Zay Jones is a professional American football player currently associated with the Buffalo Bills as their wide receiver. The player completed his college career with the Pirates football team of East Carolina University before being drafted by the Bills in the 2017 NFL draft. Notably, Zay led the NCAA Division I in receptions with a total of 399 receptions. Learn more about Zay Jones’s bio, net worth and other interesting facts below.
Zay Jones’ Biography
Born as Isaiah Avery Zay Jones on the 30th day of March 1995, the player was born to the former American football player Robert Jones and his wife Maneesha in Dallas, Texas. His uncle, Jeff Blake is a former NFL quarterback and he also has two brothers named Levi and Cayleb. His older brother, Cayleb, is also a pro-football wide receiver in the NFL.
Growing up, Zay spent his early years in Austin, Texas where he attended Stephen F. Austin High School. While there, Zay started playing football with the school team. At the end of his high school career, Zay chose to attend East Carolina University over other Universities that were scouting for him.
During his four-year stint with the East Carolina Pirates football team, Zay recorded five touchdowns while making 62 receptions for 604 yards in his freshman year. The following year, he also scored five touchdowns as well as 81 receptions and 830 yards. In his junior year, Zay hauled 98 receptions for 1,099 yards with five touchdowns.
His best season came in his senior year in 2016; the player broke the Justin Hardy’s school record of having 17 receptions in a game while making 22 receptions. The wide receiver finished the season with a total of 158 receptions, eight touchdowns, and 1,746 receiving yards. Following his wonderful performance, Zay got All-American First team as well as All-ACC First team honours.
NFL Draft and Career Stats
At the end of his college career, Zay Jones got an invitation to participate in the Senior Bowl where he made a jaw-dropping performance, thus, increasing his draft stock. After that, he went on to participate in the NFL Combine drills as well as East Carolina’s Pro Day. Following his impressive statistics, Zay was projected to be a second-round pick in the NFL draft. While the 2017 draft was underway, the promising wide receiver was picked by the Buffalo Bills as the 37th overall player to be chosen that year.
Joining the Bill team, Zay signed a rookie contract worth $6.77 million for four years. He also got $3.07 million as a signing bonus. Making his professional debut for the team, the wide receiver helped the Bills to secure a victory over the New York Jets on 10th September 2017. By the end of his rookie season, Zay made ten appearances for Bills out of fifteen gameplays. He had two touchdowns while making 27 receptions for 316 yards.
After his rookie year, Zay underwent surgery to repair his torn labrum in his shoulder. This caused him to miss out of action during the 2018 pre-season games. Returning in the 2018 season, the wide receiver recorded significant improvement in his game. He made a 57-yard reception from Josh Allen which serves as a new personal record for his longest reception in Week 2. Zay scored his first touchdown in their game against Houston Texans. He set new career-highs against the New York Jets when he scored his second touchdown with 93 yards. He has continued to show improvement and we hope to see him becoming a superstar soon.
Salary and Net Worth
Without a doubt, Zay Jones is currently having a positive turn in his professional career and is equally earning a decent amount of money for himself. Recall, he penned a four-year contract worth $6.77 million with the Bills in 2017 and he receives up to $1.7 million in salaries annually. As per his net worth, Zay’s net worth is said to be in millions of dollars; nevertheless, it is currently under review. We hope to notify you when we have authentic information regarding his net worth.
Also Read: Who is John Brown (NFL Wide Receiver) – His Height, Weight, and Family Life
Other Interesting Facts About Zay Jones
1. Zay Jones came from an athletic family; his father Robert Jones played in the NFL for ten years (1992 – 2001) and he is a three-time Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys.
2. His older brother Cayleb Jones currently plays the role of a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL; while his younger brother, Levi also plays for the University of Southern California football team.
3. During his college career, Zay led the NCAA Division I in receptions with a total of 399 receptions and he held a single-season record with 158 receptions in 2016.
4. The wide receiver joined the Buffalo Bills in 2017 after being chosen in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft.
5. Zay Jones was arrested earlier in 2018 and was charged with felony vandalism after having a face-off with his older brother Cayleb.
