Calvin Jones, an Omaha Central grad and former Husker football standout, died Wednesday.
The 54-year-old was found dead in his residence, officials confirmed to KETV NewsWatch 7.
A close family friend told KETV that Jones was having problems with his furnace, his home was cold and had to use a generator.
According to a police report, officers responded to the home to help Omaha Fire with an odor of gas. Jones was found deceased in the basement of the residence.
Omaha police told KETV that it’s indicative of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Jones starred for Omaha Central before playing at Nebraska from 1990 to 1993. A member of the famous «We Back» backfield, Jones compiled 3,166 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns.
He rushed for 1,210 yards in 1992, earning Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year honors. Jones was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
At Omaha Central, he established Class A single-game (367 yards), single-season (2,196 yards) and career (3,965 yards) rushing records. Jones was also a track and field star, winning five gold medals at the state track meet, including the 100 and 200 meter dashes as a senior and was a member of Central’s winning 400-meter relay team.
He was inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Jones was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers in 1996. In 16 career games, Jones had 112 rushing yards.