Early Years
Jones played his high school career at Foley High School in Foley, Alabama. He completed his senior football season in the fall of 2007. Jones participated in the High School Under Armour All-America Game, where he was recorded at 6 ft 4 in and 218 lbs.
During his high school career, Julio Jones' dominating play and rare physical attributes quickly identified him as a special athlete. At the Baton Rouge Nike camp in May 2007, Jones ran a 4.45 40 yard dash, an event-best 38.6-inch vertical jump and was recorded at 6'4", 215 pounds. He once ran a 4.38, 40 yard dash when clocked at Foley High School.
The buzz surrounding Jones began to swell to NFL proportions. Sports Illustrated likened him to wide receiver Terrell Owens, saying he was, "a big, physical wideout with great strength, amazing jumping ability and uncanny speed for such a big player." ESPN.com compared to him to another NFL great, saying, "This guy is a unique, rare prospect for the wide receiver position with his supreme blend of size, power, speed and agility. He reminds us of a high school version of Michael Irvin, but at this stage Jones is more explosive and faster."
Entering February 2008, Jones was one of the most highly rated and sought after high school football recruits in the country, having been awarded a 5 star rating (the maximum) by national recruiting outlets Rivals.com and Scout.com. Overall, Jones was nationally ranked as the #2 overall prep prospect by ESPN and #4 overall by Rivals.com, being the top-ranked receiver by both. He also drew comparisons to Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
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