The Nebraska Huskers fans from the early 90s were used to seeing one constant dominating presence in their offensive. Coming from Omaha Central, this running back thrilled Husker fans with his speed, earning iconic status as part of  Tom Osborne’s famous “we-back” system. Vintage Huskers fans would also remember his burst for a 47-yard touchdown against Colorado in 1992 when he ripped his helmet off just as he crossed the goal line. We are, of course, talking about, Calvin Jones, who tragically passed away on Wednesday, aged 54.

According to a report, Jones told his neighbor that he was having trouble with his furnace and as a result, he was forced to use a generator. Shortly afterward, an odor of gas was reported around Jones’ home that the Omaha Fire Department and officers responded to on Wednesday night. When officers arrived at his home, they found him deceased in the basement. Police officers, assisting the fire department in response to calls confirmed that a generator was present and told KETV that it was indicative of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The news plunged the Husker Nation into mourning.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Husker legend and Super Bowl Champion, Calvin Jones. Our hearts go out to the Jones family and he will be greatly missed,” Husker football’s social media account posted on Thursday. Jones was the kind of player who made you proud to be part of Red Nation. His quiet determination, electric runs, and fierce heart on the field captured the soul of Nebraska football in the early ’90s.

He once said, “They remembered you scoring touchdowns, but they don’t remember you picking up the linebacker on the blitz or carrying out a play fake: the little things that really matter but never show up on the stat sheet.” That humility and passion defined him, from his beginnings as a star at Omaha Central to becoming a cornerstone of the iconic ‘We Back’ backfield which included Derek Brown. In 1992 they averaged 329 yards per game, leading the Huskers to the team rushing title and an Orange Bowl appearance.

In the same year, he was named Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year, it wasn’t just for his 1,210 rushing yards—it was because he embodied what it meant to fight for every inch, every play, every win, and prove himself. This was seen in that famous rout of Colorado, when the media misquoted him, adding to his motivation.

The Denver Post alleged that Jones didn’t consider Colorado as Nebraska’s rival. But according to Jones, he was misquoted. “They said I didn’t consider Colorado a rivalry, and that was taken out of context. I said the Oklahoma rivalry was an old one and the Colorado rivalry was a new one,” Jones clarified.

Jones ran for 101 yards and three touchdowns as Nebraska recorded a 52-7 win on a special Halloween night forever etched in the memory of the Husker fans. But Jones’ exploits at Nebraska wouldn’t have been possible if not for the contribution of two people.

At his 2015 induction into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame, Jones said it wouldn’t have been possible for him to succeed without former Omaha Central coach Jo Dusatko and his Latin teacher Rita Ryan.

“For me not to be one of their own sons, to show me the love and support they did was tremendous,’’ Jones said. “They’d both come to North Omaha, pick me up at 6:30 in the morning to make sure I’d get to school. I wouldn’t have made it and gone on to the University of Nebraska without that.”

According to Dusatko, Jones became more of a family member and a big brother to her son Adam after he joined them for a church roller skating party and started frequently visiting their house. Dusatko also shared a heartwarming story about Jones after his final game for Nebraska in 1993 as he prepared for the NFL draft.

Their family drove to the Orange Bowl game so they could visit Disney World on the way home. But little did they know that Jones was planning to be with them.

“Calvin decided he didn’t want to go back with the team. He’s going to ride back with us because we were going to Disney World,’’ Dusatko said. “It just tickled me because here was big Calvin out there being the big scorer on the team and the next night he was at Disney World and was just like a little kid. ‘Come on, Adam, let’s go, let’s get to the next ride.’ To see him as a little kid like that, it just cracked me up.”

If you didn’t witness college football in the early ’90s, you might not fully grasp the impact Calvin Jones had on the game—and on the hearts of Husker fans. Jones redshirted his rookie season in 1990 but went on to have a fantastic three-year career at Nebraska. His 8.4 points per game as NU’s backup made him the first rookie to lead the Big 8 Conference in a rating.

He replaced Derek Brown and ran the football 27 times for a then-Nebraska mark of 294 running yards and an astonishing 6 TDs against Kansas. After that game, he called his high school William Reed to ask him how he did after coming on as backup for Brown.

“Did I show ’em? Did I show ’em?” Reed recalled Jones asking him. “I was like, ‘Yes, you did,’’ Reed said. Reed was distraught at the news saying, “It’s kind of hard to accept what has happened,” but added that he was, “Proud of the way that he fought in his life and had some losses but came back and be a winner.”

After his retirement from football, which included a spell in the NFL, during which he won a Super Bowl ring with the Packers, Jones allegedly defaulted on a loan and faced some tough times but came back stronger.

As a college freshman, he ran a Nebraska record of 900 yards in 1991 after a redshirt season, which included a 294-yard rushing performance against Kansas, which stood as the school record until Roy Helu broke it in 2010. He also scored the winning touchdown against Oklahoma on a rain-soaked night that put Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

His passion and dedication on the field was unmissable. Which often led rookie players to wonder what really fueled him. And you see, for Jones, it was one simple thing. His pre-game ritual. In an interview, Jones had revealed he would pump himself up by listening to Tupac Shakur’s Holler If Ya Hear Me, getting ready to “swing like a one-man clan.” This fueled his intensity, preparing him to take on defenses with unmatched drive.

Though injuries hampered his 1993 campaign, he still had another 1,000-yard season. In his three seasons, he racked up 3,166 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns and his incredible contributions were immortalized with his induction into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

His efforts earned him the Big 8 Offensive Newcomer of the Year award. He was unanimously selected to the 1992 All-Big 8 team as a sophomore. Moreover, he set Class A rushing marks at Omaha Central. Jones was also a standout track and field athlete, participating in Central’s successful 400-meter relay team. He took home five gold medals from the state track competition, including the 100 and 200-meter dashes as a senior.

After his college run, he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the No. 80 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. He played for the Raiders for two years before joining the Green Bay Packers for the 1996 campaign and won the Super Bowl in his only season at the franchise. Though his contribution was limited, he did make an impact

Calvin Jones’ Super Bowl experience

Jones was part of the Packers team that triumphed in the Super Bowl XXXI over the New England Patriots. Jones made one of the key blocks in the game’s biggest play- a 99-yard third-quarter kick return by the game’s MVP Desmond  Howard.

Recalling the experience once, Jones said, “I remember just filling my jersey, kind of like the wind had come by me. After I concealed and blocked my man outside, I remember looking up, and I remember Desmond — he was gone.”

The Super Bowl win also vindicated his decision to leave Nebraska early and turn pro. Just a year after he left NU, they won the national championship, but three years later, Jones was a Super Bowl winner. “For me, it was sitting in the locker room and taking off my shoulder pads, being able to reflect. That was the moment in time when I knew I was okay with the decision I had made to leave Nebraska,” he recalled.

Yet, it is with Nebraska that his name will always be synonymous. The Huskers lost a legend too soon in Jones and our prayers go out to his family and friends. May he rest in peace.