NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Friends of former NFL player Jacoby Jones said Monday (July 15) they are still in shock after hearing of his sudden death.

Jones was found dead Sunday, just three days after his 40th birthday. Jones’s mother told Fox 8 her son died unexpectedly but peacefully in his sleep. The cause of his death remains under investigation, the Orleans Parish Coroner’s office said.

New Orleans native, Super Bowl champ Jacoby Jones found dead at 40

The former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver made history in 2013, when he took a 108-yard kickoff return into the end zone for the longest scoring play in Super Bowl history. Jones’ efforts helped the Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, in Super Bowl XLVII at the Superdome.

Jones was a New Orleans native who defied odds in high school, rising to the professional level and playing on four NFL teams over nearly 10 years.

But no stadium light could shine so bright as to make Jones forget his New Orleans roots.

“At the end of day, one thing ‘Coby stood on was loyalty,” said lifelong friend Mickey Clemons Jr. “The more he experienced in his lifetime, it always came back to his city.”

It’s on the grassy field behind Marion Abramson High School in New Orleans East where Clemons says he gained a brother. He said he struggles with the reality that his closest friend was taken too soon.

“Right now,” Clemons said, “it’s just still feeling unreal.”

Jones first turned heads as an underclassman on the St. Augustine High School football team, when he was still noticeably smaller than the players he went up against.

Jones was “very little,” former coach Jabbar Juluke said. “He didn’t hit a growth spurt until he was able to get into college.”

Juluke blew the whistle at Jones’ St. Augustine practices and kept in touch after he transferred to Abramson.

“I’m gonna miss him,” Juluke said. “He exemplifies a person that lived life to the fullest.”

Omar Washington, who heads the alumni association at Abraham, said of Jones, “He would always have something positive to say, even if he only knew you for a moment. He would shake your hand, talk to you.”

Washington graduated a few years before Jones, but the two shared the same No. 9 jersey, and a commitment to giving back to the community that made them.

“It was almost as if he felt something to give you some positive words,” Washington said.

Friends say Jones also had his goofy side.

“He always was the life of the party, the prankster, and he would challenge you at any moment,” Clemons said.

The challenge now becomes caring for Jones’ legacy — his 11-year-old son, Jacoby Jr.

“We always stuck together and we’re always going to stick together from there,” Clemons said. “It’s like he says, ‘No man left behind.’ So, we’re going to make sure we carry that on.”

Funeral arrangements are pending.

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