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Atlanta Falcons, NFL World React to Julio Jones Retiring: Roll Call, April 5, 2025

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Alabama Athletics, including full TV listings.
Hunter De|
Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) makes a catch ahead of New England Patriots cornerback Eric Rowe (25) in the fourth quarter during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-Imagn Images
Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) makes a catch ahead of New England Patriots cornerback Eric Rowe (25) in the fourth quarter during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-Imagn Images | Dan Powers-Imagn Images

Former Alabama and NFL legend Julio Jones retired from football on Friday after over a decade of dominance.

The longtime Atlanta Falcons wide receiver, who also played one year for the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles, finished his career with seven Pro Bowl nods, 13,703 receiving yards (16th all-time) on 914 receptions for 66 touchdowns.

Jones led Alabama in every receiving category as a sophomore, helping the Crimson Tide win its first National Championship of the Nick Saban era in 2009. Jones became an Alabama all-time great the following season after practically doubling his numbers in every stat category, and the accolades helped him get selected by the Atlanta Falcons as the sixth overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft.

The Falcons gave Jones a much-deserved tribute video that explores some of the bets moments of his thrilling career.

Former Alabama defensive back Will Lowery shared a very interesting anecdote of his Crimson Tide teammate.

Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler and former teammate of Jones on two different teams, also gave his flowers to the NFL great.

Additionally, the NFL world was all over Jones' retirement, as there were too many amazing plays to count for a receiver who was the fastest in league history to reach 10,000, 11,000, 12,000 and 13,000 yards

Today's Crimson Tide Schedule:

  • Track and field at Stanford Invitational, Stanford, California, All Day
  • Baseball at Auburn, 2 p.m. CT, SEC Network+
  • Softball at LSU, 6 p.m., ESPN2
  • Baseball at Auburn, 7 p.m., SEC Network

Crimson Tide Results:

Did You Notice?

  • Alabama men's basketball guard and Consensus First Team All-American Mark Sears said goodbye to the program after three years of dominance and nonstop accolades.
  • Former Alabama standout and current Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton scored 27 points on 8 of 15 from the field in a loss to the Indiana Pacers.
  • Alabama football held its second spring scrimmage in Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Here's a few highlights which features numerous players, including five-star freshman cornerback Dijon Lee, three-star freshman wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks, 2024 draft-eligible returners Jam Miller, Germie Bernard and more.
  • Alabama women's basketball guard Zaay Green officially declared for the 2025 WNBA Draft. Green just wrapped up her final year of eligibility with the Crimson Tide as a graduate student and averaged 15.7 points and 4.5 assists per game.
  • Florida and Oregon State were the top-2 finishers in evening session of the Tuscaloosa Regional. The Gators and Beavers will also face the Alabama and Cal on Sunday.

Countdown to Crimson Tide's 2025 Football Season Opener:

138 days

On This Day in Crimson Tide History:

April 5, 1968: It’s Dennis Homan Day in Muscle Shoals as the community honored the Alabama receiver and first-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the January NFL lottery picks. Homan caught 54 passes for 820 yards and scored nine touchdowns during his final season with the Crimson Tide.

April 5, 1970: Lars Anderson, author of “The Tide and the Storm,” and “Chasing the Bear” was born.

Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

“You boys were eight and ten years old last time Alabama was on top. That was before any of you were paying much attention to it. What are you doing here? Tell me why you are here. If you are not here to win a national championship, you're in the wrong place. You boys are special. I don't want my players to be like other students. I want special people. You can learn a lot on the football field that isn't taught in the home, the church, or the classroom. There are going to be days when you think you've got no more to give and then you're going to give plenty more. You are going to have pride and class. You are going to be very special. You are going to win the national championship for Alabama."

— Coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant during his first meeting with his first team at Alabama in 1958.

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Hunter De Siver
HUNTER DE

Hunter De Siver is the lead basketball writer for BamaCentral and has covered Crimson Tide football since 2024. He previously distributed stories about the NFL and NBA for On SI and was a staff writer for Missouri Tigers On SI and Cowbell Corner. Before that, Hunter generated articles highlighting Crimson Tide products in the NFL and NBA for BamaCentral as an intern in 2022 and 2023. Hunter is a graduate from the University of Alabama, earning a degree in sports media in 2023.

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