Jones was a first-round pick of the Colts in the 1973 draft, managed to hang on for nine years, made 96 starts and compiled a passer rating of 78.2. he suffered a separated shoulder that ended up limiting his playing time over the next two seasons. With Jones at quarterback, anything seemed possible. With those yards came 24 touchdown passes as well. His debut came on September 16, 1973 in a loss to the Cleveland Browns. These can help your doctor find bone spurs, arthritis, and other bone-related causes of your shoulder pain. I should know that, shouldnt I?. Instead of summer vacations, Jones was at Browns training camp. He was a tremendous quarterback in an era that was a little bit different. It hadn't been separated again, the ligaments hadn't been torn. Here are symptoms that often serve as warning signs of a shoulder injury: Sudden and sharp pain. Jones, his team down 7-0, was desperately trying to get something going, so he turned to one of the few trick plays in the Colts' playbook. ''I'm retiring as a result of injuries I. I guess, in retrospect, it was a stupid thing for me to do.". So many mistakes. But who had better stats? If the injury was not severe, there is fairly rapid improvement and return of function after the first 4 to 6 weeks. The most common breaks are to the clavicle (collarbone) and the humerus (arm bone closest to your shoulder). He said doctors told him just before the recent NFL draft that he could play no more. 8 all time among league quarterbacks in completion ratio, and was second behind Ken Anderson of the Cincinnati Bengals among active quarterbacks. Shoulder injuries set him back and a bad neck injury ended his career. John Riggins has been quoted as saying Bert was the toughest competitor he has ever witnessed. Bert Jones wasnt just a superior quarterback; he was a superior athlete a guy who could run, who could make all the throws and who knew how to win. 2 draft pick by the #Dbacks, is out for the year after injuring his shoulder in his 1st workout while taking batting practice. What Are the Symptoms of a Shoulder Injury? Jones missed most of 1978 and 1979 with a shoulder injury, and the Colts fell to last place in the AFC East those two seasons. And a Sports Illustrated cover on the wall. [11], In 1982, his final season, Jones played in four games for the Los Angeles Rams before a neck injury forced him to retire.[12]. NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Shoulder Problems.. Bert Jones was a tremendous player, Belichick continued. Rotator cuff injuries are common and increase with age. Often, an orthopaedic surgeon will prescribe a series of exercises aimed at strengthening the shoulder muscles. He handed off to Don McCauley, he swung a pass to McCauley that fell short. "Preseason NFL games can do more harm than good,", "Beathard Interested in Bert Jones's Return", "Baltimore Colts' Forgotten Hero Bert Jones", "Super Bowl Notebook: Belichick lists Bert Jones as one of his all-time QBs", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bert_Jones&oldid=1146233958, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 23 March 2023, at 15:59. Sit upright in a chair with armrest, with your feet touching the floor. In the 1976 Baltimore Colts highlight film, the legendary John Facenda relayed a quote from Joe Namath about Jones. Did we say tough? Sylvester Hicks, a 6'4", 252-pound defensive end, had put a rush on Jones, and the top of his helmet struck Jones' right shoulderthe shoulder that had been separated. Jones and Landry threw 43 passes. The Colts received first- and second-round picks in exchange for Jones. Jones soon reentered and, with three minutes to play, threw the winning TD pass to Roger Carr. One of the biggest moments of his college career when he took the last-second win for his team in the LESU vs. Ole Miss Game in 1972. He had an arm like no other, really. This condition is called instability, and it can result in a dislocation of one of the joints in the shoulder. "What a weapon," Siani said. CT scan. Because while he played he made the people of Baltimore forget albeit for a short time what they lost when Johnny U. left town. Repeat 5 times. And then there was the Washington game last November, the great morality play on Monday night, when Jones went reeling to the bench after three Redskins nailed him on the sidelines. However, ignoring the pain and playing through a shoulder injury only aggravates the condition and may possibly cause more problems. All Rights Reserved. Yet he often gets lost in the hierarchy of Colts signal callers. Does it feel like my shoulder could pop out or slide out of the socket? The Patriots placed Jones on injured reserve before Sunday's 54-13 win over the New York Jets. Neck Injury Forces Bert Jones to Retire By Paul Attner May 20, 1983 Bert Jones, one of the two or three best quarterbacks in the National Football League during the mid-1970s, announced his. You can bandage it to hold it in place if necessary, and elevate it above the heart. Marchibroda is not a gimmicky coach. You will feel pain and weakness in your . Three straight years they went one and done in the playoffs. It can even stem from problems in other parts of your body, which is called referred pain. Taking more time off between workouts for rest and building some easy days into your routine are also good for injury prevention. But look what happened while he played. "Most shoulder injuries our experts see are not necessarily happening to professional athletes, but rather to regular folks doing regular activities." Dr. Jones cites simple activities such as picking up a trash can, reaching overhead to put a luggage in an airplane overhead bin or reaching into the back seat of one's car to pick up . There were only three quarterbacks at that time who got the 100+ passer rating, and Bert was one of them as he got the rating of 102.5. "It's good for your team mentally, and even more so emotionally. American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. When healthy, he could light up a game. This is probably the first time where I find it difficult to say, purely from a QB perspective, that Jones might not have been the most deserving of the MVP. The shoulder's ball-and-socket joint gives you great range of motion, but it comes at the expense of stability. Jon Bernthal recently admitted that he wasn't quite ready to stop playing the Punisher yet, but after revealing the long list of injuries that he sustained . Jones had one final year with the Los Angeles