Homer Jones, a wide receiver who was twice selected to the Pro Bowl and played in the NFL for the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, has passed away. He is remembered as one of the first players to spike the ball following a touchdown. He was 82.
When Jones passed away, he was suffering lung cancer.
Jones’ passing was revealed by the Giants on Wednesday night.
According to Giants CEO John Mara, Homer Jones “had a special combination of speed and power and was a threat to score whenever he touched the ball.”
He became a fan favourite because he was one of the first players, if not the first, to spike the ball in the end zone after scoring a touchdown. I recall him as a laid-back, amiable person who got along well with his coaches and teammates.
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In the fifth round of the 1963 AFL Draught, the Houston Oilers selected Jones, although he never played for them. He was chosen by the Giants in the twentieth round of the 1963 NFL Draught, and he made his debut for the team in 1964.
In New York, Jones won two Pro Bowl berths. With 13 touchdown catches, he led the NFL in that year. After that, he spent one season with the Browns before quitting the sport following the 1970 campaign.
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With 224 catches for 4,986 yards and 36 touchdowns, he had a successful career.
Most significantly, Jones is credited with being the first to spike the ball following a touchdown. Jones would spike the ball on a touchdown reception when he started the first game of his career in 1965 after witnessing famous players of the era Frank Gifford and Paul Hornung toss the ball into the stands after a score and get fined for it.
In 2015, Jones remembered to ESPN that “I was about to throw it into the grandstand.” But as I was about to raise my arm, reality hit me hard. Pete Rozelle, the commissioner of the NFL, would have penalised me. Back then, that was a substantial sum of money. I simply threw the ball onto the grass in the end zone. People were thrilled, so I continued to do that throughout the rest of my career.
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