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Johnny "Lam" Jones, whose track exploits at Lampasas High School in 1976 made him a schoolboy legend, died Friday morning at the age of 60 after a long fight with myeloma cancer.
The news was first reported by the Austin American-Statesman.
Jones is perhaps best known for his performance as the anchor leg on the 4x400-meter relay at the 1976 UIL Texas state track meet, when he took the baton in last place and passed everyone on a dramatic final lap.
The win in the event also clinched the state team title for Lampasas.
A couple months later, the 18-year-old Jones won a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal as a member of the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team. He joined Harvey Glance, Millard Hampton and Steve Riddick in setting a world record with a time of 38.33 seconds.
Jones' later donated his gold medal to the Austin branch of the Texas Special Olympics
Jones ran track and played football at the University of Texas. His big-play potential lured the New York Jets to trade two first-round draft picks to draft Jones No. 2 overall in 1980.
The Jets gave Jones a six-year, $2.1 million contract, an NFL-record salary at the time. In six pro football seasons, he averaged 23 receptions for 387 yards and two touchdowns.
Jones' performance at the San Angelo Relays in 1976 was also the stuff of legend.
He won the 220-yard dash in 20.07 seconds. He won the 100 in 9.5, and he took the long jump title with a leap of 22-0.75.
Then in the mile relay, Jones erased an estimated 40-yard deficit to rally Lampasas to victory with a 46.5-second anchor lap.
Former San Angelo Standard-Times sports editor Frank Rudnicki recalled Jones in a 2011 Standard-Times article written by Mike Lee.
"Someone asked me years later what was my greatest memory of living in San Angelo and West Texas," Rudnicki said. "Some people may think I'm crazy, but I said it was the year Johnny 'Lam' Jones ran those spectacular anchor legs in the mile relay at the San Angelo Relays and the state meet. They were legendary feats."
During the 1974 and '75 football seasons in Lampasas, Jones scored a combined 45 touchdowns and was named all-state, which helped him earn a football scholarship to the University of Texas.
He also won a state title in the 440-yard dash in 47.6 seconds at the 1975 state track meet.
His legend really began in Brownwood, however, at the 1976 Bluebonnet Relays when he won the long jump with a mark of 24 feet, 0.25 inches; the 100 in 9.2; and the 440 in 47.8 — all within an hour.
Legendary track stars, including Johnny "Lam" Jones, were honored at the 60th San Angelo Relays; Jones died March 15 at the age of 60. Amy McDaniel, San Angelo Standard-Times
Later, Jones gave the first of his legendary mile-relay anchor performances, turning a slight lead over Copperas Cove into a 30-yard win with a 45.8-second lap.
Art Lawler, a former sports writer for the Abilene Reporter-News, was so impressed he took a photo of Jones and submitted it to Sports Illustrated for consideration in its "Faces in the Crowd" page.
"A lot of sports writers claim to have discovered Johnny 'Lam,' but we gave him his first national publicity with the mention in Sports Illustrated," Lawler said in the 2011 Standard-Times article about Jones.
Neither the Reporter-News nor the Standard-Times sold newspapers in Lampasas. But after Jones' back-to-back performances in Brownwood and San Angelo, Lawler and Rudnicki ignored circulation boundaries and covered Jones as if he were a local.
Jones' statewide popularity grew throughout the season, and fans were eager to see the 6-foot, 175-pound sprinter when he arrived at the state track meet in 1976.
Jones won the 100 title in 9.4, and he followed that with another win in the 220, clocking a time of 21.0.
Yet he saved his best for last, winning the final event of the meet, the mile relay.
His improbable victory, passing every runner on the last lap, caused a scene that became part of the legend.
Seconds after Jones crossed the finish line, fans stormed the track in celebration.
"They came out of the stands like you see in a lot of basketball games on TV these days," Rudnicki said. "It was such an impressive performance that people were thrilled by it. The emotion of the moment took over."
In 2005, Jones was diagnosed with Stage 4 multiple myeloma, cancer of the plasma and bone marrow. While he was hospitalized, reports surfaced that he was near death, yet he defied the odds again and lived for nearly 14 more years.
Jones said he was often asked how it felt to win an Olympic gold medal. He consistently answered that it was almost as exciting as running at the Texas high school state meet and helping Lampasas win the state championship.
Those who witnessed the 1976 state meet can understand the feeling.

