Nate Jones (April 28,1938 – November 1, 2019) was a familiar face in Portland as an athlete, teacher and school administrator. The entire country would recognize him for his long NFL officiating career.
As a football player at Jefferson High, Jones was the talented kicker for the back-to-back PIL champions of 1954 and '55 The 1955 Demos reached the state semifinals. Those were the years just before the dominance of the teams led by the Renfro brothers and Terry Baker.
Nate took his talented toe to Lewis & Clark College where he also played defensive back. There, he earned an education degree that launched his career as teacher, then administrator.
Teaching went together with officiating and Jones' knack for keeping order showed as he called football and basketball games. During the 1960s, he "graduated" to working college games in the brand-new Pac-8 conference.
The NFL came calling and Jones would commute on the weekends for 25 seasons. Nate started in 1977 as a line judge. One year later when the NFL crews expanded, he took on a new role as side judge, a position he held for the rest of his 22-year tenure on the field. He worked on 10 playoff games including Super Bowl XXVIII in 1994 as well as the 1981 Pro Bowl. When video replay became routine, he finished his NFL days with three more seasons in the booth.
At Portland Public Schools, he became a beloved principal, serving 17 years at multiple schools, including his alma mater, Jefferson.
Nate Jones is a member of the PIL and Lewis & Clark halls of fame.
At Portland Public Schools, he became a beloved principal, serving 17 years at multiple schools, including his alma mater, Jefferson.
Nate Jones is a member of the PIL and Lewis & Clark halls of fame.