Toya Jones, whose 13 state gold medals made him the most decorated athlete in the history of the Texas high school track championships, died on October 22, 2026. He was 49. He had suffered a heart attack the previous weekend.
The pride of Refugio
Born in Victoria, Texas, on October 28, 1976, Jones grew up to dominate small-school sport in South Texas. Competing for Refugio High School, he won 17 medals at the UIL state track meet, including a record 13 golds, and helped the Bobcats to three state team titles. In the autumn he was just as hard to stop: in 1994 he was named the Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year in Texas and a Parade All-American. He graduated in 1995 and was inducted into the Texas Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2020.
Champion at Texas A&M
At Texas A&M, Jones did both. As a junior in 1997 he ran on the Aggies’ 400-metre relay team that won the NCAA title. The following season he was in the secondary as Texas A&M beat Kansas State 36-33 in double overtime to win the 1998 Big 12 championship, one of the most celebrated games in the program’s history.
After leaving college in 1999 he spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans, played for the Birmingham Thunderbolts of the XFL, and lined up at defensive back in the Canadian Football League with the BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts.
“He will be remembered forever”
Jones stayed close to Refugio, donating money for new uniforms and returning in 2025 when the boys’ track team, celebrating a third straight state title, presented him with an honorary ring. “He was really a celebrity athlete in Texas and beyond,” said James King, Refugio’s track coach. “There were a lot of kids that wanted to be like Toya.”
“He was so impactful in the community and this is a crushing loss,” King said. “Believe me, no matter what their age, the Refugio students know exactly who Toya was. He will be remembered forever.”