Former South Carolina Linebacker Ernest Jones sets Rams franchise record in tackles
A former South Carolina Gamecock is setting a team record in the NFL. Ernest Jones played linebacker in Columbia from 2018-2020 and has now broken the Los Angeles Rams franchise record for tackles in a season.
Jones has been on a tear in his third season in the league. He has played in 16 games and recorded double-digit tackles in eight of those. He just passed Rams great James Laurinaitis in the team’s recent win over the New York Giants.
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Jones finished the month of December with 46 tackles and three sacks. Of his 145 total tackles, 74 are solo and 71 are assisted. The Georgia native has carved out a leadership role on one of the hottest teams in professional football.
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Jones will get the chance to continue his run into the Rams record books during the NFL playoffs. Los Angeles currently sits as a six-seed in the NFC. In week 18, the Rams meet up with the one-seeded San Francisco 49ers.
In Jones’ career at South Carolina, he tallied 199 tackles in 26 games, also finishing his career with two interceptions and three forced fumbles.
“Crazy thing is, Chase came up to me a couple weeks ago and said I was 24 tackles away. As soon as he told me I was like ‘Oh these are about to be the hardest 24 tackles I ever got,” Jones said on the record postgame. “To finally get it, it means everything to be able to do it for this franchise. I’m from south Georgia, these things don’t happen. It is good to be bringing something home like this record and I’m looking forward to continuing to inspire the kids back home.”
