Jacoby Jones, who made his name in the NFL during stops with the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens, has died at the age of 40.
While no cause of death was announced, reports out of Houston state he died overnight in his sleep at his suburban Houston home.
Jacoby played his college football at Lane College before being taken by the Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft.
He played for the team from 2007 to 2011, and then joined the Baltimore Ravens from 2012 to 2014, where he was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2012.
One of his most memorable plays for the Ravens came in Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers, as he took a kickoff return 108 yards down the field for a touchdown, with Baltimore eventually coming out on top 38-35 in double overtime.
Jones loved by those who knew him
“He was the best, he loved everyone,” Sam Gordon, owner of the Beaumont Renegades, told KPRC 2 in a telephone interview. “I think one of the most important things is he was a man of God. He was proud of how much he loved and feared his God.
“What was most important to him after football was helping the next person in line. He was the most humble and kind person to anybody who gave him the time and needed the time from him.”
Jones was hired this year by the Beaumont Renegades, an indoor football team, as their head coach and offensive coordinator.
Former teammate J.J. Watt also shared his sadness on social media, writing: “Jacoby was one of the most fun-loving teammates and people I’ve ever been around. Always dancing and laughing, with a permanent smile on his face. Gone far, far too soon. R.I.P Jacoby Jones.”
Jones began coaching in 2018, becoming the wide receivers coach at his alma mater, Lane College. He coached receivers at Calvert Hall High School in Baltimore and tight ends at Morgan State before being hired in 2022 as the receivers coach at Alabama State.
He was named to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame this year and is also in Lane College’s Hall of Fame and his high school Hall of Fame at Marion Abramson in New Orleans.