Jones, Calvin J.
Football
b. Feb. 7, 1933, Steubenville, OH
d. Dec. 9, 1956
A two-time All-American at guard for the University of Iowa, in 1954 and 1955, Jones won the 1955 Outland Trophy as the nation's outstanding collegiate lineman. He was the first black player to win the trophy and the second to captain an Iowa team.
Tackle Alex Karras was a sophomore at Iowa in 1955, when Jones was team captain. Karras later called Jones "the greatest college football player I ever saw." He elaborated, "Calvin had phenomenal reactions. I'd never seen a man hustle like he hustled. He never stopped running in practice. Never."
The 6-foot, 220-pounder was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the NFL's 1956 college draft, but he chose to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. He was killed in a plane crash while returning from the CFL's All-Star game after his rookie season.