Cal Jones

Calvin Jack Jones (February 7, 1933 – December 9, 1956) was an American professional football guard.

Jones played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and he is one of only two players (along with Nile Kinnick) to have his jersey number retired by the school.

Before the fall of 1952, Vincent and Gilliam drove to Jones's house to say goodbye before leaving for Iowa.

Jones shocked his friends when he said, "Wait a minute...I'm coming with you."

Jones ran upstairs, packed a bag, and rode to Iowa City with Vincent and Gilliam.

Jones' sudden switch from Ohio State to conference rival Iowa caused Big Ten commissioner Tug Wilson to conduct a personal investigation.

Iowa was cleared of any wrongdoing.

When questioned, Cal Jones reportedly told Wilson, "I'll tell you why I came out here. They treated me like a white man, and I like it here. I'm going to stay."

The "Steubenville Trio" (as Jones, Vincent, and Gilliam were called) arrived with Iowa football in bad shape.

Iowa had had only one winning season in the previous ten years.

Cal Jones was a dominant figure on the field from 1953 to 1955.

In 1953, Iowa finished the year ranked 9th in the final AP Poll, Iowa's best finish since the Ironmen in 1939.

Jones was named as a first team All-American.

In 1954, Iowa again had a winning season.

Jones was named as a consensus first team All-American, despite playing the entire year with a broken wrist.

Jones broke it in practice before Iowa's first game but kept the injury concealed from the fans and media all year.

That season, Jones also became the first college football player and first African American to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in its September 27, 1954 issue, which shows a tightly cropped slightly blurry image of Jones face wearing a football helmet.

This was the 7th issue of Sports Illustrated.

Jones became the first Hawkeye and the first African-American, to win the Outland Trophy in 1955.

He played one year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU).

He died in a plane crash after playing in the East–West All-Star Game.

Cal Jones is a member of The Pigskin Club Of Washington, D.C. National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll.

Cal Jones was born on the south side of Steubenville, Ohio, the youngest of seven children.

His father died when Jones was about one year old.

His mother, Talitha Jones, raised Jones and his six older siblings during the Great Depression and World War II.

Jones began playing organized football in the fifth grade.

By the time they neared the end of their time at Steubenville High School, Jones and his two friends, Eddie Vincent and Frank Gilliam, were being courted by college football programs.

Ohio State and their coach, Woody Hayes, offered a scholarship only to Cal Jones.

Jones committed to play at Ohio State, while Vincent and Gilliam accepted scholarships to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

In 1955, Cal Jones was named as Iowa's team captain.

Though Iowa struggled to a 3–5–1 record, Jones was named as a consensus first team All-American for the second consecutive year.

Cal Jones also won the 1955 Outland Trophy, which goes to the United States' top lineman.

He was the first African-American player to win the prestigious award.

Jones also finished tenth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy, an impressive finish for a lineman.

Cal Jones graduated with a 3.0 grade point average at Iowa.

He was selected in the ninth round of the 1956 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, but refused to sign with the team as the NFL paid black players less than whites.

Instead, he went to Canada and signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU).

As a rookie with Winnipeg in 1956, Jones was named to the WIFU All-Star Team.

The East–West All-Star Game in Vancouver would be Jones's final football game.

Iowa qualified for the Rose Bowl after the 1956 season.