Cobi Jones’ Galaxy career honored with statue at Dignity Health Sports Park

CARSON — The history of the Galaxy and Major League Soccer can’t truly be told without Cobi Jones.

Sunday, Jones officially joined to the Galaxy’s statue club, joining David Beckham and Landon Donovan with bronze replicas in the Legends Plaza at Dignity Health Sports Park.

The pregame ceremony took place before Sunday’s Galaxy game against Real Salt Lake.

“It gives you some anxiety,” Jones said of the process. “As you build up toward the moment, but when it’s finally here, like this morning when I woke up, it was like, this is a relief of finally we’re here.”

Jones joined the Galaxy for their inaugural season in 1996, scored the first goal for the franchise and remained with the club until retiring in 2007, capping a 12-year career with two MLS Cups. He retired with the USMNT record for appearances (164) and made more than 300 appearances for the Galaxy.

“I hope I was an inspiration to those who have doubts, who wonder if they’re good enough and those who have barriers in front of them,” Jones told the crowd at the pregame ceremony. “I hope you understand that I am an example of what is possible because I had all of them.”

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber was in attendance, including several former teammates from Landon Donovan, Alexi Lalas, Kevin Hartman, Dan Calichman, Greg Vanney, Jorge Campos and Robin Fraser. Fraser, currently the coach of Toronto FC, flew in after his game Saturday in Toronto.

“I’ve known Cobi since I was a teenager,” Lalas, who also served as general manager toward the end of Jones’ career. “We played against each other in college, when he was at UCLA and I was at Rutgers. We’ve grown up together through this sport and of course, 1994 (World Cup) changed both of our lives forever and I can’t think of a better person to have this honor.

“I think about Mt. Rushmores of the Galaxy, Cobi Jones is like George Washington, first up for me.”

Jones walked on at UCLA and would eventually play in three World Cups for the U.S. Men’s National Team. After starting his professional career at Coventry City, Jones went to Vasco da Gama and then he arrived back in the U.S. with the Galaxy for their debut season in 1996.

“He could have chased the big money and he would have gotten it, but he didn’t do that,” AEG President and CEO Dan Beckerman said. “He chose to make a big sacrifice and be part of Major League Soccer, a fledgling start-up league in this country. Not many people would have done that, but he was committed to building something special, something unique and something that had, at least the potential, to last for generations to come.”

Jones pointed to the 2002 championship as the most memorable season with the Galaxy.

“The first one, always,” he said when asked if 2002 or 2005 was more special. “It (’02) meant so much to this club, it meant so much to the city, to the organization. We were a club that we set the tone, you know, through the league in those early years and I always like to think of, when you think about it, there’s a reason David Beckham wanted to come to the Galaxy, there’s a reason Landon Donovan, when he wanted to come back, was to the Galaxy. It was those early years, teams of what we set, but the knock on those earlier teams was we never won the championship. So finally, after three times of being in the final and losing (1996, 1999, 2001), that first win in 2002, that’s always going to be that special one …you never forget your first.”

Former Galaxy defender Sean Franklin joined the club in 2008, the first year after Jones retired. Franklin said that Jones was a player he looked up to growing up.

“If you were a black kid in the early ’90s, he was your favorite player,” Franklin said. “I look up to him, and I know a lot of players do. I was drafted in 2008, and him being on the coaching staff, I remember conversations here and there and it was a pleasure having them and I’m happy with him and his family.”