Calvin Jones        

HIGH SCHOOL: Calvin Jones attended Steubenville High School and lived in or near Steubenville, Ohio. His football success led to commitment to play for Woody Hayes at Ohio State. At the last minute, he decided to follow his friends and teammates to Iowa. The "Steubenville Trio" (Jones, Eddie Vincent, and Frank Gilliam were called) arrived with Iowa football in bad shape, having only one winning season in the previous ten years.

COLLEGE: In 1954, he was named consensus first team All-American, and also became the first college football player and first African American to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in its September 27, 1954 issue. He also performed kickoff duties.

In 1955, he was named a team captain and was named as a consensus first team All-American for the second consecutive year. He won the 1955 Outland Trophy (United States' top lineman). He was the first African-American player to win the prestigious award, and finished tenth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy, an impressive finish for a lineman.

PROFESSIONAL: He played one year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Western Interprovincial Football Union (which became the Canadian Football League), where he was an All-Star. He died in a plane crash after playing in the East-West All-Star Game.

OTHER: He is one of only two Iowa football players (along with Nile Kinnick) to have his jersey number (#62) retired by the school.

Born 2/7/1933 and died on 12/9/1956 at the age of 23.