Cal Jones facts for kids
Jones from 1956 Hawkeyes
|
|
| No. 62 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 7, 1933 Steubenville, Ohio |
| Died: | December 9, 1956 (aged 23) Mount Slesse, Hope, British Columbia |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Steubenville (Steubenville, OH) |
| College: | Iowa |
| NFL Draft: | 1956 / Round: 9 / Pick: 98 |
| Career history | |
|
|
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
|
College Football Hall of Fame
|
|
Calvin Jack Jones (born February 7, 1933 – died December 9, 1956) was an amazing college football player. He played for the University of Iowa. Cal is one of only two Iowa football players whose jersey number was retired. This means no one else can wear it!
In 1955, he was the first player from Iowa, and the first African-American, to win the Outland Trophy. This award goes to the best lineman in college football. After college, he played for one year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Canada. Sadly, Cal died in a plane crash after playing in an All-Star game.
Cal Jones is also honored in The Pigskin Club Of Washington, D.C. National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll.
Contents
Early Life & Joining Iowa
Cal Jones was born in Steubenville, Ohio. He was the youngest of seven children. His father passed away when Cal was very young. His mother, Talitha Jones, raised him and his siblings during tough times. These included the Great Depression and World War II.
Cal started playing football in fifth grade. When he was in Steubenville High School, Cal and his friends, Eddie Vincent and Frank Gilliam, were top football recruits. Many colleges wanted them. Ohio State, a big rival, offered a scholarship only to Cal. Cal decided to go to Ohio State. His friends, Eddie and Frank, chose to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
But before college started in 1952, Cal surprised everyone. When his friends came to say goodbye before leaving for Iowa, Cal said, "I'm coming with you!" He quickly packed a bag and joined them on the drive to Iowa City.
Cal's sudden change from Ohio State to Iowa caused a stir. The Big Ten commissioner, Tug Wilson, even investigated. But Iowa was cleared of any wrongdoing. Cal reportedly told Wilson, "They treated me like a white man, and I like it here. I'm going to stay."
College Football Success
Cal Jones, Eddie Vincent, and Frank Gilliam were called the "Steubenville Trio." They joined Iowa football when the team was not doing well. Iowa had only one winning season in the past ten years.
Cal Jones quickly became a star player. He was a dominant force on the field from 1953 to 1955. In 1953, Iowa finished the year ranked 9th in the national AP Poll. This was Iowa's best finish since 1939. Cal was named a first-team All-American. This means he was one of the best players in the country.
In 1954, Iowa had another winning season. Cal was named a consensus first-team All-American again. He achieved this even though he played the whole year with a broken wrist! He broke it before the first game but kept it a secret. That season, Cal also made history. He became the first college football player and first African-American to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. This was only the 7th issue of the famous magazine.
In 1955, Cal Jones was chosen as Iowa's team captain. Even though Iowa had a tough season with a 3–5–1 record, Cal was still amazing. He was named a consensus first-team All-American for the second year in a row. Cal Jones also won the 1955 Outland Trophy. This award goes to the top lineman in the United States. He was the first African-American player to win this important award. Cal also finished tenth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. This is a huge honor for a lineman, as the Heisman usually goes to offensive players like quarterbacks.
Professional Football & Tragic End
Cal Jones was a great student too, graduating from Iowa with a 3.0 grade point average. The Detroit Lions picked him in the 1956 NFL Draft. However, Cal chose not to sign with them. At that time, black players were often paid less than white players in the NFL.
Instead, Cal went to Canada. He signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). In his first year with Winnipeg in 1956, Cal was named to the WIFU All-Star Team. The East–West All-Star Game in Vancouver would sadly be Cal's last football game.
After the 1956 season, Iowa qualified for the Rose Bowl. Cal's friend, Frank Gilliam, was playing his final year for the Hawkeyes. Cal planned to fly home to Winnipeg, then go to Pasadena. He wanted to watch Frank play in the Rose Bowl after the All-Star game.
The Plane Crash
On December 9, 1956, Cal Jones missed his morning flight from Vancouver. So, he booked an afternoon flight that would stop in Calgary before going to Winnipeg. Cal Jones' flight, Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810, crashed at Slesse Mountain. All 62 people on board died. This included a football official and four players from the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Frank Gilliam and the rest of the Iowa Hawkeye team heard about Cal's death. They were getting ready for the 1957 Rose Bowl against Oregon State. The team dedicated their first Rose Bowl appearance to Cal's memory. They won the game, 35–19. The team sent the game ball to Talitha Jones, Cal's mother, in Steubenville.
Honors & Legacy
Cal Jones is the only player in Iowa history to be named a first-team All-American three times. He was also the first college football player on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1954.
He is one of only two Iowa players to be named a consensus first-team All-American twice. Cal was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
In 1989, Iowa football celebrated its 100th anniversary. Fans picked an all-time University of Iowa football team. Cal Jones was chosen as a lineman. The University of Iowa also retired Cal Jones' #62 jersey. He is one of only two players to receive this honor. The other is Nile Kinnick's #24.
The street where Steubenville High School's Harding Stadium is located is named in Calvin Jones' honor.
Family Connection
Cal Jones' grandson, Edwin Harrison, also became a professional football player. He played as a guard for the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad. He currently plays for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. Edwin's journey to learn more about his grandfather is featured in a 2012 documentary. It's called The Crash of Flight 810. This film is part of TSN's Engraved on a Nation series. The series celebrates the 100th Grey Cup.
