Card: Topps 1978
Acquired: In Person 1993, South Austin Card Convention
Preston Pearson was considered ahead of his time. One of the first 3rd down scatback specialists, Pearson was originally a 12th round choice of the Baltimore Colts back in 1967. What is more amazing is that he was drafted based on his athletic skill, since he never played a down of college football at the University of Illinois. Preston would play through 1969 with the Colts primarily as a kick returner. In 1968 he’d return 15 kicks for 527 yards and 2 touchdowns and his 35.1 yard return average for the season is 6th all time. Preston before departing from Baltimore would play in Super Bowl III when the Colts lost to the Jets.
In 1970, Preston would sign with the Steelers. During his tenure he’d see a career high in rushing with 605 yards rushing in 1972 and 4 touchdowns in 1974. He’d appear in SuperBowl IX with the Steelers, before signing with the Dallas Cowboys and appeared in Super Bowl XII and XIII. Over the latter half of his career the Cowboys would utilize Pearson in more of the 3rd down back role. He’d lodge career highs in receptions (47) and yards receiving (535) during his tenure with Dallas retiring after the 1980 season, finishing his career with 9841 yards from scrimmage. Among his more odd accomplishments is the fact he played for Don Shula, Tom Landry and Chuck Noll. Preston is the president of Pro-Style Associates.
Jacoby Jones was drafted by the Houston Texans out of tiny Lane College (Jackson, Tn) in the 3rd round of the 2007 NFL draft.
A track and field beast in college, Jones was a dangerous threat every time he touched the ball.
He was immediately penciled in (replacing Jerome Mathis) as the punt and kick returner and wide receiver project.
In 2008 he took two punts to the house for a TD- including a 73 yarder.
He’d score a career high 6 TD catches in 2009 on just 27 receptions.
In 2010, he had a career high 562 yards and 51 catches.
He’d be cut in mid 2012, after muffing a punt in the playoffs the previous season.
Jones signed with the Ravens in 2012, where he’d find new life as a popular member of the flock, and seemingly being a playmaker at the right place and at the right time.
That season he’d post his best year as a return man with 38 KR for 1167 yards and 2 TDs.
He is most fondly remembered for his Super Bowl heroics, where he caught a 56 yard TD and returned a kickoff 108 yards for a TD in Super Bowl XLVII.
Following the season, he made an appearance on Dancing With the Stars.
After 3 years with the Ravens, he was cut in 2015 and spent time split between the Chargers and Steelers that year.
Then in 2017 he played Arena Football with the Monterrey Steel of the NAL.
Later that year he retired as a Raven.
Jacoby went into coaching from there with his alma mater Lane College from 2018-’19 as a WR coach.
Then it was off to Calvert Hall (’20), Morgan State (’21), and Alabama State (2022-’23) as a positional coach in each of those stops.
He recently was very excited to return to the H-Town area to coach the Beaumont Renegades- an Arena Football team in Texas.
ACCOLADES:
Pro Bowl 2012
All-Pro 2012
Longest play in NFL history- 108 yards
Longest play in Super Bowl/ postseason history- 108 yards
First player to return two kick-offs over 105 yards in a single season
NOTES:
Many fun stories surround the young Jones, and fellow wide receiver David Anderson, who called himself Jones’ interpreter while they played together. Jones was fond of bringing in his mom’s cooking into the locker room- where he’d eat chicken legs whole, down to the marrow.
It’s really sad the way he was let go by the Texans. The team perhaps getting their closest to the Super Bowl at that time were playing a hotly contested game against Baltimore in the 2011 Divisional Round. He’d muff a punt that’d lead to the Ravens win.
I’m not sure if the team cut him for a fresh start. I know a lot of people were hard on him. I just wish things had ended better in H-Town.
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
203
2733
13.5
14
80t
KR
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
183
4940
17.0
5
108t
PR
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
276
2688
9.7
4
79t
EPITAPH:
7/13/24- Jacoby Jones passed away peacefully in his sleep while at his home in New Orleans, La. It was unexpected and no cause of death was given. He was 40 years old.
An All-American decathalete and punter at Florida State, Rohn Stark was the most decorated punter to play college football since Ray Guy. (He was also a killer punter during the 80s and 90s with the Colts. He not only played for the Indianapolis Colts but also the Baltimore Colts- before they got in the Mayflower trucks and headed East.) Stark would also be a part of probably the best kicker and punter combination in Tecmo Bowl being paired with Dean Biasucci, and ironically year over year they’d be the most consistent part of the Colts through their combined tenure up to the end of 1994.
Originally drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the 2nd round of the 1982 draft, Rohn would really come into his own by 1983 where he’d be named 2nd team AP with a gaudy 45.3 average and lead the league with over 4100 yards. His 1984 would be equally impressive as Stark would lead the league with 98 punts that season. 85 and 86 would be ProBowl caliber seasons, leading the league in average yards per punt with a 45.9 and a 45.2 yard average respectively. While the rest of his career would not see him reach such levels- Rohn would never average below 40 yards per punt during 13 seasons but would return to the ProBowl again in 1990 and 1992. With free agency and the salary cap making players and positions more expendable, Stark would leave via free agency in 1995, playing one season in Pittsburgh where he made his lone SuperBowl appearance. In 1996 he’d put his skills to work for the Carolina Panthers, and in 1997 finish out his career with the Seattle Seahawks. Rohn also held on extra points and field goal attempts and was notably left footed- meaning the ball was spinning the opposite direction than punt returners would expect after he would punt it. Stark holds another odd accomplishment as the only Baltimore Colt to play against the Baltimore Ravens. At the time of his retirement in 1997, Stark was top 5 in career punts and yardage. Stark like many other punters, will probably never get his due as the NFL HoF shows little respect for the position.
G/Gs 233/233 P 1141 Yds 49471 Avg 43.4 Lg 72 Blk 7
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
