‘Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning’ suspected in former college football legend Calvin Jones’ death

Police found Jones unconscious in the basement of a north Omaha house around 8:30 pm on Wednesday. Officials were responding to a report of gas odours. Although speculations about the cause of death are high in the air, the pending autopsy has yet to officially confirm anything.

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Jo Dusatko, a friend of Calvin Jones, told the Omaha World-Herald that the furnace in his home was not working and he was using a generator in the basement.

Super Bowl legend Calvin Jones’ professional career

The Omaha native initially found glory playing for his hometown Cornhuskers from 1991-93. In his freshmen season, he led the Big 8 Conference in scores. Jones was eventually named an All-American during his sophomore stretch.

As the other half of coach Tom Osbourne’s celebrated “we-back” system, Jones teamed up with Derek Brown to create an unrivalled rushing attack in college. Thanks to their record-breaking efforts in a 1992 game, the duo led Nebraska to the Orange Bowl.

Calvin Jones was ultimately a third-round selection of the Las Vegas Raiders in the 1994 NFL draft. Throughout his short-lived big league stint, he played a total of 16 games—15 over two seasons with the Raiders and one for the Packers in 1996. In the former case, he had 27 carries for 112 yards and two catches for 6 yards, whereas he had no carries for the latter. He finally won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 1997.

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Tributes pour in for Calvin Jones:

• Nebraska Football: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Husker legend and Super Bowl Champion, Calvin Jones. Our hearts go out to the Jones family and he will be greatly missed.”

• Former Nebraska football player Aaron Davis: “CJ, had a heart of compassion & a quiet humility. Rest Easy Husker Brother🙏🏾🕊️😢 #calvinjones #huskerlegend #nebraskafootball”

• Las Vegas Raiders: “The Raiders Family mourns the loss of Calvin Jones, who played for the Silver and Black from 1994-95. A standout collegiate running back at Nebraska, Jones posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Huskers and was drafted by the Raiders in the third round in 1994. He played in 15 games over two seasons with the Raiders before finishing his NFL career with Green Bay. The prayers of the Raider Nation are with Calvin’s family at this time. Once a Raider, Always a Raider.”