Stan Jones

Though he still had a year left in college the Chicago Bears used their 5th round pick of the 1953 draft to take Maryland All American Stan Jones. George Halas didn’t have to wait long for his gamble to pay off. Jones became an instant starter his rookie year of 1954 and by his second season in the league he was making All Pro teams. He would make a total of 4 All Pro teams  during his 12-year stay in Chicago including 7 straight Pro Bowl appearances from 1955 to 1961 as an offensive lineman. In 1962 he was made a back-up, but he backed up both the offensive and defensive lines. In 1963 he was starting at defensive tackle and along with fellow defensive linemen Earl Leggett, Bob Kilcullen and Doug Atkins the Bears featured one of the best defenses the league had seen at that time. With the NFL’s top defensive squad the Bears defeated the Giants 14-10 for the 1963 Title. He finished his career in 1966 with one season as a Washington Redskin. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991 and is a member of Pro Football Reference 1950s All-Decade Team.

After his playing days he remained active in the coaching capacity for 26 years. 17 of those as an assistant with the Denver Broncos but also on staff with the Bills, Browns, Patriots and even in the NFL-Europe with the Scottish Claymores.

In today’s professional football, Stan Jones may not be one of the more recognized players of the past but during his playing time he was definitely one of pro football’s best and was chosen #17 of the Top 100 Chicago Bears players by the Chicago Tribune. He was one of the first pros to train with weights and his span of 13-years and 159-games in his career is a testament to the results.