And he had a short shelf life - three years to be exact - before a shoulder injury that caused him to miss most of the 1978 and 1979 seasons ended what could have been what should have been a marvelous and long career. 2005 - 2023 WebMD LLC, an Internet Brands company. Jones is No. Gently pull the elastic tubing toward your body. Jones also finished sixth in completions, with 207, which was only one behind Zorn. ", The pain in Jones' shoulderand the pained look on Marchibroda's facewas caused by a flea-flicker that flickered briefly and then died. "I could throw as well as I wanted to, but on the follow-through it felt like someone stuck a knife in my shoulder.". Touchdown passes to Glenn Doughty, Raymond Chester and Freddie Scott pulled Baltimore within one point (24-23). "I've never felt so confident about plays in a game. he said. Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats. All are Hall of Famers. However, Jones' 24 scores again fell second in the league to Stabler's 27. "I remember that, as a rookie, I didn't have much money, so I'd go to Unitas' Golden Arm Restaurant for dinner, where he'd feed me for half-price," Jones said. Multiply Washington's 13 catches on Sunday by 16 weeks and you've got 208 catches, which might make the Guinness people stand up and hollerand brighten Washington's offseason in his hospital room. This offseason, well highlight those special NFL performances in our Moment of Glory series. Not every NFL player gets to play 20 years like Tom Brady. I asked Accorsi, finding him 32 years after he first compared Elway to the best quarterback time has forgotten. His final two seasons with the Colts, the team went 8-21 in his starts. from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program*, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). McDonnell, the Colts' orthopedic surgeon who spent his off-season telling people that the separated shoulder that had sidelined Jones for 13 games in 1978 was "rehabilitating very well," said of Jones' latest injury, "It's a severe contusion. He had some good years, and one great one. But in each of those years, the Colts lost in the first round of the playoffs. So, on first down at his own 36, Jones dished off another swing pass to Washington, and the plan was for Joe to flip the ball back to Jones who would hit somebody breaking downfield. Giancarlo Stanton. He became a star at LSU, a top draft pick and an NFL MVP. [2] Jones also finished fourth in the vote for the Heisman Trophy and was named the national collegiate Player of the Year by The Sporting News. Its a neat picture, Jones said, narrating the scene over the phone. It has been said that as Jones' health goes, so go the fortunes of the Colts. Tendinitis. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Trailing, 21-3 in the second half, Baltimore scored four touchdowns the last on a 99-yard drive to stun thePatriots, 30-24 in the last regular-season game and make the 1977 playoffs. In some cases, your doctor may also be able to treat the problem during the procedure. Shoulder injuries set him back and a bad neck injury ended his career. He finished first in the retiree category and third in the regular competition (The regular competition taking the top three finishers from the alumni competition and adding them to the regular field of current quarterbacks). Is your shoulder strong enough for things you normally do? Jones played college football at Louisiana State University (LSU). He did that in 1975, turning a 4-10 doormat and into a 10-4 division champion the first of three successive AFC East titles. And now their 28-year-old quarterbackthe franchisehas an iffy shoulder again. Seek medical care immediately for inflammation in the shoulder because it could eventually lead to a more serious injury. It can happen slowly over time or as the result of a fall or a direct hit to your shoulder. Jones was a first-round pick of the Colts in the 1973 draft, managed to hang on for nine years, made 96 starts and compiled a passer rating of 78.2. Three straight years they went one and done in the playoffs. VikingsQB Fran Tarkenton led the league in completions with 255. Given his strong performance, Bobby Beathard, then the general manager of the Chargers, wanted Jones to come out of retirement,[13] but Jones was 38 at the time and chose not to try a comeback. And what he saw made an indelible impression. Jones, his team down 7-0, was desperately trying to get something going, so he turned to one of the few trick plays in the Colts' playbook. This is when the tendons that make up your rotator cuff get inflamed. Sometimes shoulder pain comes from a condition like arthritis. "What a great comeback," recalled Bert Jones, the quarterback who threw three TD passes and then marched the team the length of the field for the victory. Bert Jones wasnt just a superior quarterback; he was a superior athlete a guy who could run, who could make all the throws and who knew how to win. He was a tremendous quarterback in an era that was a little bit different. Jones playedcollege footballatLouisiana State University(LSU). "They didn't tell me I shouldn't play," Jones said at the press conference. Can you move your arm normally, or is your shoulder too stiff or painful? 