by Chad Iamasa/Bleacher Report
Baltimore Ravens rookie, Joe Flacco, may be the first franchise quarterback in Ravens history and the first in Baltimore since Bert Jones in the 1970′s and 80′s.
Bert Jones was the first sports hero I ever had. During his best season of 1976, I was five years old, my son’s age now, I wasn’t completely aware of sports at that point, but I remember watching the Colts on TV with my dad and grandfather.
The photo on this article is his card from the 1977 Topps series. I used to carry this card with me in my pocket everywhere I went. I believe I still have it. Needless to say it’s rather beat up and even in mint condition, it’s not very valuable, but that doesn’t matter to me.
Bertram “Bert” Jones was selected by the Baltimore Colts, as the second overall pick in the 1973 NFL draft with a pick acquired from the New Orleans Saints. Some other notables in this draft were John Matuszak (first pick overall), Dave Butz, Ray Guy, Ron Jaworski, Tom Jackson, Dick Jauron, and HOFers John Hannah, Dan Fouts and Joe DeLamielleure. READ MORE
bert jones is my cousin or my moms cousin anyway i have always heard storys its cool to find out more
Im a native from Baltimore,and was a #1 fan of the Baltimore colts and have always wondered whatever happened to Bert after the team was sold.
I’ve aslways wanted to thank him for not going with the traders that sold our team! I was 18 yrs old when that happened and I want to tell Bert myself and alot of other people cried that day,even though my parents moved us to Florida we stayed devout fans NEVER a dolphin fan!
It was 1975, and I was 10 when I first started following the Colts. Bert Jones was one of my favorite players, along with Mitchell, Washington and Carr. I had a Blue/white number 7 jersey and would sometimes pretend to be Jones whenever my friends and I would play a sandlot game.
I will always think of the Colts as the Baltimore Colts. I’m a fan and do follow the Indy Colts but long for the days of the tough blue-collar city team from Baltimore. NFL football in the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s was a better game to me,and I will always yearn for those rough and tumble days on the grid iron.
P.S.
The Ravens are the old Browns…something a lot of current Baltimore fans seem to forget…The only original NFL team from Baltimore were the Colts-period.
Rock on! You said it all! its still nice to have a team in Baltimore again,no where they came from.Just so happens my fiancee is from Cleveland and a devout browns fan,LOL!
Bert Jones is the reason I am a Colts fan. He was an exciting QB to watch & would have gone down as one of the best had he not got hurt. Plus he was VERY cute (that’s important to a then 13 year old girl).
Today, I have a horseshoe tattoo with a #7 inside.
I have been a COLTS FAN since 1971. I am STILL a Colts Fan. The lineage of The Baltimore Colts is in Indianapolis. The 1983 Baltimore Colts and The 1984 Indianapolis colts were the same team. I started rooting for The Colts when they had Unitas and Morrall, and continued rooting for them with Bert Jones, Jim Harbaugh, and Peyton Manning. The Colts are one united franchise in two different cities. The Ravens are a completely separate identity.
really, I will never be an indianapolis colt fan,to me and lots of others not the same! Peyton Manning can never fill Bert Jones shoes!