New York Giants legendary WR Homer Jones has passed away at the age of 82 after fighting lung cancer.
Jones is mostly remembered for being the first player to spike the football after scoring a touchdown.
He made it to the Pro Bowl twice, in 1967 and 1968, and spent six seasons with the G-Men as a whole.
That’s why the team took to Twitter to honor him, remembering him for being one of the toughest, strongest, and fastest athletes in the game during his heyday.
Remembering Giants legend Homer Jones, one of the most prolific wide receivers in our history.
?: https://t.co/WID9Q1pmBn pic.twitter.com/ma6xSFXgph
— New York Giants (@Giants) June 14, 2023
The 1967 season was the best of his career, hauling in a career-high 49 receptions for a whopping 1,209 yards and 24.7 yards per catch, also leading the NFL with 13 touchdowns that year.
His rapport with QB Fran Tarkenton made them one of the deadliest duos in football back in the day, and he always had a knack for putting up big, explosive plays as one of the main deep-ball threats of the era.
Despite being with the organization for just six seasons, he’s still sixth all-time in receiving yards with 4,845, also hauling in 35 touchdowns.
Following his stint in New York, he went on to take his talents to the Cleveland Browns and had one of the most iconic plays of his career, a 94-yard kickoff return in the very first Monday Night Football game ever.
He was forced to retire at just 29 years old after suffering a major knee injury, but he still made NFL history with his larger-than-life persona, iconic celebrations, and playmaking skills.
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