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Keith Jones
Puget Sound Jets, King County
Jaguars, Seattle Stallions, Tacoma Cobras
Offensive Lineman
2000-2009
Montebello Panthers, Lake County/Badger State Vikings,
Klosterneuberg Mercenaries
1995-1999
Tacoma Cobras / South King County Colts
Assistant Coach
2010 - 2013
A longtime fixture in the Northwest trenches during the
2000's, the California native already had nearly a decade of
football under his belt prior to relocating to Washington
state helping to anchor numerous championship teams during
his career.
A graduate of Torrance, California, Keith attended El Camino
College earning All-Mission Conference and All-State honors
while being named MVP of the defensive line. The 6'3"
290-pounder signed on with Eastern New Mexico University in
1993 switching to offensive tackle before breaking a leg in
the third game of the season. Transfering to Sonoma
State University for the 1994 season, Jones returned to the
defensive side of the ball and was named defensive player of
the game against Cal State Northridge before re-aggravating
the leg injury in game six, ending his college career.
His semi-pro football career would kick off in 1995 with the
Montebello Panthers where he ended up teammates with
ex-Minnesota Vikings All-Pro Al Noga and meeting his first
Northwest opponent in the AFA Playoffs against the Oregon
Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts would oust the Panthers
from the playoffs, however it was not the last time Jones
would face the 'Bolts. For ten seasons, Keith would
come out on top in many of the match-ups spanning a
decade-long rivalry throughout the 2000's. The 1996
Panthers would face a suspension from the SWFL while 6-0,
bringing an end to the season. A nearly season-long absence
from the game ensued
for Jones moving from California to Wisconsin before joining the MSFL Lake County Vikings in
Illinois midway through their 11-0 run of 1997,
starting on the defensive line. Europe would come
calling and later in 1997, Jones was in Austria joining the
Klosterneuberg Mercenaries and again playing both sides of
the line of scrimmage for four games before returning home
to take care of family matters.
Jones returned to the
Vikings, renamed the Badger State Vikings, the franchise having relocated
closer to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the 1998 and 1999 seasons
posting a combined 20-4 record. Selected to play in
the FASCO All-Star game of 2000, Jones met his future coach
in Kenny Austin, as he was soon relocating to Washington
state.
Starting his Northwest run beginning with the Austin-coached Puget
Sound Jets, Keith settled in at offensive line full time and
would be named to nine All-League teams as well
as numerous All-American and All-Region lists during the
decade. As a Jet, Jones would be a part
of two National Championship teams (2000 and 2002) playing
for another national title in 2005 as a member of the King
County Jaguars against the Central Penn Piranah in Florida.
A brief return to California in 2003 brought another league
championship run in the CFA with the Inglewood Blackhawks
before returning to the Northwest as a member of the King
County Jaguars from 2004-2006. Keith, along with other
members of the Jaguars double-dipped in 2006 as members of
the newly formed Seattle Stallions playing in the spring
(Jags played in the summer).
The Stallions won the 2006 Pacific Northwest Conference
crown in the spring and the inaugural GNFA Cascade Bowl in
an East-West battle between the Stallions, PNFC champions
and Eastern Washington's Tri-City Knights, champions of the
Evergreen League. Joining the Jaguars for a large
portion of the NWFL regular season due to the Stallions
post-season overlapping with the start of the Jaguars
non-league schedule, Keith helped King County to the
summer-league championship as well. Jones would stay with the
Stallions from 2007-2009 as perennial playoff/championship
game contenders, completing his run in the summer of 2009
with the Tacoma Cobras of the PDFL.
Following the 2009 season, Keith moved into a coaching and
recruiter role with the Cobras for the 2010 season, utilizing
former El Camino College teammate Steve Sarkisian, then head
coach at the University of Washington as a resource in bringing a number
of former Huskies to the Cobras from 2010-2012.
Leaving for the South King County Colts in 2013, Jones
helped engineer a turn-around with Cobras coach Dave
Maceachern and a number of former Cobra players to take
South King from 2-8 to 9-3 losing to his former Stallions
team in the playoffs by one score.
All told, Keith Jones played in the trenches on four NWFL
Championship teams that went on to win two National
Championships, adding titles with the Blackhawks, Stallions
and Cobras to the trophy case as one of the most-decorated
offensive guards in Northwest history.
"Bull", a moniker earned in high school for a propensity to
fire off the ball head first like a charging bull, fashioned
his defensive game after NFL idol Derrick Thomas and began
his use of the #58 throughout most of his career.
Jones named Jeff Cummins (Torrance High, El Camino College,
Oregon University, Canadian Footbal League Hall of Fame) as
one of his top influencers in his career along with Kenny
Talanoa (El Camino College, NFL/AFL alum), Kenny Austin
(Coach, Semi Pro Hall of Fame, Puget Sound Jets), Jeff Scott
(Coach King County Jaguars), Tony Reid (Inglewood
Blackhawks), Merle Davis (Seattle Stallions) and Theo Hall
(Tacoma Cobras).
Following a career with Boeing, Jones has settled into a
role as a security advisor.
"My greatest experiences on the field were playing with Al Noga, ex Minnesota
Vikings All Pro when I played with Montebello Panthers.
Winning the National Championship twice with the Puget Sound
Jets, watching Tony Reid win his very first Championship as
a player with the 2003 Inglewood Blackhawks, and playing in
Orlando Florida with the King County Jaguars in 2005 for the
National Championship." - Keith "Bull" Jones
Northwest Player
Awards
2000 NWFL All-League
2001 NWFL All-League
2001 NFE All American
2002 NWFL All-League
2002 AFA All American
2005 NWFL All-League
2005 MLFN All American
2006 NWFL All-League
2006 All Cascade League
2006 MLFN All American
2007 NWFL All League
2007 MLFN All American
2008 NWFL All League
2008 MLFN All American
2009 PDFL All League
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