Jimmy Jones ( Canadian football ) Jimmy Jones ( born June 23 , 1950 ) was an all - star quarterback in the Canadian Football League . Jones was a graduate of the University of Southern California . He moved to Canada in 1973 , and played for the Montreal Alouettes , Hamilton Tiger - Cats and the Ottawa Rough Riders , and helped lead the Alouettes to a Grey Cup win in 1974 . Early years . Jones played football at John Harris High School in Harrisburg , where he became one of top rated quarterback s in the nation . He won the starter job during his junior year , passing and running for over 2 , 300 yards and 20 touchdown s , then 2 , 400 yards with 40 touchdown s in his senior year . Jones was named to the first team All - American High School team in 1968 and had numerous scholarship offers . He was such a dominant player at this level , that the school retired his number No . 10 jersey after his last game . John Harris High School was merged with William Penn High School in 1971 , becoming Harrisburg High School . College career . Jones attended the University of Southern California and became one of the few African American starting quarterback s of that era in Division I ( NCAA ) , influencing during his college career the breaking of different color barriers . As a sophomore in 1969 , he helped lead USC to an undefeated season ( 10 - 0 - 1 ) , a Rose Bowl win over the University of Michigan and a third place ranking . During that season the team became known as the " Cardiac Kids " , because of their last - minute comebacks . Jones was also the first African American quarterback to appear on a Sports Illustrated Cover ( 9 / 29 / 1969 ) . In 1970 he was part of USC ' s " all - black " backfield ( the first one of its kind in Division I ( NCAA ) history ) , that included fullback Sam Cunningham and running back Clarence Davis . Jones was one of the five USC African American starters ( along with Sam Cunningham , Clarence Davis , Charlie Weaver and Tody Smith ) , that played against an all - white University of Alabama football team , winning 42 - 21 in Birmingham on September 12 , 1970 . This game was historically significant , because it played a key role in convincing the University of Alabama and its fan base to accelerate the integration of its football team . For his career he compiled a 22 - 8 - 3 record and established school marks at : Professional career . Montreal Alouettes . In the spring of 1972 he went undrafted after not receiving much interest from NFL teams as a quarterback . After a year out of football , in 1973 he signed to play in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes . In 1974 he helped his team won the Grey Cup and was named an East All - Star . This would become his finest season with over 2 , 000 yards passing , 18 touchdown passes , 577 yards rushing and 5 touchdown s . In 1975 the Alouettes once again reached the Grey Cup final , but this time they lost to the Edmonton Eskimos . Hamilton Tiger - Cats . Jones signed with the Hamilton Tiger - Cats for the 1976 season , and played 3 years there . Ottawa Rough Riders . In 1979 , he signed with the Ottawa Rough Riders . Jones spent his final season as a back - up to Condredge Holloway , seeing limited playing time .