Tiger Jones Nears Big Milestone

(photo credit: jaxsharks.com)

While this is only the seventh season in Jacksonville Sharks history, they already have a list of players who have left their marks on the Arena Football League history books. Aaron Garcia, the first quarterback in franchise history, has more touchdown passes than any other player in professional football. In fact, he threw his 1,000th wearing the red and black. Derrick Ross, having spent the last two seasons in Jacksonville after coming from Philadelphia, is shattering league rushing records in only his sixth season.

Somewhat lost in the shuffle is Tiger Jones. He, along with equally dynamic Joe Hills, has created one of the best receiving tandems in league history. Even before becoming a Shark, Tiger was putting up numbers like no one had ever seen. Starting with the Dallas Vigilantes and ending with the Philadelphia Soul, Jones became the first receiver ever to notch three straight 2,000-yard seasons (2011-13). It didn't take him long to get back to the magic number, leading all receivers with 2,807 yards in 2015.

It takes catches to get those sort of numbers, and because of that, Jones is on the verge of joining a near equally exclusive club. He is only 25 receptions away from becoming only the fifth receiver in AFL history to reach 1,000.

At 975 catches, Jones currently sits in sixth place, and second among active players (T.T. Toliver leads the way at 1108 entering this week). To compare, Jones is in the middle of his eighth season in the league. Toliver is in the middle of his thirteenth. This means that Jones has only needed a bit less than two-thirds the time to get within striking distance.

In another comparison, the all-time receptions leader is Damian Harrell, who totaled 1,164 in his career with Colorado, Chicago, and Milwaukee. If Jones maintains his current average of 138 catches per year as he as done in his previous seven full seasons, this would create a race between him and Toliver on who will finish first and second, knocking Harrell back to third.

When asked about reaching such a mark, Jones said that it's not his primary focus as the season marches on. “I wouldn’t say it’s a major goal,” Jones said. “I just try to be better than the year before and let the stats fall into place.”

Feelings aside, to do something that only four others have done before you is extraordinary. While Jacksonville has a home game against the Portland Steel coming up on May 21, don't expect the major moment to happen. Jones needs 25 catches, and the franchise record is a "mere" 18. However, you can expect some extra loud cheers from the Amway Center on the 27th.