Former Cleveland Browns standout William “Dub” Jones, who once scored six touchdowns in a game in 1951, died on Saturday at the age of 99, the Browns announced.
An offensive star during the Browns dynasty of the 1940s and 50s, Jones rushed for 2,210 yards over a 10-year career, scoring 21 touchdowns. A dual-threat, Jones also caught 171 passes for 2,874 yards and another 20 touchdowns.
Jones was a native of Louisiana, prepping at Ruston High School and attending both Tulane and LSU. He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals with the second overall pick in the 1946 draft, going on to play with the Miami Seahawks (1946) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1946-47) before finishing out his career with an eight-year run in Cleveland.
Despite a decorated career which included an All-Pro selection and two Pro Bowls, Jones will probably always be best known for a single game, the Browns’ 42-21 defeat of the Chicago Bears in November of 1951, in which Jones exploded for six touchdowns.
The second player to ever score six touchdowns in a game, Jones’ record has yet to be broken, only matched by Hall of Famers Ernie Nevers (the first to do it) and Gale Sayers and by current New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
He was the father of Bert Jones, who likewise had a standout NFL career, playing quarterback for the Baltimore Colts and Los Angeles Rams and throwing for over 18,000 career yards.