Stan Jones, a Hall of Fame offensive and defensive lineman who played one season in Washington, passed away on Saturday.
He was 78.
Jones died in Broomfield, Colo., at his daughter's home of complications from heart disease, according to reports.
Jones played the 1966 season with the Redskins after 12 years with the Chicago Bears under legendary coach George Halas.
After his playing career was over, Jones served as an assistant coach in the NFL for more than two decades, including two stints with the Denver Broncos. He coached alongside Mike Shanahan in Denver from 1984-87.
"Stan Jones dedicated 38 years of his professional life as a player and coach to the National Football League," Shanahan, now the Redskins' head coach, said. "I had the pleasure of working with this great Hall of Famer on the Denver Broncos coaching staff in the 1980s. Stan was an outstanding football coach and a great friend to me. I enjoyed working with him. He had a wonderful personality and a great zest for life. He will be terribly missed and my thoughts and prayers are with Stan's family."
Jones was a standout offensive guard for the Bears, but midway through his career, he also played defensive tackle, becoming a two-way player.
He was named All-Pro three times during his career and earned seven Pro Bowl berths. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
Jones initially retired from the Bears after his 12th NFL season in 1965.
Otto Graham, the Redskins' head coach at the time, contacted Jones and asked him if he would play one more season in Washington.
Jones resided in Rockville, Md., and wanted to play near his home. Halas agreed to trade him to the Redskins for defensive end John Paluck.
"We made the deal as a favor to Stan," Halas said in an article published on ChicagoBears.com, the team's official site. "He lived near Washington and though he advised me he was retiring after 12 years with us, he recently showed some interest in playing another season but only if he could play near his home."
Jones did not come cheap, however.
"I was asking the Redskins for the moon, about $19,000," Jones said in the ChicagoBears.com article. "I was making $14,000 with the Bears. I didn't think I would get it, but they said yes. And after I made the team, they gave me a $1,000 bonus. I was on top of the world."
Jones played in 13 games in his one season in Washington. He retired again after the 1966 season.
He was soon hired as an assistant coach with the Denver Broncos. He also coached with the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.
Jones was born in Altoona, Pa., and grew up in Harrisburg, Pa.
He starred at the University of Maryland from 1950-53. As an All-American defensive tackle, he helped lead the university to a national title in 1953.
