CFL great Tyrone Jones headed for Blue Bombers' Ring of Honour
Tyrone Jones, whose CFL career ended in 1993, is still the Bombers' all-time sack leader
One of the CFL's greatest pass rushers is getting his name posthumously added to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Ring of Honour.
Four-time CFL all-star, five-time division all star and two time Grey Cup champ, Tyrone Jones still holds the Bombers' career sack record (98) and once held the Grey Cup records for most sacks in a game (four) and most career Grey Cup sacks (five).
Jones died in 2008 at the age of 46 after a three-year battle with brain cancer.
In a news release, Blue Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller said Jones was an integral part of the team's success in the 1980s and early 1990s as an exceptional defender and vocal leader.
Jones anchored a Bombers defence that helped the team capture CFL championships in 1984 and 1990. He was the '84 Grey Cup MVP for his four sacks and named the league's top defensive player the following season.
Those four sacks were a Grey Cup single-game record until being surpassed in 1986. And the CFL record for career sacks in the Grey Cup is now nine.
Born in St. Mary's, Ga., in 1961, Jones joined the Bombers in 1983 after starring at Southern University and made an immediate impact, literally, by leading the club with 17.5 sacks that season.
A year later he set a new club record in sacks with 20.5, a total which was later eclipsed by Elfrid Payton with 22 in 1993.
After the 1987 CFL season Jones signed with the Phoenix Cardinals, playing one game with them in 1988. He returned to Winnipeg in 1989 and was part of the 1990 Grey Cup-winning squad.
He joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1992 and finished his career with the B.C. Lions in 1993.
In his career, Jones appeared in 151 career regular-season CFL games, recording 110 sacks, 15 interceptions, and nine fumble recoveries.
He was also credited with 235 tackles as the league didn't begin recording tackles as an official statistic until partway through his career.
Jones was inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
He was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer in 2005.
Jones will become the 17th member of the Ring of Honour when his name is officially added on Sept. 6 during the annual Banjo Bowl contest against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
With files from The Canadian Press