Brent Michael Jones (born February 12, 1963) is an American former professional football player, business executive, businessman, coach, and sports analyst.
Jones is listed among the top players in franchise history, and helped revolutionize the concept of the pass-catching tight end.
[1] After playing college football at Santa Clara University, Jones was selected 135th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL draft.
Due to injury, he was cut from the baseball team his second year and his focus and athletic scholarship was shifted to football.
[7] On Sunday, May 11, while driving home on Mother's Day, Jones and his girlfriend Dana were both injured in a car accident after being hit by a drunk driver.
Jones suffered a herniated disc in his neck and Dana broke her jaw on the steering wheel and dislocated her shoulder.
Due to his later success in professional football with the San Francisco 49ers, Jones is considered the worst cut in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise.
On Sunday, December 6, at Lambeau Field, in a 23–12 win over the Green Bay Packers, Jones made his NFL regular season debut, won his first career NFL regular season game, and recorded his first career reception on a 13-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana.
[9] The team finished the strike-shortened 1987 NFL season 13–2 and first in the NFC West under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh.
On Sunday, November 6, at Sun Devil Stadium, Jones caught his first career receiving touchdown against the Phoenix Cardinals.
On Sunday, New Year's Day, January 1, 1989, at Candlestick Park, in a 34–9 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Jones won his first career playoff game.
On Saturday, January 6, 1990, at Candlestick Park, in a 41–13 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Jones recorded his first career playoff receiving touchdown on an eight-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana that put the Niners up 14–3 in the second quarter.
Jones chipped in with his first Super Bowl reception and receiving touchdown on the same play; a seven-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana to put the Niners up 13–3 in the first quarter.
On Sunday, September 23, at Candlestick Park, in a 19–13 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Jones recorded a career-high 125 receiving yards from quarterback Joe Montana in a single game.
On Saturday, January 12, 1991, at Candlestick Park, in a 28–10 win over the Washington Redskins, Jones caught a career-long 47-yard pass from quarterback Joe Montana.
On Sunday, October 3, at Candlestick Park, in a 38–19 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Jones caught a career-high eight receptions from quarterback Steve Young.
Jones started all 16 games for the third time in his career, finishing with a career-high 68 receptions for 735 yards and three touchdowns, and played in his second consecutive Pro Bowl.
On Sunday, November 6, at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, in a 37–22 win over the Washington Redskins, Jones caught a career-long 69-yard pass from quarterback Steve Young to put the Niners up 10–0 in the first quarter.
Jones decided to leave CBS Sports during the 2005 NFL season to spend more time with family, and to focus on his business in California, Northgate Capital, which he founded with former teammates Mark Harris and Tommy Vardell.
[12] In 2000, upon retiring from football, Jones and former teammates Steve Young, Tommy Vardell, and Mark Harris co-founded Northgate Capital, a venture capital and private equity investment firm with approximately $4.9 billion of assets under management and offices in San Francisco, Danville, Mexico City, and London and served as its managing director and founding partner.
[13][14] He sold a majority stake in Northgate to Indian financial services company Religare Enterprises in 2010 and continued to manage the firm as a partner.
[20][21] Jones's coaching career began in 2007 at Monte Vista High School, who compete in the East Bay Athletic League.
On March 19, 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Jones was being recruited to run in a special election to replace U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher, who was appointed to a position in the State Department, in California's 10th congressional district.