29 yards and a TD. He also had a 43-yard touchdown catch. And on a kickoff, he returned the ball for 96 yards falling short of the goal line. He was so versatile early on and it’s a shame that his health forced him to fall off in the final two years of his career.

But still, he was a joy to watch. His frame, and what I called his thunderous thighs, were not easy for defenders to bring down. Adding his small size, he was able to slip through holes and burst through for big gains. It’s a shame that he played for a small market because he had big talent. I wish he could have played a little longer in the league but nine years is a good career and he got out before his body gave out.

Thank you for all the memories.