Hall of Fame guard Stan Jones, who played 12 of his 13 career seasons under George Halas in Chicago, passed away on Friday at the age of 78.
Jones was part of an NFL that is hard to imagine these days. After seven straight Pro Bowl appearances on the offensive line, then Bears defensive coordinator George Allen began to use Jones at defensive tackle.
Jones didn’t give up his offensive duties; he just played the whole game, one of the last “60-minute men” in the NFL.
Jones also had a distinguished coaching career that included 18 years as the defensive line coach in Denver. As the Pro Football Hall of Fame points out, Jones was one of the first NFL players to use weightlifting as a method of conditioning.
He’s survived by his four children. In lieu of flowers, Jones’ family has asked to make contributions to Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund.
