The extended texas football family is mourning the loss of one of its legendary names.
Late Friday morning, the University of Texas confirmed that Johnny “Lam” Jones passed away earlier in the day after a lengthy battle with cancer. Jones, who played both running back and wide receiver for the Longhorns in the mid- to late seventies, was 60 years old.
From the university’s release:A native of Lampasas, Texas, Jones lettered in football from 1976-79 and in track for the Horns in 1977-78. He was the football team’s Most Valuable Player in 1978 and earned All-America honors in both 1978 and 1979. A two-time All-Southwest Conference performer, Jones scored eight touchdowns of 45 yards or more in his career in the burnt orange. On the track, Jones scored 29 points during the 1977 SWC Championships and ran a 9.85 100 meters during the 1977 Texas Relays.
Jones was a member of the U.S. Olympic Track team in the 1976 Montreal Games before his freshman year at Texas. He won a gold medal as the second leg of the 4x100m Relay team and finished sixth in the 100 meters. On the track, he was an All-American as well, finishing second at the 1977 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 100m and seventh in the 200m.