"I like the way Johnny Lam made people lose their composure," Lawler said. "He made other runners who could feel him coming tighten up. He made crowds go nuts. He made sports writers who were supposed to sit there and never show an emotion stand up and start cheering."

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John Wesley "Lam" Jones (April 4, 1958 – March 15, 2019) was an American sprinter. He won a gold medal in the 4x100 meter relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He was also an American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Texas.[1]

Early years[edit]

Jones attended Lampasas High School. In football, he became a regular starter at running back in a wishbone offense as a junior. He posted 9 carries for 197 yards (21.9-yard avg.) and 4 touchdowns against Fredericksburg High School. He had 12 carries for 154 yards (12.8-yard avg.) and 4 touchdowns against Llano High School. He finished the season with 1,330 rushing yards, a 11.6-yard average, 159 scored points and was named second-team Class AAA All-state.
As a senior, he tallied 257 yards and 4 touchdowns against Gainesville High School and was named All-sate. He scored 45 touchdowns in 2 seasons.[2]
In track as a junior, he was the state champion in the 440-yard dash with a time of 47.6 seconds.
He is considered legendary in Texas high school sports history for his performance in the mile relay at the 1976 U.I.L. State Track and Field Meet. Running anchor for Class 3A Lampasas High School, Jones took the baton in last place, reportedly 40 to 60 yards behind the leaders, and passed the entire field for victory. The run has taken on near-mythical status among those who saw it — or claim to have seen it.[2] In 2015, CBS affiliate KEYE broadcast a segment on the existence of a film of the legendary event including Jones' reaction when he learned of it.[3]
Before enrolling at the University of Texas, at the age of 18, he qualified for the 4 × 100 metres relay, becoming the youngest athlete from Texas to earn a berth on the U.S. Olympic track and field team. In the 1976 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal running the second leg of the 4x100 team that set a world record with a time of 38.33 seconds. He also replaced an injured Houston McTear on the U.S. team and finished sixth in the 100 meters. He returned home as a national celebrity.[2]
In 2008, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.[4] In 2013, he was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.[5]

College career[edit]

Jones accepted a football scholarship from the University of Texas to play under head coach Darrell Royal. As a freshman running back, he posted 118 carries for 624 yards (second on the team to Earl Campbell), a 5.3-yard avg., 5 touchdowns and 3 receptions for 79 yards (third on the team).
As a sophomore, new head coach Fred Akers changed the offense and he was moved to wide receiver. Akers nicknamed him "Lam" because he was from Lampasas and to differentiate him from teammate Johnny "Ham" Jones, who was from Hamlin, Texas. He led the team with 21 receptions for 543 yards (25.9-yard avg.), 7 touchdowns and 9 carries for 30 yards (3.3-yard avg.).
As a junior, he led the team with 25 receptions for 446 yards (17.8-yard avg.), 5 touchdowns, 15 carries for 128 yards (8.5-yard avg.) and one rushing touchdown. As a senior, he led the team with 36 receptions for 535 yads (14.9-yard avg.), 2 touchdowns, 14 carries for 68 yards (4.9-yard avg.).
Jones played wide receiver in run oriented offenses, usually being double-teamed and some times triple-teamed by opposing defenses. In his football career he averaged 28 receptions per season, 18.9-yards per catch with 14 touchdowns.[2] He ranks 10th on the school All-time all-purpose yardage list (3,042). He also is one of only three players in Longhorn history to rush for 100 yards in a game and also have a 100-yard receiving game.[6]
In his freshman track season, he won the 100 metres in 9.85 seconds, which would have been a world record if it hadn't been hand-timed. When converted into automatic timing (10.14 seconds) it ranked as the fastest 100 metres in school history. His times of 9.21 seconds for the 100-yard dash and 20.14 seconds for 220-yard dash set records for Memorial Stadium. He also won 4 events (100, 220, 440 relay and mile relay) at the Southwest Conference meet. At the NCAA championships, Jones completed a grueling 16-month season by finishing second in the 100 metres with 10.27 seconds and seventh in the 200 metres in 20.85 seconds, with track observers noting he looked worn out.
As a sophomore in track, football injuries began to impact his performances. He ran a hand-timed 10.1 seconds in the 100 metres. He won his first-round heat at the NCAA championships in 10.14 seconds, but he failed to qualify for the NCAA final.
In 1994, he was inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor.[7] He is considered to be one of the greatest athletes in school history.[8]

