John Wesley "Lam" Jones (April 4, 1958 – March 15, 2019) was an American
sprinter and professional
football player. He won a
gold medal in the
4x100 meter relay at the
1976 Summer Olympics
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 P ...
in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
. He was also a
wide receiver in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for the
New York Jets and
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
. He played
college football at the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
.
Early years
Jones attended
Lampasas High School. In football, he became a regular starter at
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
in a
wishbone offense
The wishbone formation, also known simply as the bone, is an offensive formation in American football. The style of attack to which it gives rise is known as the wishbone offense. Like the spread offense in the 2000s to the present, the wishbone ...
as a junior. He posted 9 carries for 197 yards (21.9-yard avg.) and 4 touchdowns against Fredericksburg High School. He had 12 carries for 154 yards (12.8-yard avg.) and 4 touchdowns against
Llano High School. He finished the season with 1,330 rushing yards, an 11.6-yard average, 159 scored points and was named second-team Class AAA All-state.
As a senior, he tallied 257 yards and 4 touchdowns against
Gainesville High School and was named All-state. He scored 45 touchdowns in 2 seasons.
In track as a junior, he was the state champion in the
440-yard dash with a time of 47.6 seconds.
He is considered legendary in Texas high school sports history for his performance in the mile relay at the 1976 U.I.L. State Track and Field Meet. Running anchor for Class 3A
Lampasas High School, Jones took the baton in last place, reportedly 40 to 60 yards behind the leaders, and passed the entire field for victory. The run has taken on near-mythical status among those who saw it — or claim to have seen it.
In 2015, CBS affiliate
KEYE broadcast a segment on the existence of a film of the legendary event including Jones' reaction when he learned of it.
Before enrolling at the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, at the age of 18, he qualified for the
4 × 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners must begin in the same stagger as for the indiv ...
, becoming the youngest athlete from Texas to earn a berth on the U.S. Olympic track and field team. In the
1976 Summer Olympics
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 P ...
, he won a gold medal running the second leg of the 4x100 team that set a world record with a time of 38.33 seconds. He also replaced an injured
Houston McTear on the U.S. team and finished sixth in the
100 meters
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contes ...
. He returned home as a national celebrity.
In 2008, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.
College career
Jones accepted a football scholarship from the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
to play under head coach
Darrell Royal
Darrell K Royal (July 6, 1924 – November 7, 2012) was an All-American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University (1954–1955), the University of Washington (1956), and the University of Texas (1957 ...
. Coach Royal, in order to differentiate between two players named Johnny Jones on the team, gave them nicknames based on their hometowns—Johnny “Lam” Jones from
''Lam''pasas, Texas, and Johnny “Ham” Jones from
''Ham''lin, Texas.
As a freshman
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
, Jones posted 118 carries for 624 yards (second on the team to
Earl Campbell
Earl Christian Campbell (born March 29, 1955), nicknamed "the Tyler Rose", is an American former professional football player who played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. K ...
) with a 5.3-yard average and five touchdowns, and three receptions for 79 yards (third on the team). As a sophomore, new head coach
Fred Akers
Fred Akers (March 17, 1938 – December 7, 2020) was an American college football player and coach. He served as head football coach at the University of Wyoming (1975–1976), the University of Texas at Austin (1977–1986), and Purdue Universit ...
changed the offense and Jones was moved to
wide receiver. He led the team with 21 receptions for 543 yards (25.9-yard average) with seven touchdowns, and nine carries for 30 yards (3.3-yard average).
As a junior, Jones led the team with 25 receptions for 446 yards (17.8-yard average) with five touchdowns, and 15 carries for 128 yards (8.5-yard average) with one rushing touchdown. As a senior, he led the team with 36 receptions for 535 yards (14.9-yard average) with two touchdowns, and 14 carries for 68 yards (4.9-yard average).
Jones played
wide receiver in run oriented offenses, usually being double-teamed and some times triple-teamed by opposing defenses. In his football career, he averaged 28 receptions per season and 18.9-yards per catch with 14 touchdowns.
He ranks 10th on the school's all-time all-purpose yardage list (3,042). He also is one of only three players in Longhorn history to rush for 100 yards in a game and also have a 100-yard receiving game.
College statistics
* Includes bowl games.
Track
In his freshman track season, Jones won the
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
in 9.85 seconds, which would have been a world record if it hadn't been hand-timed. When converted into automatic timing (10.14 seconds) it ranked as the fastest
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
in school history. His times of 9.21 seconds for the
100-yard dash
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length&nb ...
and 20.14 seconds for
220-yard dash set records for
Memorial Stadium. He also won four events (100, 220, 440 relay and mile relay) at the Southwest Conference meet. At the NCAA championships, Jones completed a grueling 16-month season by finishing second in the
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
with 10.27 seconds and seventh in the
200 metres
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...
in 20.85 seconds, with track observers noting he looked worn out.
As a sophomore in track, football injuries began to impact his performances. He ran a hand-timed 10.1 seconds in the
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
. He won his first-round heat at the NCAA championships in 10.14 seconds, but he failed to qualify for the NCAA final.
In 1994, he was inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor. He is considered to be one of the greatest athletes in school history.
Professional career
New York Jets
In the
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980, at the New York Sh ...
