Johnny “Lam” Jones, a former Olympic gold medal sprinter whose electrifying speed and receiving ability prompted the Jets to make a blockbuster move to take him second overall in the 1980 draft, died Friday after a long battle with myeloma cancer. He was 60.
Jones wound up as an NFL disappointment in an injury-plagued five-year career in which he caught just 138 passes and scored 13 touchdowns. The Jets had pinned their hopes on the former Texas star receiver, sending their 13th and 20th overall picks to the 49ers in exchange for the second choice. But Jones, part of the United States’ 4x100-meter relay team that won the gold medal in the 1976 Olympics, never lived up to his expectations and became a symbol for much of the Jets’ draft-related frustrations.