DWTS Finalist Dead at 40

A former “Dancing with the Stars” finalist has died at the age of 40. According to Sports Illustrated on July 14, Jacoby Jones died in his sleep overnight.

NBC Sports shared that Jones died at his Houston, Texas home. An official cause of death has not been revealed yet.

Season 16 DWTS alum Jones and his partner, Karina Smirnoff, finished in third place during their season. The season aired in 2013, noted the Baltimore Ravens website.

In addition to competing on “Dancing with the Stars,” Jones won the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens.

He played with the Texans for five seasons, noted NBC News, after being a third-round draft pick in 2007. The Ravens picked him up in May 2012 after the Texans released him.

Jones also played for the Chargers and Steelers before retiring from football in 2015.

Jacoby Jones & Karina Smirnoff Finished in 3rd Place

As Parade shared during Smirnoff and Jones’ “Dancing with the Stars” season the couple got off to a rocky start. Former judge Len Goodman described the pair’s first performance as “terrible.”

However, Jones found his rhythm and the duo quickly improved. Smirnoff praised him as “an amazing student” and insisted they were “working our butts off.”

By the third week of their “Dancing with the Stars” journey, Jones and Smirnoff were receiving positive feedback. “I can’t believe it. This had refinement and quality of movement,” Goodman raved.

That same week, judge Carrie Ann Inaba gushed, “I’m impressed. You have incredible artistry.”

Smirnoff told Parade, “I couldn’t have asked for a better student. He keeps it light.” She continued, “He keeps it entertaining. He keeps it fun, always.”

The former “Dancing with the Stars” pro added, “But he also has the serious athlete side of him whenever I need him to concentrate and work the steps.”

She also explained, “Even if he doesn’t get it, he goes home, and I know he practices it at home. He’s got a really good work ethic in the sense that he will work on the stuff with or without me until he feels comfortable with it.”

Season 16 of DWTS Was Loaded With Talent

Hello! shared that season 16 was a particularly competitive one. Derek Hough and Kellie Pickler won “Dancing with the Stars” that season when it aired during the spring of 2013.

The cast of season 16 also included Zendaya, “The Bachelor” Sean Lowe, Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, “Real Housewives” star Lisa Vanderpump, and singer Wynonna Judd.

Other season 16 contestants included actor Andy Dick, soap star Ingo Rademacher, boxer Victor Ortiz, comedian D.L. Hughley, and Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill. Zendaya and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, took second place.

As the news of Jones’ death emerged, “Dancing with the Stars” fans shared their condolences online.

In the show’s subreddit, one Redditor commented, “heartbroken!!!!”

“So sad! Beautiful person,” added another Redditor.

“I pray for God’s comfort and peace for his family,” someone else shared.

“I’m completely taken aback by the news of Pro NFL player & DWTS alum Jacoby Jones passing…May God be with his friends & family at this time,” a fan shared on X, formerly Twitter.

“Jacoby Jones & Karina Smirnoff’s foxtrot to Watching You is one of my all time favorite and most memorable DWTS dances. His solo was so pure and wonderful, and then they flashed over to his son and it was just perfect,” tweeted another fan.

Multiple “Dancing with the Stars” fans noted that in addition to Jones’ sudden death, former contestant Shannen Doherty also died on July 14.

“Rest in Peace to Jacoby Jones & Shannen Doherty you will be dearly missed,” tweeted a show fan.

Someone else tweeted, “waking up to two dwts alum passing is so heartbreaking 🙁 rip to shannen and jacoby, they both influenced their respective fields in amazing ways and they will be missed.”

Stacy Carey has been a freelance writer focusing on reality television and celebrity news for more than a decade. She is a Heavy contributor for The Bachelor, Hallmark and Dancing With the Stars. More about Stacy Carey