Long before JLo, A-Rod or FloJo, New Kensington had NoJo

Editor’s note: The original online version of this story inadvertently used a photo of a different Ken-Hi player.

Long before athletes and celebrities were known by the first few letters of their names — J-Lo, A-Rod, FloJo — New Kensington had NoJo.

Nolan “NoJo” Jones Jr., star of the 1957 undefeated New Kensington High School football team who later excelled at Arizona State, died recently in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y.

He died Jan. 18 at age 80.

His daughter, Candace Jusino, is organizing a repass service Sunday in Queens.

Jones scored 13 touchdowns as New Kensington — popularly known as Ken High — won all seven games in a ’57 season shortened by an outbreak of the Asian flu.

He earned a scholarship to Arizona State University and played for coach Frank Kush, a Windber native.

“He was probably one of the best players to come out of New Kensington,” said Gene Collodi, a teammate of Jones at both Ken High and Arizona State. “He did everything. He kicked off, kicked extra points and played both offensively and defensively.”

Jones was an Associated Press second team all-state selection after the ’57 season. In 1958, he played in the initial Big 33 all-star game, where the top 33 players from Pennsylvania have competed against various all-star teams for the past 63 years.

While at Arizona State, Jones was a three-time All-Border Conference selection, ushering in the era when ASU became a college football power.

During his career with the Sun Devils, he rushed for 2,122 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. Jones also caught 33 passes for 450 yards and eight touchdowns.

He is still ranked fifth in ASU’s history for most career points with 296.

Said Collodi: “At Ken High in track, he set the school record in the high jump and could even dunk a basketball — even though he was only 5-foot-9.

“He was a good athlete and a good person.”

Jones earned a degree in psychology in 1963.

He drew the interest of the then-Boston Patriots of the old American Football League, but Jones decided to dedicate his life to education.

“Dad was very much an intellectual,” Jusino said. “He loved reading, writing and studying history. He was very kind and down to earth.”

Jones taught in the New York City public school system.

“He took advantage of his summers off to travel,” Jusino said. “He went to the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Egypt and West Africa. He was charming and charismatic.”

Jones later wrote editorials for the Daily Challenge of Brooklyn and the New Amsterdam of Harlem.

Over the last several years, Jones resided at the Grandell Rehab & Nursing Home in Long Island City, N.Y.

The unfinished season

As fall 1957 approached, there was excitement in New Kensington as the new high school was about to open on Stevenson Boulevard, the present location of Valley Junior-Senior High School.

Ken High started the football season at 3-0. But the Asian flu began sweeping through Western Pennsylvania. Schools were virtually closed, and industries curtailed work days.

The Red Raiders had three games postponed because of a lack of healthy players.

When the season finally resumed, Jones didn’t miss a beat. In his electrifying, 86-yard run against McKees­port, he broke three tackles and outran the secondary in a 25-12 win.

Jones tallied all 14 points against Latrobe the following week and scored three touchdowns the week after that versus Hempfield.

But Ken High couldn’t make up all three missed games.

The WPIAL offered to extend the season, but it would have meant three games in 11 days for the Red Raiders. Clairton defeated Wilkinsburg for the WPIAL title.

Nolan Jones Jr. was born in Little Rock, Ark., on March 31, 1939, the son of Nolan Jones Sr. and Codoshia Stevenson.

Jones is survived by his wife, Mary Negrón; a son, Nolan Jones III; daughter, Candace Jusino; four grandchildren; and a sister, Shirley Jones.