Bert Jones has lived a football life.
The Ruston Rifle would probably tell you he loves the outdoors more than the pigskin, but he won an NFL MVP with the Colts, was an All-American at LSU and is the son of a former NFL player who became the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns.
In November, he’ll receive what he called his highest honor when his No. 7 is placed on Tiger Stadium south endzone facade.
“I played with a lot of great players,” Jones told Matt Moscona on After Further Review. “I played with some great coaches through my high school, college, and pro careers and received a whole lot of accolades, most of them probably not deserved, but without a doubt this is at the top of the ladder.
“I mean, my name will be up there in the same stadium where my father played, my father’s brother played, my first cousin Andy Hamilton, and my brother Ben, and numerous friends and all the great players that have come through LSU and Baton Rouge. It’s pretty special. It just doesn’t get any better than that.”
It gets a little better.
Jones will be able to share the moment with his grandson who lives in Seattle. The trek from the pacific northwest to Baton Rouge doesn’t happen often for a high schooler. Jones’s grandson has only been to one LSU game in his life. His second will be to see No. 7 cemented in LSU lore.
It wasn’t originally planned that way.
“He’s really a salty little athlete and extremely talented soccer player,” Jones said of his grandson. “And so, I said, ‘why don’t you, before you start looking around all these other schools, come down here and look at LSU? You know, it’s it it’s a pretty nice place to be. We got great hunting and fishing, and I know you like that. And they have as good a sports as anybody in the world, better than most. Why don’t we go to a game? What is the end of your football season this year.’ And he gave it to me. I said, ‘well, let’s come to the Texas game.'”
Coincidentally, one of Jones’s best friends was already scheduled to be in attendance that night. Archie Manning, legendary Saints quarterback and College Football Hall of Famer, will also be in the building with his grandson, Arch. He happens to be the Longhorns’ starting quarterback.
As Texas and LSU begin their in-conference rivalry the Joneses and the Mannings will celebrate decades of friendship. Archie reached out quickly upon hearing the news on Wednesday. As did the rest of football’s most notable family.
“All the Mannings (reached out),” Jones said. “Of course, Archie and I have been dear friends since we were in college.”
More than 50 years after they shared a dorm at LSU, Tommy Casanova’s 37 and Jones’s 7 will display side-by-side in the stadium they helped light up in the early 70s.
“The creme de la creme is my roommate Tommy Casanova,” Jones said. “He and Mel Blunt, I think, would be the greatest players I ever played with or against. I mean, just a phenomenal athlete, great tenacity on the field. Just an unbelievable talent. Being up there with him is pretty special. This is pretty special is all I can say. As good as it gets.”