, the
New York Jets were targeting
offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz
Michael Anthony Muñoz (born August 19, 1958) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for 13 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for t ...
with the second overall pick they obtained from the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, but settled for Jones after their team physician recommended not to take Munoz, who failed a physical exam because he had undergone reconstructive knee surgery. The selection was acquired by trading two 1980 first round draft picks (#13-
Earl Cooper
Earl Cooper (2 December 1886 Broken Bow, Nebraska – 22 October 1965 Atwater, California) was an American racecar driver.
Racing career
He began his racing career in 1908 in San Francisco in a borrowed car. He won the race, but lost his ...
and #20-
Jim Stuckey
James Davis Stuckey (born June 21, 1958) is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1980s. Stuckey played college football for Cle ...
). Jones was ranked as the best
wide receiver in the draft.
The $2.1 million contract he received () was the first in the NFL worth over a million dollars. There were reports in the media that the actual contract numbers may have been lower, which included a $250,000 signing bonus, plus a $200,000 loan, and a $300,000 deferred bonus, for a total package of $1.4 million.
As a rookie, he started 13 games, making 25 receptions for 482 yards (19.3-yard avg.) and 3
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s. Since Jones was a world-class sprinter with elite speed, he could beat any coverage, but had trouble catching the football. He was viewed more as an athlete than a football player.
In
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
, he was a backup behind
Derrick Gaffney
Derrick Tyrone Gaffney (born May 24, 1955) is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Gaffney played college footba ...
, starting only 3 out of 15 games, while collecting 20 receptions for 342 yards (17.1-yard avg.) and 3
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s.
In
1982, the season was reduced from a 16-game schedule to 9 contests because of the players' strike. He started 7 out of 8 games, finishing with 18 receptions for 294 yards (16.3-yard avg.) and 2
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s.
In
1983
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...
, he had his best season with 7 starts out of 14 games, along with 43 receptions for 734 yards (17.1-yard avg.) and 4
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s. He caught 31 of his career-high 43 passes in the final 8 contests.
In
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, he was placed on the
injured reserve list
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on August 28, spending 11 weeks there with a broken collarbone he suffered in the first preseason game against the
Cincinnati Bengals. He was activated on October 26, starting 8 out of 8 games, but was platooned with Gaffney communicating plays from the sideline to
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Ken O'Brien
Kenneth John O'Brien Jr. (born November 27, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever ...
. He made 32 receptions for 470 yards (14.7-yard avg.) and one
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
.
In
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
, he re-injured his right index finger during a practice and was lost for the year after being placed on the
injured reserve list
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on August 15. In
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
**Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal enter ...
, he sat out the season with a hamstring injury after being placed on the
injured reserve list
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on August 19.
On July 23,
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
, he was traded to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
in exchange for a 1988 fifth round draft pick (#131-Dennis Price). He left after playing in 61 games (37 starts), recording 138 receptions for 2,322 yards and 13 touchdowns. During his career, he was considered a first round disappointment, criticized for his inconsistency and inability to make catches across the middle of the field.
San Francisco 49ers
In
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
, the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
acquired Jones to try him at both split end and flanker, looking to replace
Dwight Clark
Dwight Edward Clark (January 8, 1957 – June 4, 2018) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 He was a member of San ...
and find a receiver to play alongside
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. Known primarily as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, winning three championsh ...
. He was released on August 18.
Dallas Cowboys
On August 25,
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
, he was signed as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
, who were experiencing multiple injuries in the receiving corps.
After the players went on strike in the third week of the
1987 season, those contests were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the
NFL decided that the games going forward would be played using replacement players. He crossed the picket line off the injured reserve to be a part of the Dallas replacement team that was given the mock name "Rhinestone Cowboys" by the media. On October 21, he was released after the strike ended. He didn't appear in any game or record any stat during his time with the team.
Personal life
After his football career, Jones battled drug and alcohol addiction. Jones never had a drink of alcohol until his time in college. A hazing incident as an NFL rookie was an omen of things to come when veterans took him out drinking. The group started downing shots. Unbeknownst to Jones, the vets were drinking soft drinks while pouring him liquor.
His troubles with drugs continued after his NFL career until a sexual molestation incident caused him to go to rehab.
He recovered and went on to speak about addiction to high school athletes to help them avoid the same problems.
The once shy Jones became a motivational speaker for high school athletes, sharing his story of hardship as part of his message. He donated part of his speaking fees to the Texas Special Olympics, to which he also donated his Olympic medal in the late 1970s.
In 2005, Jones was diagnosed with
myeloma
Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone pain, anemi ...
cancer that affects
bone marrow throughout the body. He died of myeloma March 15, 2019.
See also
*
List of Texas Longhorns football All-Americans
*
List of New York Jets first-round draft picks
References
External links
Johnny "Lam" Jones NFL stats at databasefootball.com*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Lam
1958 births
2019 deaths
Sportspeople from Lawton, Oklahoma
Players of American football from Oklahoma
People from Lampasas, Texas
Players of American football from Texas
American male sprinters
American football wide receivers
Texas Longhorns football players
Texas Longhorns men's track and field athletes
New York Jets players
Dallas Cowboys players
Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field
Deaths from multiple myeloma
Track and field athletes in the National Football League