BIRMINGHAM – Jacksonville State Hall of Famer Todd Jones will now be a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
 
Jones, a native of Marietta, Ga., who now makes his home in Pell City, becomes JSU's seventh inductee into the ASHOF and will be one of eight members of the Class of 2017 that will be inducted at the ASHOF's 49th Induction Banquet and Ceremony in May 13.
 
Jones, who was inducted into JSU's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999, joins former Gamecocks Dieter Brock ('92), Don Salls ('92), Jodie Connell ('96), Rudy Abbott ('05), Charley Pell ('11) and Eric Davis ('13) in the ASHOF.
 
Jones helped lead Jacksonville State to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 1988 and 1989, striking out 171 in the two years. Following his senior season, he was selected by the Houston Astros in the first round (supplemental), the 27th pick overall, in the Major League Baseball Amateur draft.
 
He made it to the big leagues in 1993, and quickly settled in as the Astros closer, notching 33 saves over a two-year span. In '97, Jones was traded to the Detroit Tigers in a blockbuster deal, and finished fourth in the league with 31 saves, a career high and the most by a Tiger since 1985. He finished tied for fourth in the league in saves, and was named "Rolaids July Reliever of the Month" when he went 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 10 saves.
 
He played in the Major Leagues for 16 seasons with nine different teams and had his best season in 2000 with the Detroit Tigers. That season, he was named to the American League All Star Team and won the American League Relief Man of the Year Award.
 
Jones also led the American League in saves in 2000 with 42, which was a Detroit Tigers' single season record. In May 2006, he became the Tigers' all-time leader in saves. He was the 21st member of the 300-save club, and ranking 14th in MBL all-time saves with 318. 

In the 2017 Class, Jones joins Lee DeFore, Ken Donahue, Jim Goostree, Jeff Herrod, Takeo Spikes, Kevin Turner and Carnell Williams.