The career path of Rulon Jones from 1980-88 is well marked in the Broncos’ record book.
The Broncos drafted him from Utah State in the second round in 1980. During his nine seasons in Denver, the defensive end made his mark, earning an AFC defensive player of the year award in 1986 and going to two Pro Bowls.
Then he all but disappeared.
“I’ve been really bad about maintaining any contact,” Jones said from his ranch outside of Firth, Idaho. “I’ve never been back. I have my ranch, and I’m kind of a hermit out here.”
But Jones hasn’t been forgotten. He certainly is remembered by defensive coordinator Joe Collier and teammate Karl Mecklenburg.
“Rulon was kind of a Jekyll-Hyde character,” Mecklenburg said. “Off the field, he was quiet, but he was a wild man on the field. I’d love to see him again. I haven’t seen him since he left the team.”
Collier recognized a good thing. With Mecklenburg and Jones, Collier had two premier pass rushers. At times, Collier brought Mecklenburg up into the line and played him alongside Jones.
In the 1985 and 1986 seasons, the two combined for 23 sacks each year.
“He (Jones) was a different dude, but a really talented player,” Collier said. “He could say some things that got on the other team’s bulletin board, but at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, he was just what you wanted at defensive end. He was a great pass rusher and as a coach, you never wanted to cool him down.”
Jones played for coaches Red Miller and Dan Reeves. Stan Jones was one of Collier’s defensive assistants. Randy Gradishar and Tom Jackson backed up the line. Louis Wright and Billy Thompson roamed the secondary. Collier’s defensive line featured Jones, Barney Chavous and Rubin Carter.
It didn’t take long for Jones to fit into the Broncos’ defense. He led the team in sacks with 11½ in 1980, his rookie season.
“My first start was a Monday night game against the Oakland Raiders,” Jones said. “That was a huge rivalry, especially when John Madden was at Oakland. I got along with all my coaches. They knew how to get the best effort out of you.”
Jones finished with 52½ official sacks, but sacks weren’t an official statistic his first two seasons. He combined for 21 sacks in 1980 and 1981 for an actual career total of 73½. In a three-year span, 1984-86, Jones registered 34½ sacks.
Even Jones understood his personality swing from on the field to off the field.
“I was a little different when I got on the field,” Jones said. “I got a little crazy.”
Jones retired before the 1989 season began at age 31. He had arthroscopic knee surgery after the 1988 season and wasn’t 100 percent when he reported to training camp.
“When I got to training camp, I could see I wasn’t playing well,” Jones said. “I had lost a step, and my knee was killing me. I don’t know if I did the rehabilitation too hard or too soon, but it wasn’t getting any better.”
Jones walked away from football. He followed his roots and got into a ranching and hunting guide business in Idaho and Mexico. His father, Larry Jones, produced hunting movies in the 1960s, and doing something similar became a passion for Rulon.
Football hadn’t disappeared from Jones’ mind when he retired. After sitting out the 1989 season, his knee began to feel better and he contemplated a comeback. But he thought better of it.
Maybe some day in the near future, Jones will pay the Broncos another visit.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@ or
Rulon Jones
Born: March 25, 1958, in Salt Lake City
High school: Weber, in Pleasant View, Utah
College: Utah State
Family: Wife Kathy; sons Garet, Dalton, Chase, Hayden and Parker; daughter Lauren
Hobby: Relaxing on a beach in the winter months
Goal: Provide for special-needs son
Residence: Firth, Idaho
