Former Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion wide receiver Jacoby Jones has died, according to multiple reports.
Jones, who was a hero for the Ravens in their victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, was 40 years old. Details about his passing are slim right now, but the Baltimore Sun confirmed the news this morning.
Quarterback trainer James Tabary was the first person to post about Jones’ death on X/Twitter earlier today.
“Rest In Peace My Brother, Always Been True Leader, Man of God, Man of the People & An Awesome Role Model & Always Knew How To Light Up a Dark Room! Till We Meet Again My Man #JacobyJones,” Tabary wrote.
A native of New Orleans, Jones was a third-round pick of the Houston Texans out of Division II Lane College in 2007. He spent his first five seasons in Houston, seeing extensive time as a wide receiver and excelling on kickoff and punt returns.
Jones returned three punts and one kickoff for touchdowns as a Texan before moving on to the Ravens in 2012. In his first season with Baltimore, Jones made the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro after returning two kickoffs and one punt for scores.
In the playoffs that year, Jones displayed a flair for the dramatic. In the AFC Divisional Round, he hauled in a 70-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco in the final seconds against the Denver Broncos to send the game into overtime, where Baltimore eventually won.
In the Super Bowl, Jones caught a 56-yard touchdown and ran a kickoff back 108 yards for a score in the second half of the Ravens’ 34-31 victory.
Jones played two more seasons in Baltimore before finishing his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers in 2015. After his playing days were over, he moved on to coaching and was the wide receivers coach at Alabama State at the time of his death.
For his NFL career, Jones finished with 203 receptions for 2,733 yards and 14 touchdowns, along with 4,940 yards and five touchdowns as a kick returner and 2,688 yards and four touchdowns on punts.