Before Atlanta Falcons All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones was a superstar for a Super Bowl contender, he was making a name for himself in a different sport.
On the basketball court!
Jones, to no absolutely one's surprise, was a freak show on the hardwood for Foley High School in Alabama back in his day. As a 6-foot-3 high-flyer -- who now catches footballs from MVP candidate Matt Ryan -- he was quite the handful for teams as a teen with his leaping ability and unrivaled athleticism.
In a feature on Jones from Bleacher Report's Tyler Dunne, Foley's then play-by-play commentator Todd Watson recalled a time when Jones encountered a DeMarcus Cousins-led basketball team -- and Jones delivered a devastating put-back dunk on Cousins' LeFlore High School team. From the story:
"Like he's coming down from the rafters," Watson said. "He just grabs it and slams it home."
"Julio could fly. Literally," play-by-play man Clark Stewart added. "It was like he had wings and flew down from the rafters and put it back."
The dunk was so vicious, so preposterous, the LeFlore students stormed onto the court in bedlam. An audio file of the broadcast has survived, and the scene is clearly Juliochaos, with Watson, Stewart and a chorus of fans all in pure pandemonium. Officials were forced to stop the game for more than five minutes simply to get everyone under control.
This wasn't your everyday put-back slam. This caused the whole arena to erupt in disbelief at what they had just seen. Said Stewart: "He came from outer space."
The only question that remains unanswered: Was the jam over DeMarcus Cousins? That question might never have an answer. But it was a response to a missed 3-pointer from a teammate, so there's a good chance Boogie was down in the paint or in the area at least.
Check out the full audio here:
