Video presentation
If you were discussing the football or baseball team on the Trenton State College campus in the early 1960s, it would have been a near-certainty the name Robert J. Jones (or Bobby Jones) would factor into the conversation.
Jones was a standout football and baseball player at the College from 1961 to 1964. He was a first baseman for the baseball team through the ’63 season and played quarterback on Earl Dean Field through 1964.
A gifted athlete, Jones was a versatile player who demonstrated exceptional leadership skills. After the football program struggled to 1-6 and 2-5-1 finishes during the 1961 and 1962 seasons, Jones took over as quarterback and spearheaded a memorable year in 1963. After falling 7-0 to Wagner College in the season opener, the Lions rattled off seven straight wins to finish 7-1.
The success of the 1963 season was punctuated by a 21-20 victory over rival Montclair State College in the season finale. In the game’s final moments, Jones hit George Strattman with a 71-yard touchdown pass to win the game and capture the conference championship.
Jones was named to the NAIA All-American team following the 1963 season and repeated that achievement in 1964.
After graduating in 1965, Jones was a public high school educator for 40 years. He was a physical education, health, and driver’s education teacher at Butler and Jefferson High School before becoming the Director of Athletics and Department Supervisor at Butler in 2001. Jones coached football, baseball, wrestling, and softball during his tenure.
This past June, Jones was inducted into the New Jersey Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Hall of Fame and has reaped numerous “Coach of the Year” awards over the past four decades. Jones remains active in coaching as a football clinician as well as an assistant football coach at West Milford High School.
“Essentially, I owe my professional career to my experiences at TSC,” Jones noted. “Working with students and athletes has been a rewarding experience, and any professional accomplishments are a direct result of the education and experiences provided to me during my undergraduate years at Trenton State.”