Professional career[edit]

New York Jets[edit]

In the 1980 NFL Draft, the New York Jets were targeting offensive tackle Anthony Munoz with the second overall pick they obtained from the San Francisco 49ers, but settled for Jones after their team physician recommended not to take Munoz, who failed a physical exam because he had undergone reconstructive knee surgery.[9] The selection was acquired by trading two 1980 first round draft picks (#13-Earl Cooper and #20-Jim Stuckey). Jones was ranked as the best wide receiver in the draft.[10]
The $2.1 million contract he received was the first in the NFL worth over a million dollars. There were reports in the media that the actual contract numbers may have been lower, which included a $250,000 signing bonus, plus a $200,000 loan, and a $300,000 deferred bonus, for a total package of $1.4 million.[11]
As a rookie, he started 13 games, making 25 receptions for 482 yards (19.3-yard avg.) and 3 touchdowns. Since Jones was a world-class sprinter with elite speed, he could beat any coverage, but had trouble catching the football. He was viewed more as an athlete than a football player.[12]
In 1981, he was a backup behind Derrick Gaffney, starting only 3 out of 15 games, while collecting 20 receptions for 342 yards (17.1-yard avg.) and 3 touchdowns.
In 1982, the season was reduced from a 16-game schedule to 9 contests because of the player's strike. He started 7 out of 8 games, finishing with 18 receptions for 294 yards (16.3-yard avg.) and 2 touchdowns.
In 1983, he had his best season with 7 starts out of 14 games, along with 43 receptions for 734 yards (17.1-yard avg.) and 4 touchdowns. He caught 31 of his career-high 43 passes in the final 8 contests.
In 1984, he was placed on the injured reserve list on August 28, spending 11 weeks there with a broken collarbone he suffered in the first preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was activated on October 26, starting 8 out of 8 games, but was platooned with Gaffney communicating plays from the sideline to quarterback Ken O'Brien. He made 32 receptions for 470 yards (14.7-yard avg.) and one touchdown.
In 1985, he re-injured his right index finger during a practice and was lost for the year after being placed on the injured reserve list on August 15.[13] In 1986, he sat out the season with a hamstring injury after being placed on the injured reserve list on August 19.
On July 23, 1987, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 1988 fifth round draft pick (#131-Dennis Price).[14] He left after playing in 61 games (37 starts), recording 138 receptions for 2,322 yards and 13 touchdowns. During his career, he was considered a first round disappointment, criticized for his inconsistency and inability to make catches across the middle of the field.[15]

San Francisco 49ers[edit]

In 1987, the San Francisco 49ers acquired Jones to try him at both split end and flanker, looking to replace Dwight Clark and find a receiver to play alongside Jerry Rice.[16] He was released on August 18.

Dallas Cowboys[edit]

On August 25, 1987, he was signed as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys, who were experiencing multiple injuries in the receiving corps.[17]
After the players went on a strike on the third week of the 1987 season, those contests were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the NFL decided that the games going forward would be done using replacement players. He crossed the picket line off the injured reserve to be a part of the Dallas replacement team that was given the mock name "Rhinestone Cowboys" by the media.[18][19] On October 21, he was released after the strike ended. He didn't appear in any game or record any stat during his time with the team.

Personal life[edit]

After his football career, Jones battled drug and alcohol addiction, which started in high school. A hazing incident as an NFL rookie was an omen of things to come. When veterans took him out drinking, the group started downing shots. Unbeknownst to Jones, the vets were drinking soft drinks while pouring him liquor.[12] His troubles with drugs continued after his NFL career until a sexual molestation incident caused him to go to rehab.[12] He recovered and went on to speak about addiction to high school athletes to help them avoid the same problems.[12]
The once shy Jones became a motivational speaker for high school athletes, sharing his story of hardship as part of his message. He donated part of his speaking fees to the Texas Special Olympics, to which he also donated his Olympic medal in the late 1970s.[20]
In 2005, Jones was diagnosed with myeloma cancer that affects bone marrow in the legs. He died of myeloma in 2019.