Jacoby Jones, former NFL WR, dies at age 40

Jacoby Jones played just three seasons for the Ravens, but his legacy left an indelible mark on Baltimore and its fans that will long live on.

A wide receiver and All-Pro kick returner for the Ravens from 2012 to 2014 who was a Super Bowl hero, Jones has died, the team said Sunday. He had just turned 40 on Thursday.

According to a statement from the NFL Players Association on behalf of Jones’ family, he died “peacefully at his home in New Orleans.”

Jones was the star of Baltimore’s Super Bowl 47 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in his hometown of New Orleans. He caught a 56-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and opened the second half with a Super Bowl-record 108-yard kickoff return for a score, helping the Ravens take a 28-6 lead before they held on for a 34-31 victory to secure the organization’s second championship.

“We are completely heartbroken to learn about the passing of Jacoby Jones,” the Ravens said in a statement. “Jacoby had the unique ability to connect with everyone he encountered. His charisma, joy and love created a one-of-a-kind presence that could light up any room or brighten any dark day.

“Jacoby will long be remembered not just for his success on the football field, but for the lasting personal connections he made with countless people in the Ravens organization, Baltimore community and every area he called home.”

Jones’ impact on the field wasn’t just limited to the Super Bowl.

He also had a 70-yard, game-tying touchdown catch in the waning seconds of regulation in the Ravens’ AFC divisional round playoff game that season against the Denver Broncos, which Baltimore went on to win in double overtime. Dubbed the “Mile High Miracle,” it was voted the greatest moment in team history for the NFL’s 100th anniversary in 2019.

“I loved Jacoby Jones. We all did,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “His spirit, enthusiasm and love for people were powerful. He was a light. He was the cherished son of his loving mom, Ms. Emily. They were so close. He was a man of faith.

“My favorite football play was when Jacoby was talking to his mom in the end zone, just before a late-game kickoff return against the Vikings in a snowstorm shootout. Jacoby then raced to catch the ball and run it back for a touchdown. My favorite Jacoby personal moment was every time I saw his smiling face full of Joy. Rest in peace, Jacoby, in the arms of Jesus.”

Jones spent nine seasons in the NFL after he was selected out of Division II Lane College with the 73rd pick in the third round of the 2007 draft by the Texans. He played his first five seasons in the league in Houston, where his talent was on display early. His first touchdown catch came in Week 2 of his rookie year against the Tennessee Titans, and four games later he returned a punt 70 yards for a score against the Miami Dolphins.

Jones recorded 127 catches for 1,741 yards and 11 touchdowns and scored four times on kick and punt returns with the Texans, who released him in 2012. The Ravens signed him to a two-year, $7 million deal, and again it didn’t take long for him to make an impact.

Six games into his Ravens career, Jones delivered another highlight-reel moment, returning a kickoff an NFL-record 108 yards for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in Baltimore’s 31-29 victory at M&T Bank Stadium. Three games later, he had a 105-yard return for a touchdown in a 55-20 win over the then-Oakland Raiders, becoming the first player to return two kicks at least 105 yards in the same season.

The following week in Pittsburgh, Jones returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown, lifting Baltimore to a 13-10 win over its bitter AFC North rival, marking the time a Ravens player had returned a punt for a touchdown against the Steelers. His five total return touchdowns for Baltimore rank second in franchise history.

Then came his playoff performance against the Broncos and star quarterback Peyton Manning in Denver.

With the Ravens trailing 35-28 with 44 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and facing a third-and-3 from their own 30-yard line, Jones streaked past Denver defensive backs Tony Carter and Rahim Moore, and quarterback Joe Flacco connected with him on the 70-yard scoring strike. Justin Tucker, a rookie at the time, then kicked a 47-yard field goal to win the game in the second overtime period.

Baltimore went on to defeat the New England Patriots, 28-13, in the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium before beating the 49ers in the Super Bowl in New Orleans thanks in large part to Jones’ 290 all-purpose yards, a Super Bowl record.

“My brother, you will truly be missed,” former Ravens linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis posted on X, formerly Twitter. “They can’t take the memories and the hard work you put in on and off the football field. You always gave back and always a pillar in the community, a @Ravens for life. Love ya JJ.”

Jones, who was also a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2013 and paired up with Karina Smirnoff to finish third, remained with the Ravens through the 2014 season before being released and spending the following season with the then-San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. In Pittsburgh, he played under coach Mike Tomlin, who infamously tripped Jones along the sideline as he returned a kick for a would-be touchdown during a nationally televised game on Thanksgiving night in 2013.

“We don’t win Super Bowl XLVII without Jacoby,” then-Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said at the time of Jones’ release. “Jacoby was an outstanding Raven and a good teammate on and off the field.”

In September 2017, Jones returned to the organization, signing a one-day contract with Baltimore so he could retire as a Raven.

“This organization is a family more than anything,” he said at his retirement news conference. “The city of Baltimore accepted me. They took me in. It’s love, I appreciate it. Everything has to come to an end, but at least it’s here.”

Jones holds the Ravens’ record for most career kickoff return touchdowns (four), most kickoff return touchdowns in a single season (two) and the longest kickoff return in team history. He finished his career with 203 catches for 2,733 yards and 125 touchdowns. He also had 4,940 yards and five touchdowns as a kick returner and 2,688 yards and four scores as a punt returner.

His contributions off the field were also significant.

After his retirement, he went on to be the wide receivers coach at Lane College from 2018 to 2019 as well as at Calvert Hall in 2020. He also coached tight ends at Morgan State in 2021 and wide receivers at Alabama State beginning in 2022.

“Even though our time was short together, Jacoby was the most authentic person, and cared so much about our young men at Calvert Hall,” Cardinals coach Josh Ward said of Jones, who coached the receivers and special teams at the Baltimore private school. “He made a huge impact on their development. He will be dearly missed.”

Jones was also inducted into the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame earlier this month and is a member of the Hall of Fame at Lane College as well as his high school alma mater, Marion Abramson.

Earlier this year, Jones was hired this year by the Beaumont Renegades, a professional indoor football team based in Texas, as their head coach and offensive coordinator.

“Jacoby was a special football player,” the Renegades said in a statement. “He loved every minute of every game, and he knew that every day was a blessing. But what can be said about Jacoby the football player only scratches the surface of who he was as a man. When you needed someone, he was there. When you called, he answered. When you texted, he responded. It didn’t matter if you were a family member, a close friend, a former coach or teammate, a player he coached.

“What Jacoby loved doing the most was giving back and helping the next generation of kids achieve their dreams and reach their fullest potential. He left no one behind and gave time to every young kid and player that asked for it. Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies go out to his family as they work through this sudden and tragic loss.”

Originally Published: July 14, 2024 at 10:43 a.m.