Former New York Giants star Homer Jones, the first player to ever spike a football after a scoring a touchdown, passed away today at the age of 82.

The first ever spike occurred on October 17, 1965 after an 89 yard bomb against the Philadelphia Eagles. The play was also his first NFL touchdown, and a patented celebration was born, via ESPN.

“I had always said that when I made my first touchdown, I was gonna throw the ball in the stands,” Jones said after the fact.

“They changed the rules in the offseason to I think a $500 fine for throwing the ball into the stands. And as I crossed the goal line… I thought about that $500 and I threw it on the ground. So that was the original spike right there.”

Jones still owns the NFL record for career average yards per catch at an astounding 22.3 yards. He was famous for his big play speed, and the touchdown spike to emphasize the deep ball reception

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The spike is now an extremely common play in the NFL, with continued popularity from TE stars Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce.

Giants' president John Mara spoke highly of Jones and his time with the team, both on and off the field.

“Homer Jones had a unique combination of speed and power and was a threat to score whenever he touched the ball…I remember him as an easygoing, friendly individual who was well liked by his teammates and coaches,” Mara recalled.

He had 36 career touchdowns as part of his 224 receptions and 4,986 total yards. Jones played six years with the Giants before finishing up with the Cleveland Browns in the final year. Jones also returned a kickoff for a touchdown with the Browns on the debut of Monday Night Football in 1970, and had two Pro Bowl selections in his tenure.