Calvin Jones, Former Cornhusker, NFL Running Back Found Dead

Calvin Jones, former Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and Nebraska Cornhuskers legend, died Wednesday.

He was 54 years old.

The running back’s death was indicative of carbon monoxide poisoning, Omaha police told WOWT-TV.

Officers arrived at Jones’ home around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after a neighbor reported the smell of gas. Inside, they found a generator running and Jones unconscious in the basement.

Although there were “signs of carbon monoxide poisoning”, the official cause of death has not yet been confirmed and is pending an autopsy report.

According to Husker Extra, Jones was running a generator in his basement because the furnace in his house had stopped working.

An Omaha native, Jones gained national prominence playing for his hometown Cornhuskers from 1991 to 1993. He led the Big 8 Conference in scoring during his freshman season and was named an All-American during of his second campaign.

Jones was one half of head coach Tom Osborne’s famous “we-back” system, teaming with fellow forward Derek Brown to create a rushing attack unrivaled in the college ranks.

In 1992, the duo averaged 329 yards per game – the most in the nation – and led Nebraska to an Orange Bowl appearance.

At the time of his declaration for the NFL draft, Jones had amassed over 3,000 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns.

Jones’ professional career was short-lived, lasting only three seasons.

He played in 16 total games between the Raiders and Packers – totaling 112 yards on 27 attempts – while winning a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1997.

Nebraska Football mourned its legend in a statement, saying: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Husker legend and Super Bowl champion Calvin Jones. Our thoughts are with the Jones family and he will be greatly missed.