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Former North Carolina A&T and Boston College defensive tackle Caleb Jones is hanging up his cleats. Jones announced his retirement from the game of football in a heartfelt Instagram post shared Sunday, 5-foot-11, 315-pound redshirt sophomore Jones expressed deep gratitude for the game of football, thanking friends and family for their support.
“Football has done so much for me. I can’t even describe how many doors it opened up for me, and never in my 20 years of living would I have thought I’d have to hang it up earlier than expected,” Jones wrote. “It was a generational run for me. I inspired a lot of people by showing that, even if you’re shorter than the average player, you can still make it to the next level. Even though football has blessed my life, God has a different plan for me, and I won’t question it. I was fortunate to make it this far when some didn’t believe in me, but now it’s time to step away. With that, I’m officially announcing my retirement from football. Thank you for everything.”
A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, Jones was a standout high school player at Oscar Smith High School, earning three first-team All-Region and three first-team All-State honors. He was also a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time State Champion. During his high school career, Jones recorded over 300 tackles, 41 sacks, and more than 100 tackles for loss.
In his freshman year with North Carolina A&T, Jones was named a Freshman All-American, finishing the season with 20 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks.
Jones transferred to Boston College in 2023 but missed the entire season due to an injury. Although he did not have the opportunity to play for the Eagles, his journey to becoming a college football player remains a significant achievement, given that only about 6 to 7 percent of high school players reach this level.
