Thurman Jones
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Thurman Jones | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sport | Football | |
| Born | April 6, 1918 | |
| Place of birth | Wilson, Oklahoma | |
| Died | January 16, 1988 (aged 69) | |
| Place of death | Sweetwater, Texas | |
| Career highlights | ||
| Playing career | ||
| 1938-1940 1941-1942 |
Abilene Christian Brooklyn Dodgers |
|
| Position | RB / DB | |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||
| 1943 1944-1946 1947-1948 1952-1955 1956-1958 1963-1966 |
Electra HS Wichita Falls HS Texas A&M (Assist.) Midland HS Highland Park HS Highland Park HS |
|
Thurman Lee “Tugboat” Jones (April 6, 1918 – January 16, 1988) is a former American football player and coach. For more than 20 years he successfully coached high school football in the state of Texas.
A native of Wilson, Oklahoma, Jones attended Abilene Christian University, where he played running back and defensive back. In 1941 he joined the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers, but did not see much playing time and eventually finished his playing career after the 1942 NFL season; instead he pursued a coaching career.
In 1943 he became head coach at Electra, a small community near Wichita Falls, Texas. Under his guidance, Electra was able to shut down Wichita Falls, one of the state's powerhouses at the time, with an obviously inferior team.[1] So in 1944, when Wichita Falls coach Ted Jeffries left the school for Lamar College, Jones was hired as his successor. In 1945, Jones guided Wichita Falls into the state semifinals, where they faced Rusty Russell's Highland Park squad from Dallas, led by Doak Walker and Bobby Layne. Wichita Falls had little chance and lost 18–0.
Jones briefly coached at Texas A&M University in 1947 and '48,[2] but returned to the high school level to coach at Midland High School in 1952. Four seasons later, Jones moved to Dallas, taking over at Highland Park, where he rewarded the boosters by producing a state championship in 1957. That year's Highland Park team also stopped Abilene High's 49-game winning streak. Jones left in 1959, but returned to Highland Park in 1963. He ultimately left Dallas in 1967. Jones also coached at Midwestern State University and the University of Washington.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Cashion, Ty (1998). Pigskin Pulpit: A Social History of Texas High School Football Coaches. Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 170. ISBN 0876111681.
- ^ "Jones Quits Texas A. and M.", New York Times, 1948-07-13.
- ^ "Service held for Ex-Scots-Coach", Dallas Morning News, 1988-01-20.
