from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program*, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The one category where Jones does stand above the others, though, is in passing yards. Their tight end, 6'6", 238-pound Reese McCall, was lifted at the half, after dropping a sure TD pass in the second quarter. Injuries can also occur during everyday household activities such washing walls, hanging curtains, and gardening. in 1977. I'd seen the schizophrenic life they have to deal with," said Jones, who opted for a settled lifestyle. And what he saw made an indelible impression. Jones had four children and had already started his lumber company. [6] He was chosen second overall by the Baltimore Colts to be the Colts' heir apparent to Johnny Unitas, who was later traded to San Diego. "They told me I couldn't play." Ironically, his final two seasons with the Colts were two of his most prolific. You will feel pain and weakness in your . However, ignoring the pain and playing through a shoulder injury only aggravates the condition and may possibly cause more problems. "He was the best I've ever been around," said Ted Marchibroda, who was Jones' coach with Baltimore during the playoff years. Arthroscopy. This can be a very painful and prolonged injury. "Bert seemed kind of different today, different from some of the games I've seen him play on TV, when he was running around, yelling at everybody. He played for the Colts for eight years, and during that period, he won three back-to-back AFC East Division titles for the team, but they lost in the playoffs of all those years. The Colts had the second seed in the AFC, which drew the AFC Central champion, and defending Super BowlChampion,Pittsburgh Steelers. Rotator cuff injuries are common and increase with age. Thirty-five years later, the triumph remains one for the ages. It was early in 1983 when then-Baltimore general manager Ernie Accorsi flew west to work out the best player in the draft, Stanford quarterback John Elway. Bertram Hays Jones (born September 7, 1951) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts and Los Angeles Rams. Athletes are especially at risk for shoulder problems. He should have been someone we cite as a measuring stick for quarterbacks, much as Accorsi did in 1983. It would be slightly hypocritical to say that Jones deserved it in 1976 over Stabler. Touchdown passes to Glenn Doughty, Raymond Chester and Freddie Scott pulled Baltimore within one point (24-23). Jones was so accomplished that he was named the league MVP in 1976 and was one of only three quarterbacks in the 1970s to produce a season passer rating of 100 or better. "Twelve months earlier Bert had fibrosis in his shoulder and neck in the build-up to the final, but he was determined not to miss the game and assured the press he would make the final 'even if I have to have my neck in plaster'. And that's what we did. 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 is the son of former NFLrunning backDub Jonesof theCleveland Browns. he said. The bout . 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. The Colts' No. ", The pain in Jones' shoulderand the pained look on Marchibroda's facewas caused by a flea-flicker that flickered briefly and then died. Ever the outdoorsman, he still enjoys going quail hunting at the family's west Texas ranch with his father, Dub, 88, a formerCleveland Brownsrunning back. Bert Jones was asked to make the best of a tough situation, and he did with panache. All rights reserved. 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. And then he came out for good. Not every NFL player gets to play 20 years like Tom Brady. Your doctor may also recommend an arthrogram, which involves a shot of dye to make the details show up more clearly. He was also named the league MVP in 1976. wing T to minus 15 yards in the first quarter, but as the game wore on the Kansas City defenders began to take heart, too. All rights reserved. "Our first year in Baltimore, we were down, 28-7, to Buffalo and wound up winning, 42-35, thanks to him. This uses radio waves and a powerful magnet to make detailed images of your shoulder. It is important to be able to tell the difference between normal soreness and pain. Here are some easy shoulder exercises that you can do to strengthen your shoulder muscles and prevent injuries. His dad, Dub Jones, was a receiver on some legendary Browns teams. In practice one day last week Mike Siani, another of the crippled Colt receivers, was watching Washington put a fake on a linebacker. This injury affects the joint where your collarbone and shoulder blade come together. He finished first in the retiree category and third in the regular competition (The regular competition taking the top three finishers from the alumni competition and adding them to the regular field of current QBs). The shoulder's ball-and-socket joint gives you great range of motion, but it comes at the expense of stability. [1] Lyons himself threw for over 800 yards and 11 touchdowns that year. Maybe not, but Ted Marchibroda definitely is. The rotator cuff muscles provide you with the ability to lift your arm and reach overhead. In fact, he was so good that New England coach Bill Belichick said he didn't know if there was a better pure passer or athlete in the game then, and former Baltimore GM Ernie Accorsi compared him to John Elway. "What a great comeback," recalled Bert Jones, the quarterback who threw three TD passes and then marched the team the length of the field for the victory. It's going to stay sensitive for a long while. After starting college, he started performing quite amazingly in the sport and became one of the best players in