2 draft pick by the #Dbacks, is out for the year after injuring his shoulder in his 1st workout while taking batting practice. AtRuston High SchoolinRuston, Louisiana, he was given the nickname, "The Ruston Rifle." Bone spurs. This fracture can happen when you increase your training, increase pressure on your feet from gaining weight, or run on uneven surfaces. Stabler. Bert Jones is not, and you have to wonder what might have been had his career not ended prematurely. The 1977 playoff game (known as Ghost to the Post) is famous as the fourth longest game in NFL history; the Colts fell to the Oakland Raiders, 3731. Jones threw for more than 3,000 yards, and was the only quarterback to do so in 1976. Bert Jones wasn't an all-decade choice. Exercises tailored to the specific location of your rotator cuff injury can help restore flexibility and strength to your shoulder. But four plays later Jones returned. Scott Campbell Oct 25, 2019 7:29 pm. Can I rotate my arm in all the normal positions? And all this time, while the Colts were praying that little Joe would somehow, some way, manage to pop one, the Chiefs were laying back, going nowhere. Maybe not, but Ted Marchibroda definitely is. #Patriots CB Jonathan Jones, who went on Injured Reserve last week, is set for shoulder surgery . I understand why Bert Jones isnt in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and I understand why he will never be. I look back on my career saying, I was as good of a player as I possibly could have been. Josh Emmett picked up a convincing unanimous-decision victory over Shane Burgos at Saturday's UFC event in Las Vegas. "Preseason NFL games can do more harm than good,", "Beathard Interested in Bert Jones's Return", "Baltimore Colts' Forgotten Hero Bert Jones", "Super Bowl Notebook: Belichick lists Bert Jones as one of his all-time QBs", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bert_Jones&oldid=1146233958, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 23 March 2023, at 15:59. One of Jones's most famous moments came in the 1972 LSU vs. Ole Miss game, when he led LSU to a 1716 last-second victory by hitting running back Brad Davis in the end zone for a touchdown as time expired. Repeat 5times with each arm. When the spirit moves, Jones heads for the fishing camp he owns in Venice, La., to hook tarpon and redfish. Jones was so accomplished that he was named the league MVP in 1976 and was one of only three quarterbacks in the 1970s to produce a season passer rating of 100 or better. "Coaches are hired to be fired. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. "Could you believe that game today?" Jones, who was traded by the Baltimore Colts to the Rams in 1982, led the Colts to three straight playoff appearances (1975-77) before suffering the first of a series of shoulder and arm injuries that hampered the rest of his career. Cup your left elbow with your right hand. In athletes, shoulder problems can develop slowly through repetitive and intensive training routines that put stress on the various soft tissue structures (ligaments, tendons, and muscles) of the shoulder. Jones had good years after that, but nothing like 1976. "I went there often. He was John Elway, without the rings and without the longevity.. AAOS does not endorse any treatments, procedures, products, or physicians referenced herein. Marchibroda is not a gimmicky coach. Your doctor also might recommend one or more imaging tests to get a closer look: For dislocations, separations, and fractures, you need a doctors help to get your shoulder back in the right position and then a sling to hold it in place while it heals. The 1977 playoff game (known asGhost to the Post) is famous as the 4th longest game in NFL history; the Colts fell to theOakland Raiders, 3731. The 31-year-old former Louisiana State star underwent corrective surgery in January but was advised by team doctors before last month's draft to retire. The humerus fits into the rounded socket of the scapula on each side of your body. He never revealed much about his personal life, so there is minimal information about his family, kids, and other aspects of his personal life. Laughter from the stands. Bert didn't say anything to me after the play [Jones says Hicks' blow was a 'good, clean hit'], but I had some of their linemen talking pretty loud about it. In general, a good rule to follow is that any discomfort that does not improve with a period of rest, icing, and anti-inflammatory medications may be a sign of a more serious injury and a reason to see a shoulder specialist. 