Rams, and his season ended after four starts with a neck injury. Terry Bradshaw had a separated shoulder. Repetitive activity even something as seemingly harmless as using a computer mouse can affect the shoulder. Jones had 24 tackles and two interceptions for the Huskies (1-6) this season, including one he returned 70 yards for a touchdown against South Florida. In 1972 after taking over at quarterback, Jones threw for 1,446 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 199 pass attempts. Your doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, to reduce pain and swelling. He became a star at LSU, a top draft pick and an NFL MVP. His best season, statistically, was 1976, when he threw for 3,104 yards and 24 touchdowns and was intercepted only nine times. Attach elastic tubing to a doorknob at home. Steady pain, weakness in the arm, or limitation of joint motion will become almost second nature to some people, leading them to not seek treatment. He started playing football in the Ruston High School, Louisiana, and he was given the name of The Ruston Rifle. He also played college football while studying at the Louisiana State University, better known as LSU. Jones' shirt was off; the shoulder showed an ugly red bruise, some swelling, but there was no sign of a step deformity, the drop that denotes torn ligaments. ". He suffered a fractured vertebrae and needed cervical fusion surgery. He seemed more low key. Jones played college football at Louisiana State University (LSU). The rotator cuff is one of the most important components of the shoulder. In another context, in another ball game, you would have laughed at such a play. "You can't rush a thing like this," Marchibroda said. By then, he wanted to leave the team, resulting in the trade with Los Angeles. Scott Campbell Oct 25, 2019 7:29 pm. "But for the first time in 10 years, I'm worried about keeping my body the way it is now.". Bertram Hays Jones(born September 7, 1951) played in theNational Football League(NFL) for theBaltimore Coltsand theLos Angeles Rams. I know he had a short career and the shoulder injury, but when I was there and he was just starting his career, the success that he had and his ability to throw the ball as a pure passer and as an athlete, it would be hard to put anybody ahead of Bert Jones at that point in time. Hold. That couldnt have been easy, but it wasnt the pressure cooker you might imagine. He stayed retired. In 1990, Jones participated in the first NFL Quarterback Challenge. Then he went back in and he couldn't throw, so that was it. A large prominence at the top of the shoulder could signify an acromioclavicular joint (AC joint) injury. The 1976 season ended with a tough playoff loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had one of the greatest defensive seasons in NFL history. We just had so many mistakes.". If you could go back to the end of the 1976 season, and listen to legends like Namath and Belichick, youd have thought Jones would have gone on to a long career and been mentioned alongside some of the greats of his era: Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Ken Stabler and others. The Biceps (Human Anatomy): Function, Diagram, Conditions, & More, Tips on Improving the Muscle Definition of Your Arms, Strengthenm your upper body to offset the limitations imposed by chronic pain. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Cortisone injections are particularly effective for patients suffering from shoulder bursitis. His offense is very basic, some say conservative. Im ashamed to say I dont know where it is, said Jones, who founded Mid-States Wood Preservers in Simsboro, Louisiana, with his brother Bill in 1979. Sometimes cartilage tears, rotator cuff tears, and frozen shoulder dont improve with rest and medicine. Given his strong performance, Bobby Beathard, then the GM of the Chargers, wanted Jones to come out of retirement, but Jones was 39 at the time and chose not to try a comeback. Between 1975 and 1977 the Colts were AFC East champions three straight years. And it's hard to believe that Washington's 5'10", 183-pound frame can go 16 weeks surviving the punishment this offense will inflict on him. When he is asked about 1976 he credits his teammates, singling out receivers Roger Carr and Glenn Doughty and running back Lydell Mitchell. It was an NFC-style plan, with Fran Tarkenton, as played by Jones, dumping the ball off to Chuck Foreman again and again and again, the Foreman in this case being Washington. Unitas was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in his fourth year as a pro (1959). Background: Shoulder injuries in rugby players are common, but the mechanisms of injury are less well understood. Ironically, his final two seasons with the Colts were two of his most prolific. Even though we were friends until he passed away, we never played on the same team. So I asked someone who knows. When theyre put together, they can give your doctor a better look at whats happening with your shoulder. "What do you think, kid?" The only thing missing from Bert Jones resume is longevity, and, like it has for Cook, Easley and others, it sabotaged his Hall-of-Fame chances. That will involve moving your arms in various ways, like above your head, across your body, or behind you, and rotating it 90 or 180 degrees. He led the league in passing in 1977, when he threw for 2,686 yards and 17 touchdowns. I think its at my parents house, probably in an attic or somewhere, Jones said. The week of the K.C. Jones now was sitting in the hall, next to the stadium elevator, watching Middle Linebacker Ed Simonini get his sprained knee X-rayed. This illustration of the shoulder highlights the major components of the joint. As long as Bert Jones was standing, the Colts had a chance. I miss the strategic competitiveness of the game," he said. After starting college, he started performing quite amazingly in the sport and became one of the best players in his college. During the contest, Jones said, "I remember seeing (New England safety) Timmy Fox standing on their bench, leading Colts' cheers in jest. And that's what we did. He competed in a quarterback challenge about seven years later and looked so good that longtime general manager Bobby Beathard asked if he wanted to play again. So, in Kansas City, Jones came back after Hicks' hit and tried a couple of plays. Shoulder exercises, usually as part of a supervised physical therapy program, are usually necessary. 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