Homer Jones, a former New York Giants wide receiver and known for being the first player to spike a football after a touchdown, died last week. He was 82 years old. Jones’ death was confirmed by his daughter, Lacarroll Jones Nickleberry to KLTV in Pittsburg, Texas, the place where he was born and living at the time of his death. Jones was battling lung cancer when he died.ย
“Homer Jones had a unique combination of speed and power and was a threat to score whenever he touched the ball,” said John Mara, the Giants’ president and chief executive officer. “He was one of the first players (if not the first) to spike the ball in the end zone after scoring a touchdown and he quickly became a fan favorite. I remember him as an easygoing, friendly individual who was well liked by his teammates and coaches.” ย
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Jones was a member of the Giants from 1964-1969 and was one of the better wide receivers during that time. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1967 and 1968 and was named to the All-Pro Team in 1967 after leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns. He first spiked the football after an 89-yard touchdown reception against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1965, which was also his first career score.ย
“I had always said that when I made my first touchdown, I was gonna throw the ball in the stands,” Jones said about the spike, per ESPN. “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.” ย
In 1970, Jones was traded to the Cleveland Browns and finished the season with 10 receptions for 141 yards and one touchdown in 14 games. Due to knee injuries, Jones was forced to retire in 1971 at the age of 29. Jones finished his career with 224 receptions for 4,986 yards and 36 touchdowns in 87 games. He also has a career yards per reception average of 22.26, which remains the highest in NFL history for receivers with at least 200 receptions.ย
