John Wesley Jones
Encyclopedia
Johnny "Lam" Jones is a former American
sprinter
and former American football
player. He won a gold medal
in the 4 x 100 meter relay
at the 1976 Summer Olympics
.
on the U.S. team at the Montreal
Olympics
, and finished sixth in the 100 meters
. He also ran the second leg for the U.S. relay team, which won the gold medal.
Perhaps even more than his Olympic gold, however, Jones is considered legendary in Texas high school sports history for his performance in mile relay at the 1976 class AAA high school track & field championships. Jones, running anchor for Lampasas High School, took the baton in last place, reportedly anywhere from 40 to 60 meters behind, 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.
from the University of Texas
with the second overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft
. He played wide receiver
for the Jets from 1980-1985. Since Jones was a world class sprinter, he could beat any coverage, but had trouble catching the football. He was viewed more as an athlete than a receiver. He received the first million dollar contract worth $2.1 million dollars. [1]
in the legs.
Johnny "Lam" Jones was Inducted into The Texas Athlete Hall of Fame in the year 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
and former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He won a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the 4 x 100 meter relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
at the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
.
Sprinting career
Jones replaced an injured Houston McTearHouston McTear
Houston McTear , is a former American sprinter, who emerged from desperate poverty in the Florida Panhandle to become an international track star in the mid-1970s. McTear rated in the top 10 in the 100 meters for the United States from 1975–1980, but he was stronger at shorter distances, including...
on the U.S. team at the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, and finished sixth in the 100 meters
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
. He also ran the second leg for the U.S. relay team, which won the gold medal.
Perhaps even more than his Olympic gold, however, Jones is considered legendary in Texas high school sports history for his performance in mile relay at the 1976 class AAA high school track & field championships. Jones, running anchor for Lampasas High School, took the baton in last place, reportedly anywhere from 40 to 60 meters behind, 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.
NFL career
Jones was drafted by the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
with the second overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. He played wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Jets from 1980-1985. Since Jones was a world class sprinter, he could beat any coverage, but had trouble catching the football. He was viewed more as an athlete than a receiver. He received the first million dollar contract worth $2.1 million dollars. [1]
Post-NFL Career
Jones is now suffering with myeloma cancer that affects bone marrowBone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
in the legs.
Johnny "Lam" Jones was Inducted into The Texas Athlete Hall of Fame in the year 2008.