As a redshirt freshman in 1991, Jones came off the bench for an injured Derek Brown at Kansas. In that game, Jones had 27 carries for a (then) school-record 294 yards and a Big Eight record six touchdowns. A few weeks later against Oklahoma, Nebraska had a shot at the Big Eight title and a trip to the Orange Bowl. However, the Huskers were trailing 14-13 late in the game.
A freezing rain fell most of the day, turning the Memorial Stadium Astroturf into a green sheet of ice. Yet, on the go-ahead scoring drive, Jones was sure-footed, cutting and sprinting his way down the field – and into the end zone. Nebraska’s final drive covered 80 yards and took 10 plays. Calvin Jones had nine carries for 78 yards, including a gutsy fourth-and-1 conversion and 15-yard touchdown on the next play.
One of the most memorable moments of Jones’s Husker career was a 47-yard touchdown against Colorado in 1992.
As a junior in 1993, his final season at Nebraska, Jones had another 1,000-yard season despite missing time with a knee injury. He was an All-Big Eight pick for the second straight season and a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. Jones finished his standout career as Nebraska’s second leading rusher (currently seventh) even though he started just 12 games in his career.
Calvin Jones had a successful NFL career, winning a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2004. Jones died in his home of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in 2025. He was 54.
