Jolly was born in Detroit and grew up in Melvindale, Michigan. He attended Dearborn Sacred Heart High School for three years and one year at Aquinas High School in Southgate Michigan. He played four sports, football, basketball, track and baseball, in high school. He played both tailback and defensive back, and returned punts, in high school.
Michigan
He played for the Michigan Wolverines football team under head coachBo Schembechler from 1976 to 1979. As a sophomore in 1977, Jolly started 11 of 12 games for Michigan at the weak side cornerback position. On October 1, 1977, in Michigan's 41-3 victory over Texas A&M, Jolly intercepted a pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown. Jolly played in the 1978 Rose Bowl against the Washington Huskies on New Year's Day. In the third quarter of the Rose Bowl, he intercepted a pass at the Washington 36-yard line and returned it 25 yards. As a junior in 1978, Jolly started all 12 games at weak side cornerback for the 1978 Michigan Wolverines football team and was selected as an All-Big Ten Conference player. In the team's 51-0 victory over Duke, Jolly intercepted two passes. The 1978 team won the Big Ten Conference championship, held opponents to an average of 8.75 points per game, played in the 1979 Rose Bowl, and finished the season ranked No. 5 in both the AP and UPI polls. As a senior in 1979, and for the second consecutive season, he started all 12 games at the weak side cornerback position. The 1979 Michigan Wolverines football team held opponents to an average of 12.6 points per game, played in the 1979 Gator Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 18 and 19 in the final AP and UPI polls. For the second consecutive season, Jolly was selected as an All-Big Ten Conference player. Over the three-year period from 1977 to 1979, Jolly started 35 of 36 games for the Wolverines and appeared in two Rose Bowls and a Gator Bowl. In his collegiate career, Jolly totaled 124 tackles and nine interceptions.
Professional football
Jolly was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1980 NFL Draft. In August 1980, Jolly was cut by the Saints and picked up on waivers by the Green Bay Packers. As a rookie, Jolly appeared in all 16 games as a defensive back for the 1980 Packers. As the fifth back in Green Bay's nickel defense, he had two interceptions and knocked down three passes as a rookie. Jolly was slated to be the Packers starting safety in 1981. During his first game as a starter, a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys in August 1981, Jolly sustained an injury to his left knee which required surgery to repair ligaments. Jolly missed the entire 1981 season after the injury. He returned for the 1982 season but appeared in only seven games, none as a starter. In 1983, he appeared in 12 games for the Packers, none as a starter. In May 1984, the Packers released Jolly.
