Football great Rod Jones was celebrated at a memorial service on the University of Washington campus Saturday.
Jones was a standout for the Huskies in the 1980s, including a 1985 Orange Bowl win. He spent three seasons in the NFL, where he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks. Most recently, Jones had been working in the UW athletic department as a popular academic coordinator — mentoring student athletes for the past 18 years.
Jones died by suicide at age 54. His family believes head trauma from football led to his despair.
"I would want people to remember my dad as a big, loving teddy bear," his 24-year-old daughter Jamie said. "He was a friend before he was a counselor or a mentor to anyone here. He was your uncle, your dad, your cousin. He was family first, and then entered your life as your mentor."
The service was held at the Don James Center at 3 p.m. Saturday. You're invited to view the full service here.
