Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver, special teams star, and Super Bowl champion Jacoby Jones has died.
According to a report from KPRC’s Aaron Wilson, Jones passed away in his sleep overnight. No cause of death has been determined.
The Ravens released a statement mourning the loss of Jones on Sunday.
Jones is best known for his iconic playoff heroics that helped guide the Ravens to an unlikely Lombardi Trophy in the 2012 season. He scored two touchdowns in the Ravens’ 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. His first touchdown was a 57-yard reception, the longest play the vaunted 49ers defense had allowed all season.
Already up 21-6 at halftime, Jones started the 2nd half with what stands as the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history.
But Jones’ Super Bowl performance wouldn’t have been possible if not for the “Mile High Miracle” against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round.
Down 35-28 with under a minute remaining, the Ravens needed to go 70 yards with no timeouts for the tying touchdown. Jacoby Jones somehow got behind the Denver secondary, and he hauled in Joe Flacco’s long ball to tie the game and force overtime.
As part of ESPN’s 10-year anniversary lookback on that incredible play, Jones had a colorful description of the crowd noise (or lack thereof) when he scored.
“When I ran in the end zone, it was quiet. You heard rat piss on cotton,” Jones said. “I’m like, this ain’t real.”
There was one other play of note from Jones’ career in which he didn’t score. On Thanksgiving night in 2014, Jones seemed destined for the end zone against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin might have altered Jones’ path.
Originally drafted by the Houston Texans, Jones played five seasons with the Texans before his 2012 move to Baltimore, where he was teammates with current Seattle Seahawks assistant linebackers coach Josh Bynes, and new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald started as an intern. After brief stops in San Diego and Pittsburgh, Jones retired as a Raven in 2017.
Jones earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors for his outstanding kick and punt return abilities, and his nine career touchdowns puts him among the NFL’s all-time leaders in special teams scores.
At the time of his death, Jones was set to be the head coach of a new indoor football league team in Beaumont, Texas.
Jacoby Jones was just 40 years old. Our condolences go out to his loved ones after his unexpected passing.
