Jacoby Jones, a former NFL wide receiver and return guy who turned 40 on Thursday, passed away on Sunday, the Baltimore Sun reported.
The exploits Jones performed during the Baltimore Ravens’ 2012 Super Bowl run are what made him most famous. During Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers, Jones returned kickoffs for 108 yards, the greatest return in NFL postseason history and the longest return in Super Bowl history.
In a game the Ravens would go on to win 34-31, Jones also caught a 56-yard touchdown throw from Super Bowl MVP quarterback Joe Flacco, putting the team ahead 21-3. That day, he gained the most yards in a single Super Bowl history—290 overall. In the AFC divisional stage that year, Jones again excelled against the Denver Broncos, bursting loose down the right sideline for a 70-yard receiving touchdown with 31 seconds remaining to tie the game at 35. This play is widely referred to as the “Mile High Miracle.”
After that, the Ravens prevailed 38–35 in double overtime. In addition to leading the Ravens in kickoff return average (30.1 yards) for an entire season in 2012, he also holds the record with 30.7 yards per return. Jones also has the career punt return average record (10.2) for the Houston Texans.
Torrey Smith, a former wide receiver with the Ravens and teammate, wrote on social media how much he will miss Jones.
Jones’s teammate in his first season (2011) with the Houston Texans, JJ Watt of CBS Sports, complimented Jones on the happiness he brought to the locker room.
Arian Foster, a four-time Pro Bowl running back and Jones’s teammate with the Texans from 2009 to 2011, likewise commented upon the devastating news.
Lamar Jackson, the quarterback for the Ravens, also responded to the devastating news.