PITTSBURG, Texas (KETK) — A Pittsburg resident and former NFL player can be credited for creating an NFL tradition.

“He was one of the fastest people faces runners ever,” said Pittsburg Mayor David Abernathy. 

The city of Pittsburgh has a lot to offer and entails quite a bit of history. But did you know a popular football celebration with all ages and levels was invented by a Pittsburgh resident who played professional football?  

“Homer Jones was from here, still lives here,” said Abernathy.” Homer played for the New York Giants.”  

Besides making two pro bowls in the 1960s and leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1967. Jones is widely known for inventing the spike.  

“Homer Jones’ claim to fame in the NFL, ironically, is not his speed on the field, but the spike,” he said. 

Believe it or not but Jones invented the ever-popular celebration line by accident.   

“They told him they were throwing so many footballs and delaying the game, the players’ plans of throwing them up in the stands after games and they [NFL] told them they were going to find them a few hundred dollars,” he added. “Back then, it was a lot of money, too. And so, he was so excited, scored a touchdown. He was about to throw the ball in the air, and he remembered that he was going to get fined if he did that. So, he just carried his arm and threw the ball into the ground, became the first spike, became popular. And so it was invented out of necessity by Homer Jones.”

 There’s a lot more history to be learned at the Northeast Texas Rural Heritage Museum in Pittsburg.