Special to the WJH SEATTLE — A chest injury has limited Ware County alum Ernest Jones IV ‘s preparation for his second Super Bowl in his five-year career.
The 2018 graduate of Ware County landed on the Seattle Seahawks’ injury report at the end of last week. Jones will be the only Georgia starter in the Super Bowl.
A key member of Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense, the 26-year-old Jones was a non-participant in practices heading into Super Bowl LX scheduled for Sunday, February 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Cal.
The fifth-year linebacker played in the 2022 Super Bowl as a rookie with the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams captured the title with Jones starting at inside linebacker. He recorded seven tackles with one sack and a pass defensed in the Rams’ 23-20 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jones overcame a series of injuries (lingering elbow and knee concerns) during the 2024 season to play in 15 of 17 regular season games. He missed a pair of games in November with a knee issue.
As one of the mainstays on the Seahawks’ defensive unit, Jones tied for second in the NFL in the regular season with five interceptions. He also tied for 18th in the league with 126 total tackles and was named a Second-Team All-Pro.
Jones has an interception and 13 tackles in two postseason victories.
“I think Ernest is playing at an all-time level and playing great in the middle,” Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford said after losing 31-27 in the NFC championship game. “He’s running the show for those guys.”
Jones was a two-time first-team all-state player under former Ware County coach Franklin Stephens. Jones played at South Carolina and was a third-round NFL draft pick in 2021.
