By Loveth 
Julio Jones just announced his retirement from the NFL on some random social media app that no one knew existed. The guy didn’t play last season after a short stint with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.
Over a 10-year career with the Atlanta Falcons, Julio was a total beast: 5 All-Pro selections, 7 Pro Bowls, and the NFL’s receiving yards leader twice (2015, 2018). From 2014 to 2019, he had over 1,394 receiving yards every single season. He was also the fastest player to hit 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, and 13,000 receiving yards, finishing his career with a massive 13,703 yards—16th most in NFL history.
Before all this, Julio was an All-American at Alabama and a key part of the beginning of the Nick Saban era in Tuscaloosa. Many call him the most important recruit in Alabama’s history. If you want a deep dive into why that’s the case, check out Creg Stephenson’s article on it.
Julio’s commitment to Alabama in 2008 changed everything. Before him, Alabama didn’t really have a good track record of landing top-tier receivers. But after Julio came Amari Cooper, then Calvin Ridley, and eventually the “Ryde Outs” era with guys like Devonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, and Jaylen Waddle. These 1st-round WRs just kept coming, and you’ve got to wonder if Alabama would’ve gotten any of them if Julio had picked another school like Oklahoma or Texas Tech.
Saban’s pitch to Julio was bold. He told him Alabama would win with or without him. It could’ve backfired, but Julio bought in, and the rest is history. He helped launch one of the greatest dynasties in college football and set the stage for all the top WRs who followed him.
Want a stat that really shows how much Julio changed Alabama football? Check this out:
Pre-Julio (1966-2010): 3,792 receiving yards in the NFL (135th)
Since Julio (2011-2024): 46,124 receiving yards (2nd)
Julio didn’t just change the game at Alabama; he set the foundation for the next generation of Tide receivers to dominate at the next level.