Atlanta Falcons rookie Julio Jones is touring tornado-damaged Tuscaloosa and Birmingham along with the Red Cross and former Alabama Crimson Tide teammates. The group is trying to boost morale, with Jones planning to distribute boxes of anything Under Armour makes that might be of use. The apparel company has sponsored Jones since before the NFL Combine and is his primary source of income due to the ongoing NFL lockout.
He says he extended an invite to former Georgia Bulldogs WR A.J. Green to come along as well.
His decision to go to New York for NFL Draft events was apparently a last-minute one, he says. He might've been very near the worst-affected parts of Tuscaloosa if he'd chosen to stick around instead of heading up.
Jones isn't missing any practice time to help out, as his still-recovering foot would've kept him out of the Falcons player-organized minicamp anyway.
For frequent coverage of Alabama's rebuilding and relief efforts, including more on things you can do to help out, join Roll Bama Roll.