Stan Jones was born in Pennsylvania in 1931. Growing up around the Harrisburg area, he began his distinguished football career as a 140-pound freshman at Lemoyne High School. From the beginning of his career, Jones recognized the importance of weight lifting. As a teenager, he carefully followed a weight-lifting program that he designed for himself. The program paid off, as in 1949, the now 200-pound senior was recruited by several university football teams who needed linemen.
Jones chose to attend the University of Maryland, in College Park. Here, he excelled as a two-way tackle. After just two years of collegiate experience, in 1953, the Chicago Bears used a fifth-round draft pick to obtain Jones' services, even though he wasn't available to play for them for another year. While Jones played for the University of Maryland, the Terrapins were extremely successful. As a senior, Jones was an all-American tackle. Both the Associated Press and the United Press named his team as the mythical National Collegiate Champion, and Jones was awarded the "Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy," recognizing him as the nation's outstanding lineman.
In 1954, Jones started for the "College All-Stars vs. NFL Champions Detroit Lions" game. He joined the Bears immediately afterwards and was inserted into the lineup as an offensive tackle. Jones credits his football success to weight lifting. "If I hadn't lifted weights," Jones said, "I probably wouldn't have become a pro football player. It really helped me recover from the bruises after every game." Jones was unique in this viewpoint, as weight lifting in the 1950s was not in vogue. In fact, many cautioned Jones that he was threatening his career by lifting weights because he would certainly become muscle-bound and lose his mobility. Jones, however, had been a disciple of weight lifting too long to listen to what anyone said. He credits weight lifting for his impressive record of never missing a game due to injury in 22 years of organized football.
At the end of his first season with the Bears, Jones married his sweetheart, Darlis Hobbs. Stan and Darlis actually met in the second grade, when Jones' family moved to Clark's Summit, PA for a brief one-year stint. They remained friends throughout their childhood and teenage years, finally reuniting after college. While playing for the Bears, Jones began teaching high school in Maryland to help make ends meet.
In 1955, Jones switched from lineman to guard. He played guard for eight years and spent most of that time as the Bears' offensive captain. He was a four-time All-NFL guard and played in seven straight Pro Bowls. Then, in 1962, Jones was asked to reinforce the Bears' defensive line by playing two-way. Jones was a successful player because he possessed size, quickness, and strength. This was because of his concentration on weight lifting. Because the Bears didn't have a weight training facility, Jones would lift at the Irving Park YMCA. At the "Y," Jones met Clyde Emrich, who taught him a variety of new lifting techniques.
In 1963, Jones wisely switched positions, to defensive tackle. That year, the Bears held opponents to just seven rushing touchdowns and a 10-point-per-game average. At the end of the season, the Bears played the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game. It was billed as a tough battle between the Giants' offense and the Bears' defense. The Bears were victorious with a score of 14-10. As a defensive player, Jones undoubtedly contributed to the teams' success on the field. He has often reflected on this game, calling it his "greatest pro football thrill."
Jones retired from the Bears in 1965, after playing for twelve years. In 1966, he played for the Washington Redskins for one final season and then retired from football for what he thought would be forever. In the summer of 1966, however, Jones' friend Bill "Whitey" Dovell asked Jones to coach the defensive line of the Denver Broncos. Jones had never considered coaching, but his wife was interested in moving west and convinced her husband to accept the job.
With the Broncos, Jones set up a makeshift weight room by borrowing weights from the players and buying weight sets at auctions. Jones always surrounded himself with experts in the field of strength and conditioning to help strengthen his team. Through Jones' expertise, the Broncos built up dynamic strength. They were taught to protect their shoulders through tucking and rolling, as well as how to run in better form. Jones also brought unique techniques into the weight room, including the use of Indian clubs and medicine balls. Since he had a philosophy of not asking his players to do more than he did himself, Jones always maintained himself in top physical condition.
Jones followed head coach Lou Saban to the Buffalo Bills in 1972, where he focused on strengthening his players' legs. Then, in 1976, Jones returned to the Broncos. He coached the 1977 Defensive Line called the Orange Crush that led the team to the 1977 Super Bowl, a first for the Broncos. Jones coached the Broncos defensive line until 1988.
In 1989, Jones returned to the weight room as a full-time Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Cleveland Browns. After spending so much time coaching the defensive line, he really enjoyed the change. In 1991, he became the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the New England Patriots, before finally retiring in 1992.
Coach Jones has received many honors for his impressive football career. In 1977, he was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference's 25-year All-Star team because of his brilliance as a lineman. In 1991, Jones received professional football's ultimate honor, as he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the 22nd Chicago Bears player to be enshrined, and just the fourth guard to enter the Hall. His name is honored each year by the Professional Strength Coaches, who give the Emrich-Rieke-Jones Award in his name. He has also been inducted into the University of Maryland Hall of Fame, as well as into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Stan and Darlis are the parents of three children: Sherrie, Kevin, and Tony. They have five grandchildren. In 2002, Darlis passed away due to cancer. Stan continues to live in Colorado, close to his children and their families. He occasionally travels to Canton for the Hall of Fame weekend in August and has remained close with many of his Bears teammates and players.
