Vols: Football career ends for Jack Jones due to recurring injury

Tennessee offensive lineman Jack Jones has retired from football due to recurring neck and shoulder injuries, coach Butch Jones announced Monday.

Butch Jones said the decision was made after meetings with doctors and that "everyone felt it was in his best interest that he would no longer play football.”

“We hurt for Jack," Butch Jones said. "We hurt for his great family. We will be there for support. He will continue to be a member of this football team moving forward.”

According to Jack Jones' mother, Tracy Jones, Jack has a form of spinal stenosis — an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal — and could face permanent injury if he continued playing football. She mentioned on Facebook that the family recently visited a specialist in Dallas to address ongoing neck pain and numbness in his arms and hands.

"We were told by a NFL physician, for Jack to continue one more down of football would potentially harm him ... permanently," Tracy Jones wrote. "We immediately knew as a family, as much as we love football & the Vols, what our decision was ... we value our son ... & Jack’s quality of life was of utmost importance. We could never risk permanent nerve damage in his neck, arms & hands. We were broken by the news but also thankful that we found out before any permanent damage was done."

Jack Jones had not played since Sept. 30 against Georgia, missing the past two games.

Jones played in nine games as a freshman in 2015 with one start. He started six games, playing in nine as a sophomore last season. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native opened the season as the starting left guard, a spot he held for three games. He played in a reserve role the following two weeks.

"Obviously, Jack Jones is somebody who is from Tennessee and loves this place," senior offensive lineman Brett Kendrick said. "We still love Jack and Jack is still a part of the team. He texted us right before the game Saturday. Not much has changed. I know it’s hard on him. I can’t imagine what he’s going through because he loves this game and he loves this school and he loves his teammates.

"We are keeping him part of the team, and I can’t say enough about Jack and his character through all of this."

More:Butch Jones 'not OK with being 3-4' as Vols enter Kentucky game

The loss of Jones exacerbates depth issues on the Tennessee offensive line. The Vols lost projected starting right tackle Chance Hall to a preseason knee injury and sophomore Venzell Boulware left the team on Oct. 2. Freshman K'Rojhn Calbert also had knee surgery and is out for the season.

The Vols (3-4, 0-4 SEC) are down to seven offensive linemen in their playing group as they travel to face Kentucky (5-2, 2-2) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

Given the attrition and lack of depth, Jones emphasized the importance of adding offensive linemen to the program.

“The offensive line recruiting is paramount for this football program," Jones said.

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