Growing up in the 1970s and 80s as a Buffalo Bills fan, I always had a healthy dose of respect for the other teams in the AFC East: the Baltimore Colts, the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots and the New York Jets.
In my blog posts this week, I’m going to highlight of a few of the quarterbacks who led those rivals and today, I’m focused on Colts quarterback Bert Jones.
As a kid, I always thought Jones was a respectable rival, fully capable of leading the almost-always-mediocre Colts to a victory.
Looking back, I realize what a commendable career Jones had. Longtime football executive Ernie Accorsi – a highly respected evaluator of talent – once said if Jones played under different circumstances, he likely would have been the greatest football player ever. Legendary coach Bill Belichick is quoted as saying Jones was the best pure passer he’d ever seen.
Jones, a native of Ruston, La., earned the nickname “The Ruston Rifle” in high school and went on to star at Louisiana State. The Colts drafted him No. 2 overall in the 1973 to take over from the legendary Johnny Unitas.
During his eight years with the Colts, he took them to the playoffs twice and won the league’s most valuable player award in 1976.
He struggled with injuries during his seasons after 1977 and ended his career with a very average record of 47 wins and 49 losses in games he started.
He finished his career by moving to the Los Angeles Rams with great fanfare in 1982, but only started four games before suffering a neck injury that ultimately ended his career.
Jones has been a fantastic friend to autograph collectors, signing generously. I’m pleased to have several pieces in my collection, including a ticket stub from my first National Football League game.
Signature Stories 
Wow I never knew this info on Bert Jones.
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