Homer Jones (football player)
Encyclopedia
Homer Carroll Jones is a former American football
wide receiver
, who played for the National Football League
's New York Giants
from 1964 to 1969, and for the Cleveland Browns
in 1970.
receiver Charley Taylor
of the Washington Redskins
and Browns' defensive end Joe Jones
.
Jones attended Texas Southern College (now Texas Southern University
), a historically black college, and starred in track and field
as well as football, running the 100-yard and 220-yard dashes. He was drafted in 1963 by his hometown team, the Houston Oilers
of the American Football League
, but suffered a knee injury in training camp and was cut.
and Green Bay Packers
star Paul Hornung
celebrate touchdowns by throwing the ball to fans in the stands, Jones decided to come up with his own post-touchdown maneuver. In a 1965 game, he scored a touchdown and threw the football down hard into the end zone. He called the move a "spike," and modern post-touchdown celebrations, including "touchdown dances," are said to have evolved from Jones' invention of spiking the ball.
In 1967, Jones had his best season, catches 49 passes for 1,209 yards, an average of 24.7 yards per catch, and 13 touchdowns, leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns. He was second in the league in combined rushing and receiving yards from scrimmage behind Leroy Kelly
of the Browns. He made the NFL's Pro Bowl
that season and the next.
. The Browns were in the market for a new wide receiver after having traded all-pro Paul Warfield
to the Miami Dolphins
.
In the team's first game of the 1970 NFL season
on September 21, 1970 Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Jones returned the second-half kickoff against the New York Jets
for a touchdown, a key play in the Browns' 31-21 win over the Jets in front of 85,703 fans. The crowd, officially the largest crowd in Browns' history, was a part of NFL history that evening in the first game ever played on ABC
's Monday Night Football
.
However, that touchdown would be the highlight of his one season with the Browns as knee injuries soon caught up with Jones. Soon after being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals
in July 1971, he was forced to retire at age 29.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, who played for the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1964 to 1969, and for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1970.
Early life
Six-foot-two and weighing 220 pounds, Jones was a cousin of Hall of FamePro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
receiver Charley Taylor
Charley Taylor
Charles Robert Taylor is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984....
of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and Browns' defensive end Joe Jones
Joe Jones
Joe Jones may refer to:* Joe Jones , American painter, muralist, and lithographer* Joe Jones , avant-garde musician associated with Fluxus...
.
Jones attended Texas Southern College (now Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
), a historically black college, and starred in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
as well as football, running the 100-yard and 220-yard dashes. He was drafted in 1963 by his hometown team, the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
, but suffered a knee injury in training camp and was cut.
New York Giants and the "spike"
The Giants offered Jones a bus ticket to New York and payment for knee surgery. Known as "Rhino" to his teammates, he wore uniform number 45 in New York. Having seen players such as Giant teammate Frank GiffordFrank Gifford
Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
and Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
star Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
celebrate touchdowns by throwing the ball to fans in the stands, Jones decided to come up with his own post-touchdown maneuver. In a 1965 game, he scored a touchdown and threw the football down hard into the end zone. He called the move a "spike," and modern post-touchdown celebrations, including "touchdown dances," are said to have evolved from Jones' invention of spiking the ball.
In 1967, Jones had his best season, catches 49 passes for 1,209 yards, an average of 24.7 yards per catch, and 13 touchdowns, leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns. He was second in the league in combined rushing and receiving yards from scrimmage behind Leroy Kelly
Leroy Kelly
Leroy Kelly was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73....
of the Browns. He made the NFL's Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
that season and the next.
Later career and retirement
In January 1970, Jones was traded to the Browns in exchange for running back Ron Johnson and veteran defensive lineman Jim KanickiJim Kanicki
James Henry Kanicki is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. He played college football at Michigan State University and was drafted in the second round of the 1963 NFL Draft...
. The Browns were in the market for a new wide receiver after having traded all-pro Paul Warfield
Paul Warfield
Paul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :...
to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In the team's first game of the 1970 NFL season
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
on September 21, 1970 Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Jones returned the second-half kickoff against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for a touchdown, a key play in the Browns' 31-21 win over the Jets in front of 85,703 fans. The crowd, officially the largest crowd in Browns' history, was a part of NFL history that evening in the first game ever played on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
.
However, that touchdown would be the highlight of his one season with the Browns as knee injuries soon caught up with Jones. Soon after being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in July 1971, he was forced to retire at age 29.