Jan. 13, 2010

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EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State consensus All-American Greg Jones announced Wednesday, Jan. 13 that he has returned to school to play his senior season. As a junior in 2009, the 6-foot-1, 228-pound Jones led the Big Ten and ranked third in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision with 154 tackles, the seventh-best single-season total in MSU history. The deadline for underclassmen to declare themselves eligible for the 2010 National Football League Draft is Friday, Jan. 15.

The 2009 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year earned First-Team All-America honors from The Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), CollegeFootballNews.com, Rivals.com, CBSSports.com and Phil Steele. In addition, Jones was named recipient of the 2009 Linebacker Trophy (National Linebacker of the Year) by the College Football Performance Awards. He also was recognized as the nation's No. 1 linebacker by CollegeFootballNews.com.

Jones ranked third in the NCAA FBS in tackles per game (11.8), tied for 30th in sacks (0.69 per game) and tied for 51st in tackles for loss (1.08 per game). He also finished among the Big Ten leaders in sacks (fifth) and tackles for loss (10th). Jones led the team in tackles (154 total), tackles for loss (14.0 for 69 yards), sacks (9.0 for 53 yards) and production points (282). He became the first Spartan to record back-to-back 100-tackle seasons since 2003-04 when both linebacker Ronald Stanley and free safety Jason Harmon reached the milestone.

"I'm excited to announce that I'm returning to Michigan State for my senior season," Jones said. "After the bowl game, I was leaning toward returning, but it was important for me to step back and do my homework in regards to the NFL Draft. The bottom line is that I greatly value the relationships that I have here with my coaches and teammates, and I'm not ready to let go of these Spartan family ties yet. My teammates and I have some unfinished business to take care of, and despite our final record of 6-7 from 2009, we're not that far away from being a championship contender. I have returned to help Michigan State compete for the Big Ten championship and a BCS bowl bid.

A media arts major, Jones said that continuing his education was another major factor that weighed into his decision.

"I honestly felt it was important to invest another year toward getting my diploma," he said. "My parents have always stressed the importance of education, and I need to position myself for life after football. I won't be able to play this game forever, but my education will serve me throughout my lifetime. By the end of next season, I'll just need one more semester to complete my degree."

"Greg Jones is an outstanding leader and player, and he remains the catalyst for our entire defense," Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio said. "With his announcement, we have signed our most valuable recruit in the 2010 Class. A consensus All-American and two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, he's the unquestioned MVP of our defense. Greg is the perfect guy to build this team around because he does things the right way.

"It takes maturity and discipline to make this decision, and it speaks volumes about his character. He's inevitably going to have a huge career in pro football. Greg never has been motivated by individual honors or individual stats. He's driven to strive for team goals, and he's placed a priority on education. His selflessness should send a loud message across the Big Ten and all of college football."

The Cincinnati, Ohio, native reached double-figure tackles for the ninth time in MSU's 41-31 loss to Texas Tech in the 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl. His 13 tackles against the Red Raiders fell just one stop shy of the Alamo Bowl record.

He also posted double-digit tackles against Montana State (14), Central Michigan (career-high 15), Wisconsin (14), Illinois (11), Northwestern (14), Iowa (12), Minnesota (12) and Penn State (career-high 15). Jones produced a career-best two sacks (9 yards) in MSU's 24-14 Homecoming victory over Northwestern.

Jones has posted double-digit tackles in 16 of his last 20 games overall, averaging 12.0 stops (240 total) during that stretch. A model of consistency, he has led the team in tackles in 23 of the last 26 games.

Jones has started 33 of 39 career games, including 27 consecutive starting assignments. He has 359 career tackles, including 36.5 for losses (140 yards) and 15.5 sacks (87 yards). Jones ranks second among NCAA FBS active leaders in both total tackles (359) and tackles per game (9.2). He already ranks among MSU's all-time leaders in tackles for loss (fifth) and total tackles (eighth). Jones has produced double-figure tackles 18 times in his career.

Michigan State's 2010 season and home opener is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 4 against Western Michigan. The Spartans will play nine of their 12 regular-season games next season in the state of Michigan, with seven games in East Lansing, one in Ann Arbor and one at Detroit's Ford Field (Sept. 11 against Florida Atlantic). Coach Dantonio expects to welcome back as many as 16 starters from last year's 6-7 team, including seven on offense, seven on defense and two specialists.