Jimmy Jones, who still lives in the Harrisburg area, was inducted into the University of Southern California's (USC) Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. After playing for USC in college, he was drafted into the Canadian Football League, at a time when there were no black starting quarterbacks in the NFL, where he played for 7 years.
As a sophomore for USC, and in his first year at the helm of the Trojan offense, Jones led the team to an undefeated (10-0-1) season and a Rose Bowl win over Michigan. He also appeared on a September 1969 Sports Illustrated cover, becoming the first African American quarterback to do so.
The following season, Jones was a key member of USC’s “all-black” backfield, the first in NCAA D-1 history, alongside fullback Sam Cunningham and running back Clarence Davis. The trio led the Trojans to an historic 42-21 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in Birmingham in a game that’s credited with integrating college football in the South.
In three seasons, he led the Trojans to a 22-8-3 record and set school records for career and season passing attempts, completions, and yards as well as touchdown passes.
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