San Jose State Legend Dead in LA Car Crash at 33

A star player for San Jose State who also spent some time in the NFL died in a car accident in Los Angeles over the weekend. According to the California Highway Patrol, Chandler Jones, 33, was driving east on the Marina Freeway around 2am Sunday when the crash involving a Toyota RAV4 occurred near the off-ramp, per MyNewsLA.com and CBS Sports. He was pronounced dead at the scene, with the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner reporting he died of blunt traumatic injuries.

Jones—a former honorable mention All-American wide receiver nicknamed "the Jet," per USA Today—remains the career leader for the San Jose Spartans in catches (248) and receiving touchdowns (31). He was also the only player in the history of the school's team to log at least 50 receptions in all four of his seasons playing with the Spartans.

People notes that the Los Angeles native also played on the practice squads for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, and Cleveland Browns before heading to the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes in 2016. He also enjoyed a stint in coaching, serving as assistant defensive backs coach for the Alouettes in 2023 and 2024, as well as coaching back at San Jose State and at the College of Idaho, per KTVU. "Forever in our hearts, #89," the Spartans tweeted on Monday.