John Wesley "Lam" Jones (April 4, 1958 – March 15, 2019) was an American sprinter and professional football player. He won a gold medal in the 4x100 meter relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He was also a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Texas.
Early years
Jones attended Lampasas High School. In football, he became a regular starter at running back in a wishbone offense as a junior. He posted 9 carries for 197 yards (21.9-yard avg.) and 4 touchdowns against Fredericksburg High School. He had 12 carries for 154 yards (12.8-yard avg.) and 4 touchdowns against Llano High School. 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.
As a senior, he tallied 257 yards and 4 touchdowns against Gainesville High School and was named All-state. He scored 45 touchdowns in 2 seasons.
In track as a junior, he was the state champion in the 440-yard dash with a time of 47.6 seconds.
He is considered legendary in Texas high school sports history for his performance in the mile relay at the 1976 U.I.L. State Track and Field Meet. 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. The run has taken on near-mythical status among those who saw it — or claim to have seen it. 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.
Before enrolling at the University of Texas, at the age of 18, he qualified for the 4 × 100 metres relay, becoming the youngest athlete from Texas to earn a berth on the U.S. Olympic track and field team. In the 1976 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal running the second leg of the 4x100 team that set a world record with a time of 38.33 seconds. He also replaced an injured Houston McTear on the U.S. team and finished sixth in the 100 meters. He returned home as a national celebrity.
In 2008, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.
College career
Jones accepted a football scholarship from the University of Texas to play under head coach Darrell Royal. Coach Royal, in order to differentiate between two players named Johnny Jones on the team, gave them nicknames based on their hometowns—Johnny “Lam” Jones from Lampasas, Texas, and Johnny “Ham” Jones from Hamlin, Texas.
As a freshman running back, Jones posted 118 carries for 624 yards (second on the team to Earl Campbell) with a 5.3-yard average and five touchdowns, and three receptions for 79 yards (third on the team). As a sophomore, new head coach Fred Akers changed the offense and Jones was moved to wide receiver. He led the team with 21 receptions for 543 yards (25.9-yard average) with seven touchdowns, and nine carries for 30 yards (3.3-yard average).
As a junior, Jones led the team with 25 receptions for 446 yards (17.8-yard average) with five touchdowns, and 15 carries for 128 yards (8.5-yard average) with one rushing touchdown. As a senior, he led the team with 36 receptions for 535 yards (14.9-yard average) with two touchdowns, and 14 carries for 68 yards (4.9-yard average).
Jones played wide receiver in run oriented offenses, usually being double-teamed and some times triple-teamed by opposing defenses. In his football career, he averaged 28 receptions per season and 18.9-yards per catch with 14 touchdowns. He ranks 10th on the school's all-time all-purpose yardage list (3,042). He also is one of only three players in Longhorn history to rush for 100 yards in a game and also have a 100-yard receiving game.
College statistics
* Includes bowl games.
Track
In his freshman track season, Jones won the 100 metres in 9.85 seconds, which would have been a world record if it hadn't been hand-timed. When converted into automatic timing (10.14 seconds) it ranked as the fastest 100 metres in school history. His times of 9.21 seconds for the 100-yard dash and 20.14 seconds for 220-yard dash set records for Memorial Stadium. He also won four events (100, 220, 440 relay and mile relay) at the Southwest Conference meet. At the NCAA championships, Jones completed a grueling 16-month season by finishing second in the 100 metres with 10.27 seconds and seventh in the 200 metres in 20.85 seconds, with track observers noting he looked worn out.