Cleveland Browns legend Dub Jones, who set NFL record with 6 TDs in single game, dies at 99

At the age of 99, Dub Jones, a prominent figure from the Browns’ early “dynasty” years, passed away. After announcing Jones’ passing on Saturday, the organization said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.” During his eight seasons in Cleveland, the Louisiana native won five league titles and became the first player in NFL history to score six touchdowns in a single game, earning him football immortality.

William Augustus Jones, a multisport athlete at Ruston High School, started his undergraduate career at LSU before moving to Tulane, where he was named to the All-America team in 1944. He was chosen second overall by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1946 NFL Draft after serving in the U.S. Navy, but he decided to join with the Miami Seahawks of the upstart All-American Football Conference.

Before being traded to the similarly failing Brooklyn Dodgers, where he played for the entirety of 1947, Jones played just nine games with the lowly Seahawks. Legendary coach Paul Brown acquired Jones to Cleveland in the offseason in exchange for the rights to quarterback Bob Chappuis in what can only be called one of the greatest trades in Browns history. After only two years, Chappuis left the NFL, but Jones started to show off with the AAFC’s top club. He made a permanent appearance in the starting lineup in 1949 while playing halfback, showcasing his skills as a pass-catcher and ball-carrier as the Browns won four consecutive league titles.

When the team joined the NFL in 1950, Jones’ success continued, and he scored 11 touchdowns in all as Cleveland made its debut by winning the championship once more. After recording 1,062 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in 1951, Jones was selected to the first team All-Pro, but it was on November 25 of that season that he would leave his mark on the sport’s record books. Jones carried the ball nine times for 116 yards and grabbed three passes for an additional 80 yards as the Browns were playing the Chicago Bears at Municipal Stadium. Jones had scored all six of his team’s touchdowns (four running, two receiving) before the end of the game, which finished in a 42-21 Cleveland victory, setting a new record for any player in a single game.

Although it has since been surpassed by Gale Sayers in 1965 and Alvin Kamara in 2020, the total remains unchanged. Jones was selected to the Pro Bowl once more in 1952. He assisted the Browns in winning two more NFL titles in 1954 and 1955 before retiring following the championship game in the latter year. He had 5,084 yards from scrimmage and 41 touchdowns at the end of his 10-season professional career, including 4,784 yards and 40 scores with Cleveland.

Following his playing career, Jones rejoined Cleveland in 1963 as an assistant coach, where he worked under Blanton Collier as the team’s offensive play-caller. He played the position for six seasons, including the 1964 NFL championship run. Additionally, his son Bert played quarterback for the Baltimore Colts for ten years and won league MVP in 1976. In 2004, the Browns paid tribute to Jones by elevating him to the status of one of their “Legends.” The team reports that his wife Schump, seven children, twenty-two grandchildren, and forty-eight great-grandchildren survived him.