(NationRise.com) – Super Bowl favorite Jacoby Jones of the Baltimore Ravens passed away at the age of 40. Jones was best known for being part of the “Mile High Miracle,” and other antics brought joy to many.
Jones passed away “peacefully” at his home in New Orleans, according to a statement issued Sunday by the NFL Players Association. He reportedly died in his sleep.
The Mile High Miracle refers to a play that took place on January 12, 2013. In the 2012 NFL AFC Divisional playoff game, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco passed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones against the Denver Broncos with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Ravens expressed their profound sadness upon learning of Jacoby Jones’s demise. They said Jacoby had a remarkable talent for forging meaningful connections with all those he met. His unique combination of charm, excitement, and love made him the type of person who could make even the darkest of days seem brighter.
The “Mile High Miracle” rainbow pass from Flacco to Jones catapulted his team to Super Bowl XLVII and cemented his position in NFL and Baltimore lore.
With 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jones caught the 70-yard touchdown pass from Flacco, tying the game. In the end, it took double overtime, but the Ravens prevailed.
Just three weeks later, in the second quarter of the Super Bowl, Jones made a 56-yard touchdown reception and added a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the 49ers. The second one is still the record for most extended return in playoff history. The fact that the Louisiana native’s performance took place at New Orleans’s Superdome only served to enhance the moment.
Following his departure in January 2011 following two fumbles in a playoff loss to the Ravens, Jones spent the first five years of his career with the Houston Texans.
Jones, a free agent signee with the Ravens, became an immediate fan favorite and offensive spark plug. Spectacularly, he scored four touchdowns in the 2012 regular season and three more in the playoffs.
Jones retired from the NFL in 2017 after signing a one-day deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
In 128 games (33 starts) for the Houston Texans (2007–2011), Ravens (2012–2014), Pittsburgh Steelers (2015), San Diego Chargers (2015), and myself, Jones has 203 receptions for 2,733 yards and fourteen touchdowns. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl in 2012 and was an All-Pro returner in 2007.
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