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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The life of a Lone Star State sports legend drew to a |
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close with the passing of Johnny "Lam" Jones on March 15, 2019, at |
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the age of 60; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of John Jones and Mary Jones Dillon, John |
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Wesley Jones II was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, on April 4, 1958; he |
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first gained acclaim at Lampasas High School as an all-state |
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football player and track star, and he delivered a performance for |
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the ages at the 1976 Texas state track meet; after winning the |
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100-yard and 220-yard dashes, he anchored the Lampasas mile relay |
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squad, taking the baton in last place and overtaking the entire |
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field during an electrifying final lap to win the race and cinch the |
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team title for his school; a short time later, he gained |
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international glory when he won Olympic gold in Montreal as a member |
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of the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Jones went on to letter in football and track at |
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The University of Texas at Austin; recruited as a running back, he |
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shared the backfield with Johnny Jones of Hamlin, and head coach |
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Darrell Royal dubbed the pair Johnny "Lam" Jones and Johnny "Ham" |
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Jones in honor of their hometowns; playing wide receiver his final |
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three seasons, Lam Jones was named the team's Most Valuable Player |
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in 1978 and garnered All-American recognition in 1978 and 1979; |
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moreover, he was a two-time All-Southwest Conference football pick |
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and an All-American track performer, setting school records at the |
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100-yard, 100-meter, and 220-yard distances; his athletic |
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accomplishments at UT were later recognized with his induction into |
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the Longhorn Hall of Honor, and he was also a member of the Texas |
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High School Football Hall of Fame; and |
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WHEREAS, Chosen by the New York Jets as the second overall |
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pick in the 1980 NFL Draft, Mr. Jones signed a $2.1 million |
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contract, the first million-dollar deal in league history; one of |
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the fastest players to ever don a football uniform, he caught 138 |
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passes for 2,322 yards and 13 touchdowns in five seasons with the |
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Jets; though often hampered by injuries during his pro career, he |
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helped New York to qualify for the playoffs in 1981 and 1982 and |
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advance to the AFC Championship Game the latter season; he spent the |
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1985 and 1986 seasons on the Jets' injured reserve list and then |
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joined the San Francisco and Dallas organizations before retiring; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Off the field, Mr. Jones worked in sales and served |
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as a motivational speaker, often talking with high school athletes |
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about his own experiences; he was also active with Special Olympics |
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Texas and even donated his Olympic gold medal to the organization; |
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diagnosed with cancer in 2005, he courageously battled the disease |
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for nearly a decade and a half; and |
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WHEREAS, Johnny Lam Jones earned a place in the pantheon of |
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great athletes who hailed from the Lone Star State, and the legacy |
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of this Olympic champion and gridiron star will long be treasured by |
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all those who witnessed his achievements; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Johnny Lam Jones and |
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extend sincere condolences to his relatives and friends; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Johnny Lam |
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Jones. |