Zay Jones named to AAC Fifth Anniversary Football Team

Former East Carolina University wide receiver and current Buffalo Bill Zay Jones was named to the American Athletic Conference Fifth Anniversary Football Team by the AAC.

The voting is compiled of three separate categories according to the AAC announcement: a fan vote, a vote of local and national media members and a vote of the conference’s 12 football programs. The voting was conducted in late June and early July.

Jones played three years in the AAC after ECU moved to the conference from Conference USA in 2014. In his time in the AAC, Jones was a two-time all-conference pick, and set many school and conference records, as well as the NCAA single-season and career receptions records.

Jones was also a 2016 Biletnikoff Award finalist, the award for top wide receiver in college football and was narrowly beaten out by former University of Oklahoma wide receiver Dede Westbrook, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

During a senior season that saw Jones reel in 158 receptions in 2016, he also set AAC and ECU single-season standards with 1,746 receiving yards. Jones 4,279 yards in his college career left him as one of just 19 FBS players in history to have over 4,000 yards receiving.

Jones played his rookie year for the Bills last season, compiling 27 catches for 316 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games. Jones was hampered by multiple lingering injuries the entire season including a torn labrum in his shoulder, which he ultimately got surgery for. He also underwent surgery on his knee in mid-March and hopes to be ready to go for Bills’ training camp starting on July 27.

Joining Jones on the list of skill position players are former Naval Academy quarterback Kennan Reynolds, former AAC running backs D’Angelo Brewer from the University of Tulsa and Marlon Mack of the University of South Florida, wide receivers Anthony Miller of the University of Memphis and Courtland Sutton of Southern Methodist University.