By Homer Jones, who was regarded as one of the quickest players of his period and the creator of the touchdown celebration used most frequently in the game, passed away at the age of 82.
Wide receiver Jones, who mostly represented the Giants in the 1960s, was renowned for his lightning speed and still holds the NFL record with a career average of 22.3 yards per reception.
However, Jones is perhaps most remembered for being the first player to ever spike the ball following a score. Years later, Jones stated that he had planned a different celebration, but the prospect of an NFL punishment forced him to just throw the ball into the ground. Soon after, other players began to copy him.
“I had always said that when I made my first touchdown, I was going to throw the ball in the stands,” Jones said. “They changed the rules in the offseason to I think a $500 fine for throwing the ball into the stands. And as I crossed the goal line my intention had always been to throw that ball into the stands, but I thought about that $500 and I threw it on the ground. So that was the original spike right there.”
When Jones suffered a knee injury in training camp, the Houston Oilers released him from his contract. He then signed with the Giants, who offered to pay for his knee surgery as part of their signing bonus, which included the cost of a bus ticket to New York.
Jones didn’t play at all in 1963 and didn’t accomplish much in 1964 as he was still healing from the injury. But in 1965, when he averaged 27.3 yards per reception, he demonstrated his capacity for huge plays. He recorded three consecutive seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards from 1966 to 1968, and his 14 touchdowns in 1967 were the most in the NFL.
In Cleveland, Jones is most known for returning a kick-off for a score in the NFL’s inaugural Monday Night Football game. He was traded to the Browns in 1970. After being transferred once more, this time to the Cardinals, in 1971, Jones retired at the age of 29 after playing his final professional football game due to knee issues.
Giants’ owner John Mara remarked that Homer Jones “had a special blend of speed and power and was a threat to score whenever he touched the ball.” I recall him as a laid-back, amiable person who got along well with his coaches and teammates.
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