City’s Ernest Jones IV key in Seattle win
Former Ware County High School standout Ernest Jones IV has another Super Bowl championship on his football resumé.
The veteran linebacker earned his second Super Bowl ring Sunday, helping the Seattle Seahawks to a 29-16 victory against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Jones won his first title four years ago as a rookie when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI.
Jones recorded a game-high 11 tackles in the Seahawks victory, the second Super Bowl title in franchise history. The former All-SEC performer at South Carolina had 10 solo tackles — one for loss — and an assist for his total. Before the game, Jones was the betting favorite to be the game’s leading tackler.
He appeared at the postgame press conference wearing his first Super ring. Jones said the Seahawks treated Sunday’s match against the Patriots like ano ther game on the schedule.
“Nobody thought it was the Super Bowl,” he said. “Literally, it was our next game and that’s how we approached it.”
He said Seattle’s performance was “what I expected from us.”
Jones finished the season with 85 combined tackles, 71 assists, a forced fumble, half a sack and a team-high five interceptions.
Jones signed with South Carolina after a stellar career at Ware County. He played three seasons for the Gamecock before being selected by the Rams in the third round (108th overall) in the 2021 draft.
He became a starter at linebacker midway through a rookie season that ended with the Super Bowl championship. Jones was a key contributor in that victory with seven tackles — two for loss — a sack, three quarterback hits and a pass breakup.
Jones was traded by the Rams to the Tennessee Titans prior to the 2024 season.
The Seahawks acquired him in a trade with the Titans in the middle of that season, and Jones stepped right into the starting lineup.
The city is planning a parade to honor Jones.