his college. Next, theyll test your range of motion to see how strong and flexible your shoulder is. Even though he doesnt take a lot of credit for himself, or show off his football accomplishments around Mid-States Wood Preservers, he is proud of his NFL career and the 1976 season in particular. Jones, his team down. Impingement is caused by excessive rubbing of the shoulder muscles against the parts of the shoulder blade called the acromion and coracoid. According to Bert, following Unitas was more of a great honor because he played the same position on the same team as the Colts great. This is a surgical procedure that lets a tiny fiber-optic camera show your doctor high-definition images of your shoulder. "Bert's best trait probably was his ability never to give up and to bring us from behind," Marchibroda said. OrthoInfo: Shoulder Pain and Common Shoulder Problems, Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program., Cleveland Clinic: Rotator Cuff Tendonitis, Bone Spurs, Shoulder Tendinitis., American Society for Surgery of the Hand: Shoulder Pain., American Academy of Family Physicians: Shoulder Pain., Mayo Clinic: Shoulder Pain, Rotator Cuff Injury, Arthroscopy., National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Shoulder Problems., Arthritis Foundation: Shoulder Injuries, Arthritis and Diseases That Affect the Shoulders., American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Common Shoulder Injuries, Dislocated Shoulder, Clavicle Fracture, Shoulder Joint Tear, Rotator Cuff Tears, Shoulder Impingement/Rotator Cuff Tendinitis., Stanford Medicine: Approach To The Exam of The Shoulder., Johns Hopkins Medicine: Electromyography (EMG)., Texas Department of Insurance: Shoulder Injury Prevention Fact Sheet., University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics: Shoulder Injury Prevention.. The question is: Can they stand the pain? Repeat 5 times. I also wanted to point out that Jones was sacked a total of 29 times. Jones did a great job taking care of the ball, though, only throwing nine interceptions on the season. Sit upright in a chair with armrest, with your feet touching the floor. It can become unstable if the ball wants to fall off the socket due to being "loose-jointed" or an injury to the shoulder. The 1976 regular season was Bert Jones's finest as a professional: he threw for 3,104 yards and a career-high 24 touchdowns, compiling a passer rating of 102.5. In 1971, Jones threw for 945 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions while splitting time with Paul Lyons. 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. As a pure passer, he said, I dont think Id put anybody ahead of Bert Jones. "We get down deep on our first drive and then we fumble. When New England coach Bill Belichick was asked prior to Super Bowl XLII which NFL quarterback was his favorite he started by talking about John Unitas but then quickly moved on to Bert Jones. Bone spurs. It was doomed from the start. "I've never felt so confident about plays in a game. He mainly played for the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Colts. But who had better stats? Jones said he consulted three doctors, and one said he wouldnt risk playing again after his cervical fusion. Keep in mind that at that point in time Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach and Bob Griese were in the NFL. The desired goals for activity; for instance, do you want to be able to play a sport again, or are you just hoping to be able to do everyday activities without pain and discomfort. See more conditioning exercises: Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Conditioning Program*. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. That heroic performance prompted some very hard words from Redskin Coach Jack Pardee, words to the effect that perhaps Jones was faking it a bit. VikingsQB Fran Tarkenton led the league in completions with 255. Injecting steroidal medications, including cortisone, into the shoulder reduces inflammation which reduces pain. Return to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite side. On the eve ofSuper Bowl XLIINew England Patriots head coachBill Belichick, in discussing his choices for the greatest quarterbacks of all time, described Jones as the best "pure passer" he ever saw. And all this time, while the Colts were praying that little Joe would somehow, some way, manage to pop one, the Chiefs were laying back, going nowhere. AtRuston High SchoolinRuston, Louisiana, he was given the nickname, "The Ruston Rifle." He never missed a start. 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. How it helps arthritis, migraines, and dental pain. And he had a short shelf life - three years to be exact - before a shoulder injury that caused him to miss most of the 1978 and 1979 seasons ended what could have been what should have been a marvelous and long career. In the second quarter, we're down on their 14, and the kid [McCall] drops the touchdown. I absolutely would put Bert Jones up there.. Someone told me we set a club record for penalties, is that right? "He could wind up catching 100 balls this season.". Pain can make it difficult to lift your arm. John Riggins has been quoted as saying Bert was the toughest competitor he has ever witnessed. The shoulder joint is a ball-on-socket joint. And theRaiderswent 13-1 with the second best offense in the league. The 1977 playoff game (known as Ghost to the Post) is famous as the fourth longest game in NFL history; the Colts fell to the Oakland Raiders, 3731. Jones soon reentered and, with three minutes to play, threw the winning TD pass to Roger Carr. He finished first in the retiree category and third in the regular competition (The regular competition taking the top three finishers from the alumni competition and adding them to the regular field of current quarterbacks). "But for the first time in 10 years, I'm worried about keeping my body the way it is now.". This happens when the tendons of the rotator cuff get pinched in the bones of the shoulder. If your collarbone gets pushed out of place, youll have a bump on top of your shoulder. Most shoulder injuries whether treated surgically or nonsurgically require a period of immobilization followed by rehabilitation. 