10. Later, in the losers' locker room, Baltimore Coach Ted Marchibroda, whose natural expression is worry, stared at the floor and said, "I just don't know. The remainder of Jones's playing career beyond 1977 was curtailed by several injuries, the first of which was a separated shoulder after a hit from Al Baker in a Colts' 137 win over the Detroit Lions at the Pontiac Silverdome on August 26, 1978, in the final preseason contest for both teams. It should come as no surprise that 1976 was Jones' best year as a pro. "Our first year in Baltimore, we were down, 28-7, to Buffalo and wound up winning, 42-35, thanks to him. I also wanted to point out that Jones was sacked a total of 29 times. With any problem in your shoulder, your treatment plan will probably include exercises to help you stretch and strengthen the joint, and to improve your range of motion. One of the others was Ken Stabler, who also did it in 1976. Except for one week, LSU spent the entire season ranked in the AP Top 10. Perform twice (2 times) a day. I'd seen the schizophrenic life they have to deal with," said Jones, who opted for a settled lifestyle. Is my shoulder stiff? "He'd had a bad neck in the week leading up to Wembley. Here's how it works. They lost to Oakland in the first round of the playoffs and never had another winning season before Irsay moved the team to Indianapolis in 1984. After being decked in the third quarter, Jones rises slowly and heads off in pain as Coach Marchibroda sends in Landry. If the injury was not severe, there is fairly rapid improvement and return of function after the first 4 to 6 weeks. In fact, he was so good that New England coach Bill Belichick said he didn't know if there was a better pure passer or athlete in the game then, and former Baltimore GM Ernie Accorsi compared him to John Elway. The rotator cuff is one of the most important components of the shoulder. Given his strong performance, Bobby Beathard, then the GM of the Chargers, wanted Jones to come out of retirement, but Jones was 39 at the time and chose not to try a comeback. He was one of only three quarterbacks to achieve a 100+ passer rating during the entire decade of the 1970s, joining Dallas' Roger Staubach (1971) and Oakland's Ken Stabler (1976). By Mike Klingaman The Baltimore Sun, 9/20/12. Copyright 1995-2021 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "Do I have regrets? Athletes are especially at risk for shoulder problems. Thirty-five years later, the triumph remains one for the ages. His debut came on September 16, 1973, in a loss to the Cleveland Browns. The shoulder joint is a ball-on-socket joint. He played for the Colts for eight years, and during that period, he won three back-to-back AFC East Division titles for the team, but they lost in the playoffs of all those years. [original research?] He was also named the league MVP in 1976. Jones 1977 season was good but a little down from his MVP campaign. I know he had a short career and the shoulder injury, but when I was there and he was just starting his career, the success that he had and his ability throw the ball as a pure passer and as an athlete, it would be hard to put anybody ahead of Bert Jones at that point in time.. Bert is a married man, and his wifes name is Danielle Jones. But who had better stats? There were few quarterbacks better or more charismatic than Bert Jones when he led Baltimore to division titles in 1975-77. Pain can make it difficult to lift your arm. When he returned, I asked him what he thought and what he thought was that Elway was so accomplished, so charismatic, so multi-talented that he reminded him of another NFL quarterback. [3][4], During his 17 games at LSU, Jones completed 52.6 percent of his passes for 3,225 yards and 28 touchdowns, which at the time was the most career passing yards and touchdowns of any quarterback in school history. That got our program under way.". On the eve ofSuper Bowl XLIINew England Patriots head coachBill Belichick, in discussing his choices for the greatest quarterbacks of all time, described Jones as the best "pure passer" he ever saw. They can lead to tendinitis or a rotator cuff tear. Hes one of two quarterbacks in NFL history to win an MVP and appear in only one Pro Bowl. "And then, as I progressed through time, people whether they knew it or not (would say), Well, hes not a John Unitas. But you know what? Actually it was a very strange game plan that Jones and the Colts brought into Kansas City. After the game, I told him, 'I'll bet you won't work on those cheers again.' A lot of them have had it. Jones was under an intense spotlight when he came into the NFL. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. You can also fracture this bone during lateral (side-to-side) movements or while dancing en pointe, as . Common shoulder injuries: Dislocation. 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