We are 62 days away from college football kickoff. Happy Sunday Funday. Today we have Calvin Jones an Iowa Hawkeye legend. As well as Randall McDaniel of Arizona State. Another two fantastic players. Be sure to check back tomorrow for #61 in our countdown to kickoff. Enjoy!
Calvin Jones (62) Days Away From College Football Kickoff
Heck of a Hawkeye
Calvin Jones played as an interior lineman for the Hawkeyes from 1953 to 1955, earning a Hall of Fame career. During those three seasons, Iowa had two winning records and finished No. 9 in the 1953 Associated Press poll.
Jones was named a consensus All-American in both 1954 and 1955, and he is still the only Iowa player to earn first-team All-American honors three times. In 1955, he became the first African American to win the Outland Trophy, which goes to the nation’s top interior lineman.
Jones was known for his toughness. He played the whole 1954 season with a fractured wrist, yet still earned consensus All-America honors and finished 10th in the 1955 Heisman Trophy voting as team captain.
Off the field, Jones kept a 3.0 GPA while majoring in physical education. In 1954, he became the first college football player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. At that time, many universities still did not allow African Americans to play football.
After his last season with the Hawkeyes, Jones joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He made the CFL all-star game as a rookie. On December 9, 1956, after the All-Star Game, Jones died in a plane crash leaving Vancouver that killed everyone on board. His death happened just six days before the 1956 Hawkeye football team won its first Rose Bowl, beating Oregon State 35-19.
Jones was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980. He was also part of the first class of the Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame and was named to Iowa’s all-time football team in 1989.
Iowa football has just two jersey numbers that have been retired: No. 24, worn by Iowa’s only Heisman Trophy winner, Nile Kinnick, and No. 62, worn by Calvin Jones.
Another Great # 62, Randall McDaniel, Arizona State
Randall McDaniel was a four-year starter and a natural leader at Arizona State. He earned First Team All-America honors twice, in 1986 and 1987, and helped the Sun Devils reach three bowl games, including their first Rose Bowl appearance in 1987. Born in Arizona, McDaniel was also a two-time First Team All-Conference selection. He won the Morris Trophy as the Pac-10’s top offensive lineman and led Arizona State to a conference title in 1986. After switching from tight end, he started 39 games in a row for the Sun Devils.
McDaniel was a first-round pick in the 1988 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played 15 seasons in the NFL with the Vikings and Tampa Bay, making 12 Pro Bowl appearances. In 1996, he was named NFL/True Value Man of the Year for his charity work and is currently a nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. McDaniel is active in his community. He started Hands On, an after-school program for disadvantaged children, and founded the R.O.C.K. (Reaching Out to Challenge Kids) Foundation, which supports community projects. He is also a member of ASU’s All-Century Team and lives in Shorewood, Minnesota.
Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.
Main Photo: Iowa Hawkeyes Athletics
