| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1950-06-23)June 23, 1950 (age 75) Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 196 lb (89 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | John Harris (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) |
| College | USC |
| Career history | |
| 1973–1975 | Montreal Alouettes |
| 1976–1978 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 1979 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| Awards and highlights | |
Jimmy Jones (born June 23, 1950) is an American formerfootball all-starquarterback in theCanadian Football League (CFL). Jones was a graduate of theUniversity of Southern California (USC). He moved to Canada in 1973, and played for theMontreal Alouettes,Hamilton Tiger-Cats andOttawa Rough Riders, and helped lead the Alouettes to aGrey Cup win in 1974.
Jones played football at John Harris High School inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he became one of top ratedquarterbacks in the nation.
He won the starter job during his junior year, passing and running for over 2,300 yards and 20touchdowns, then 2,400 yards with 40touchdowns in his senior year.
Jones was named to the first teamAll-American High School team in 1968 and had numerous scholarship offers.
He was such a dominant player at this level, that the school retired his number No. 10 jersey after his last game. John Harris High School was merged with William Penn High School in 1971, becoming Harrisburg High School.
Jones attended theUniversity of Southern California and became one of the fewAfrican American startingquarterbacks of that era inDivision I (NCAA), influencing during his college career the breaking of different color barriers.
As a sophomore in 1969, he helped leadUSC to an undefeated season (10-0-1), aRose Bowl win over theUniversity of Michigan and a third-place ranking. During that season the team became known as the "Cardiac Kids", because of their last-minute comebacks. Jones was also the firstAfrican Americanquarterback to appear on aSports Illustrated Cover (9/29/1969).
In 1970, he was part ofUSC's "all-black"backfield (the first one of its kind inDivision I (NCAA) history), that includedfullbackSam Cunningham andrunning backClarence Davis.Jones was one of the fiveUSCAfrican American starters (along withSam Cunningham,Clarence Davis,Charlie Weaver andTody Smith), that played against an all-whiteUniversity of Alabamafootball team, winning 42–21 in Birmingham on September 12, 1970. This game was historically significant, because it played a key role in convincing theUniversity of Alabama and its fan base to accelerate the integration of itsfootball team.
For his career he compiled a 22-8-3 record and established school marks at:
In the spring of 1972 he went undrafted after not receiving much interest fromNFL teams as aquarterback. After a year out offootball, in 1973 he signed to play in theCanadian Football League for theMontreal Alouettes.
In1974 he helped his team win the1974 Grey Cup and was named an East All-Star. This would become his finest season with 2297 yards passing, 18touchdown passes, 577 yards rushing and 5 TDs. He was selected as the Eastern All-Star at quarterback.
In1975 the Alouettes once again reached the1975 Grey Cup, but this time they lost to theEdmonton Eskimos. Unfortunately, on a bitterly cold day Jones mishandled the snap on a last secondDon Sweet field goal and the Als lost the game by one point.
Jones signed with theHamilton Tiger-Cats for the 1976 season, and played 3 years there.
In1979, he signed with theOttawa Rough Riders. Jones spent his final season as a back-up toCondredge Holloway, seeing limited playing time.[1]
| CFL Statistics | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | Att | Com | % | Yds | TD | Int | # | Yds | Ave. | Lg | TD |
| 1973 | Montreal Alouettes | 14 | 117 | 72 | 61.5 | 912 | 6 | 5 | 43 | 269 | 6.3 | 31 | 4 |
| 1974 | Montreal Alouettes | 16 | 311 | 163 | 52.4 | 2297 | 18 | 22 | 90 | 577 | 6.4 | 25 | 5 |
| 1975 | Montreal Alouettes | 16 | 233 | 120 | 51.5 | 1865 | 10 | 11 | 59 | 301 | 5.1 | 32 | 1 |
| 1976 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 14 | 290 | 144 | 49.7 | 1773 | 12 | 9 | 44 | 96 | 2.2 | 16 | 1 |
| 1977 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 16 | 302 | 174 | 57.6 | 2156 | 9 | 14 | 58 | 342 | 5.9 | 39 | 5 |
| 1978 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats | 16 | 269 | 159 | 59.1 | 2060 | 9 | 11 | 43 | 204 | 4.7 | 28 | 1 |
| 1979 | Ottawa Rough Riders | 16 | 199 | 118 | 59.3 | 1342 | 8 | 12 | 27 | 112 | 4.1 | 19 | 1 |
| Totals | 1721 | 950 | 55.2 | 12405 | 72 | 84 | 364 | 1901 | 5.2 | 39 | 18 | ||
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