Homer Jones, a two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who played for the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns in the NFL and is recognized as one of the first players to dunk a football after a touchdown, has died. He was 82 years old.
Jones was battling lung cancer when he died.
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New York wide receiver Homer Jones catches a pass off Washington Redskins defensive back Lonnie Sanders during a 48-21 Giants victory on September 29, 1968, at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York. (Nate Fine/NFL)
The Giants announced Jones’ death Wednesday night.
«Homer Jones had a unique combination of speed and power and was a scoring threat every time he touched the ball,» Giants CEO John Mara said via the team’s website.
«He was one of the first players (if not the first) to spike the ball in the end zone after scoring a touchdown and quickly became a fan favorite. I remember him as a calm and friendly person who was well liked by his teammates and coaches.»
New York Giants ‘bomb-catching’ split end Homer Jones records his touchdown scoring cues for a game against the Cleveland Browns. (fake images)
The Houston Oilers selected Jones in the fifth round of the 1963 AFL Draft, but he never ended up playing for them. The Giants selected him in the 20th round of the 1963 NFL Draft and he made his first appearance with the team in 1964.
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Jones became a two-time Pro Bowler in New York. He led the NFL in touchdown receptions with 13 in 1967. He then played one season with the Browns before retiring from the game after the 1970 season.
New York Giants Homer Jones runs with the ball. (Gene Kappock/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Image)
He finished his career with 224 receptions for 4,986 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Most notably, Jones is credited as the first person to dunk the ball after a touchdown. After watching superstar players of the era like Frank Gifford and Paul Hornung throw the ball into the stands after a touchdown and being fined for it, Jones would dunk the ball for a touchdown as he started the first game of his career at 1965.
«I was about to throw it into the stands,» Jones recalled to ESPN in 2015. «But just as I was raising my arm, reality hit me. (NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle) would have fined me. That was it. a lot of money in those days. So, I just threw the ball in the end zone, on the grass. People got excited and I did it for the rest of my career.»
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According to KLTV, Jones is survived by his six children.