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LSU football to retire number of 1st All-American QB in LSU history
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- LSU football to retire number of 1st All-American QB in LSU history
Wednesday morning the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee announced that former Tiger quarterback Bert Jones will have his No. 7 jersey retired this season when LSU hosts Texas on November 14 in Tiger Stadium. The committee voted unanimously to retire Jones' jersey.
"I had no idea that there was anything in the works so this is totally unsuspecting," Jones said. "I have been the beneficiary of a lot of good things and received a lot of accolades and a lot of awards, but this is at the top of the list.
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"To be (name and number) hung up in Tiger Stadium, where my father played, my brother played and cousins played, is special and what's even equally as special is that I will be up there with my LSU roommate Tommy Casanova."
Jones will become the fifth former Tiger to have his jersey retired, joining Billy Cannon's No. 20, Tommy Casanova's No. 37, Jerry Stovall's No. 21, and Charles Alexander's No. 4. All but Cannon's 20 are still worn by current players, as Cannon has the only retired number in program history , so it's likely the No. 7 will remain available too.
Jones was LSU's first-ever All-American quarterback. Between 1970 and 1972, Jones went 26-6-1 as a starter, including three bowl wins and the 1970 SEC Championship. Jones left LSU as the program's career leader for passing yards (3,255), touchdown passes (28), attempts (418) and completions (220).
Jones' best season came in 1972 when he threw for a then-program-record 1,446 yards and 14 touchdowns. His efforts were rewarded with All-American honors and a 4th-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting.
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Jones went on to become the No. 2 overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts and enjoyed a 10-year career, nine with Baltimore and one with the Los Angeles Rams . Jones threw for 17,7663 yards and 122 touchdowns in his career and won the NFL MVP honors in 1976 after leading the Colts to an 11-3 record.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football to retire number of 1st All-American QB in LSU history
