Former Texans, Ravens wide receiver and Super Bowl star Jacoby Jones died overnight at his Houston-area home.

HOUSTON – Jacoby Jones, a former Texans wide receiver and third-round pick out of Lane College who emerged as a Super Bowl standout as a kickoff returner for the Baltimore Ravens, died overnight in his sleep at his home in suburban Houston.

The cause of death was not immediately released. Jones was 40.

“He was the best, he loved everybody,” Beaumont Renegades owner Sam Gordon told KPRC 2 in a phone interview. “I think one of the biggest things is he was a man of God. He prided himself on the love and fear he had for his God. The most important thing to him after football was helping the next person. He was the most humble and kind person to anybody that gave him time and needed his time.”

Jones was known for his speed and playmaking skills as a player, as well as his friendly personality off the field. He lived in Missouri City.

“Jacoby was one of the funniest teammates and one of the funniest people I’ve ever been around,” former Texans teammate JJ Watt wrote on social media. “Always dancing and laughing, with a permanent smile on his face. Gone way too soon. RIP Jacoby Jones.”

A native of New Orleans, Jones helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in 2013 and was named a first-team All-Pro that season. He returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers, making it the longest play in Super Bowl history. He also became the first player to catch a touchdown and score on a return in the same Super Bowl.

Jones finished his career with 203 receptions for 2,733 yards and 14 touchdowns with 7,628 return yards and nine special teams scores.

Jones played for the Texans from 2007 to 2011 and joined the Ravens as a free agent after being released by the Texans in 2012, playing in Baltimore for three seasons. He then played for the Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring on September 29, 2017, signing a one-day contract with the Ravens to retire as a member of the AFC North franchise.

Jones was hired this year by the Beaumont Renegades, an indoor football team, as head coach and offensive coordinator.

Jones began coaching in 2018 as the wide receivers coach at his alma mater, Lane College. He coached wide receivers at Calvert Hall High School in Baltimore and tight ends at Morgan State before being hired in 2022 as the wide receivers coach at Alabama State.

Jones previously competed on the TV show Dancing with the Stars, partnering Karina Smirnoff and reaching the final before finishing in third place.

Jones was named to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame this year and is also in the Lane College Hall of Fame and the Marion Abramson High School Hall of Fame in New Orleans.

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com