Lam Jones

John Wesley "Lam" Jones (April 4, 1958 – March 15, 2019) was an American athlete who won a gold medal in the 4×100 meter relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) as a wide receiver for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.He finished the season with 1,330 rushing yards, an 11.6-yard average, 159 scored points and was named second-team Class AAA All-state.Running anchor for Class 3A Lampasas High School, Jones took the baton in last place, reportedly 40 to 60 yards behind the leaders, and passed the entire field for victory.[2] In 2015, CBS affiliate KEYE broadcast a segment on the existence of a film of the legendary event including Jones' reaction when he learned of it.Jones also replaced an injured Houston McTear in the 100 meters, finished sixth, and returned home as a national celebrity.Jones played wide receiver in run oriented offenses, usually being double-teamed and some times triple-teamed by opposing defenses.[7] In the 1980 NFL draft, the New York Jets were targeting offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz with the second overall pick they obtained from the San Francisco 49ers, but settled for Jones after their team physician recommended not to take Munoz, who failed a physical exam because he had undergone reconstructive knee surgery.In 1984, he was placed on the injured reserve list on August 28, spending 11 weeks there with a broken collarbone he suffered in the first preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.He was activated on October 26, starting 8 out of 8 games, but was platooned with Gaffney communicating plays from the sideline to quarterback Ken O'Brien.In 1985, he re-injured his right index finger during a practice and was lost for the year after being placed on the injured reserve list on August 15.[14] In 1987, the San Francisco 49ers acquired Jones to try him at both split end and flanker, looking to replace Dwight Clark and find a receiver to play alongside Jerry Rice.He crossed the picket line off the injured reserve to be a part of the Dallas replacement team that was given the mock name "Rhinestone Cowboys" by the media.[11] The once shy Jones became a motivational speaker for high school athletes, sharing his story of hardship as part of his message.