Edgar Jones ( running back ) Edgar Francis " Special Delivery " Jones ( May 6 , 1920 – May 15 , 2004 ) was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League ( NFL ) and the Cleveland Browns of the All - America Football Conference ( AAFC ) . Jones played college football at the University of Pittsburgh where he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1941 . Jones grew up in Scranton , Pennsylvania and attended the University of Pittsburgh , where he was a standout on the school ' s football team . After college , Jones entered the U . S . Navy during World War II . Upon his discharge in 1945 , he joined the Bears for one game before he was banned by the NFL ' s commissioner because he had signed a contract to play for the Browns in the rival AAFC . He joined the Browns in 1946 and remained on the team through the 1949 season ; Cleveland won the AAFC championship in each of Jones ' s four seasons . In 1950 , Jones played for the Hamilton Tiger - Cats of the Canadian Football League and set a league scoring record . The following year , Jones began a brief coaching career at Pitt , his alma mater , and with the NFL ' s Pittsburgh Steelers . Later in life , he worked as a recreation superintendent in Scranton and founded the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame . Early life and high school career . Jones grew up in Scranton , Pennsylvania , where he excelled in football and baseball . As a 17 - year - old , he was the pitcher for his high school team in an exhibition game in Scranton against the professional St . Louis Cardinals . He was recruited by several major - league baseball teams out of high school . College career . Jones attended the University of Pittsburgh and played on the school ' s varsity football team starting as a sophomore in 1939 . He was one of the most lauded halfback s in the country in college . In a 1939 game against Georgia Tech , he threw a 50 - yard pass to Bob Thurbon for a touchdown as time expired for the only score of the game . In 1940 , however , he lost the spot as Pittsburgh ' s primary forward passing threat to George Kracum , a fullback . In 1941 , he had a strong game against Fordham University , returning an interception for a touchdown and throwing a touchdown on offense . He finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting that year . Professional career . Jones was drafted in December of 1941 by the Chicago Bears of the National Football League but delayed his professional career to join the U . S . Navy during World War II . While in the military , Jones played on service football teams . Jones was discharged in 1945 and signed a contract to play for the Bears , but a controversy erupted when it was revealed he also had a contract to play in 1946 for the Cleveland Browns of the new All - America Football Conference . After playing in just one game for the Bears , Elmer Layden , the NFL ' s commissioner , barred him from further participation in the league because of his AAFC contract . Layden said the NFL ' s policy " is not to permit players who have signed alleged player contracts with an unrecognized league to play football in the National Football League when it is such player ' s intention to play but for one year " . Jones joined the Browns when the team started play the following year in the AAFC . With the Browns , he was known for his skill in making tough short - yardage plays . He was also a leader who was willing to stand up to coach Paul Brown . Jones was fifth in the AAFC in 1946 with 539 rushing yards , placing behind his teammate Marion Motley . He was also third in the league in yards per carry with seven . The Browns won the AAFC championship that year by beating the AAFC ' s New York Yankees , 14 – 9 . In 1947 , Jones missed five games due to injury but still led the AAFC in average yards per carry , with 6 . 4 , as the Browns won the championship again . Jones remained with the Browns in 1948 as the team went undefeated and won the title for the third time in a row . He scored two touchdowns in the championship game . In a 1949 game against the Los Angeles Dons , Jones suffered a broken collarbone and missed the remainder of the regular season . The Browns again reached the championship , and Jones returned to play in the game , which Cleveland won for the fourth straight time . His shoulder continued to bother him , however , and he decided to retire after the season . Jones played most of his professional career as a second fiddle to Motley , a fullback and Otto Graham , the Browns ' star quarterback . He nevertheless was an important part of the Browns ' offensive attack . Graham said that while he was not very fast , he was " always good in short yardage " . Paul Brown considered him one of the finest clutch players he ever had . Despite retiring , Jones returned to football in 1950 with the Hamilton Tiger - Cats of the Canadian Football League , and was one of the circuit ' s top scorers . By the end of October , he had scored 102 points in 11 games , breaking a league record . Coaching career . Jones in 1951 signed on to be the backfield coach at the University of Pittsburgh , his alma mater . He had wanted to begin a coaching career and heard that Pitt ' s old backfield coach was leaving for the University of Oregon . He applied and got the job with the help of a recommendation from Brown . He spent two years at Pitt , before joining the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL as backfield coach , but he retired soon after . Later life and death . Jones was the superintendent of Scranton ' s recreation bureau for two years in the mid - 1960s . He later founded the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame , into which he was inducted in 1983 .