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. Washington was having a big day, but the Arrowhead scoreboard still said Chiefs 7, Colts 0. If you are experiencing pain in your shoulder, ask yourself these questions: If you answered "yes" to any one of these questions, you should consult an orthopaedic surgeon for help in determining the severity of the problem. He was smart, too, and could see the field and find the right receiver. This broke the record at the time held by many quarterbacks, including Jones' then back-up,Greg Landry, who had been sacked 11 times while he was a member of theDetroit Lionsin a game against theDallas Cowboyson October 6, 1975. People with instability may experience pain with moving their arm or avoid motions that make the shoulder feel like it wants to slip out of place. Unfortunately, shoulder and neck injuries drove him from the game at the age of 31, with Jones retiring after the 1982 season. In some cases, your doctor may also be able to treat the problem during the procedure. With such a high passer rating, one might think that Jones would have led the league in completion percentage, but not so. NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Shoulder Problems.. He said doctors told him just before the recent NFL draft that he could play no more. X-rays. *These exercises should be done under the supervision of a doctor or physical therapist. But in 1976, he was king. Actually it was a very strange game plan that Jones and the Colts brought into Kansas City. In the 1976 Baltimore Colts highlight film, the legendary John Facenda relayed a quote from Joe Namath about Jones. I really only bring that up because I wanted to highlight the fact thatLionsquarterback Greg Landry was sacked a whopping 55 times that season. By Mike Klingaman The Baltimore Sun, 9/20/12. "I love the game and my heart wanted me to stay in it," said Jones, who played nine years with Baltimore before being acquired by Los Angeles last spring. This measures the electrical activity in your muscles to see if there are any problems with your nerves. Baltimore's stock dropped when Quarterback Bert Jones, who was sidelined for most of the 1978 season, suffered yet another injury to his right shoulder in the Colts' loss to Kansas City, 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Perform twice (2 times) a day. Youll have a lot of pain and it may. Longtime scout Ernie Accorsi is quoted as saying that if Bert Jones had played under different circumstances, he probably would have been the greatest player ever. You can also fracture this bone during lateral (side-to-side) movements or while dancing en pointe, as . I really only bring that up because I wanted to highlight the fact that, But who had better stats? Swing the ball to Washington, pitch it to him, hand it off to himand hope for a miracle. John Riggins has been quoted as saying Bert was the toughest competitor he has ever witnessed. Jones is on an unusual list. Each shoulder is held in place by a group of four muscles and tendons, called a rotator cuff, which covers and protects the humerus and lets you raise and move your arm. Jones threw for more than 3,000 yards, and was the only quarterback to do so in 1976. A common home exercise program can be used in addition to a formal supervised physical therapy program. 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 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.. Facebook gives people the power to share. Movement: Roll your shoulders down and back, then gently pull your left elbow across your chest as you extend your left arm. Did we say tough? [2] Jones also finished fourth in the vote for the Heisman Trophy and was named the national collegiate Player of the Year by The Sporting News. 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. In past articles I said that Unitas got the nod because the Colts were a superior team (record wise) even if he didn't have the gaudy numbers. Jones, who was traded by the Baltimore Colts to the Rams in 1982, led the Colts to three straight playoff appearances (1975-77) before suffering the first of a series of shoulder and arm injuries that hampered the rest of his career. [14] On the eve of Super Bowl XLII, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, in discussing his choices for the greatest quarterbacks of all time, described Jones as the best "pure passer" he had ever seen. I look back on it and I know I was as good of a player as there was in the NFL at that time, Jones said. Fracture. Except for one week, LSU spent the entire season ranked in the AP Top 10. Because we had to.". I just wish his career had lasted long enough that hed be considered. 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. All Rights Reserved. Jones was projected by NFL scouts to be the first quarterback drafted in 1973. Your shoulders are the joints where your upper-arm bones (humerus), shoulder blades (scapula), and collarbone (clavicle) meet. And Baltimore Colts highlight film, the legendary john Facenda relayed a from... 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