Former Arlington Lamar and Baylor quarterback John “J.J.” Joe died on Tuesday at the age of 54. He led the Bears from 1990 to 1993. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Baylor may not have had one of those “great Southwest Conference teams” over the last 20-plus years of that league’s life, but people sure knew the name J.J. Joe.

By going to Baylor rather than Texas A&M or Vanderbilt, J.J. Joe had one of those careers, and names, that only happen in college. J.J. Joe became one of those names forever linked with a college program for all of the right reasons.

According to KWTX in Waco, the former Baylor quarterback passed away on Tuesday of a suspected heart attack. The resident of Hurst was 54.

Joe was inducted into the Baylor athletics hall of fame in 2006, and he always remained an active part of Baylor football, having served as Baylor’s color analyst on its radio telecasts for the last 21 years.

In current terms, J.J. Joe was RGIII long before RGIII. Robert Griffin is credited as the QB who propelled Baylor to a rung on the college football ladder it had never previously experienced, but “back in the day,” J.J. Joe was a run/pass QB whom opposing defenses could not defend.

Joe was Baylor’s record-setting quarterback from 1990 to 1993, and the last QB under long time Bears coach Grant Teaff. J.J. Joe and linebacker Mike Singletary were the two most prominent Baylor players from the mid ‘70s to RGIII’s era.

A native of Arlington who led Lamar to a 28-6 record as a three-year starter, as a senior Joe was named the Star-Telegram’s Metroplex Offensive Player of the Year.

Joe went to Baylor and immediately did what nearly all players of that generation did: He sat and watched as a redshirt.

The next season, in 1990, Joe started as the fourth QB on the depth chart but steadily moved up; because of injury, he was pushed into the lineup during Baylor’s game at Texas Tech in the fourth game of the year. As a redshirt freshman, Joe showed something that Baylor needed.

A broken hand suffered during practice ended his redshirt freshman year prematurely.

To start the 1991 season, Baylor opened with a 5-0 record which included an upset win over defending national champions Colorado. Baylor was ranked 8th in the nation.

BU would beat Texas that season, but couldn’t maintain an undefeated pace; it finished 8-4, with a loss to Indiana and quarterback Trent Green in the Copper Bowl.

In Teaff’s final year as Baylor’s coach, Joe led the Bears to a 7-5 record, which included a win over No. 22 Arizona in the Sun Bowl.

As a senior, Joe suffered his first losing season as Baylor lost four of its final five games under first-year coach Chuck Reedy.

Joe finished his career as the school leader in total offensive plays (1,073), total-offense yards (6,815), touchdowns responsible for (43), passing yards (5,995), yards per pass attempt (9.015), yards per pass completion (17.277) and pass efficiency (134.87 rating).

By the time he was done, he was a three-time Academic All American, and he ranked in the top 10 in most other passing categories at Baylor.

Here is the part that made J.J. Joe so good: He did all of this despite playing for three years in Teaff’s veer offense.

Reedy enjoyed a winning season in 1994, including an appearance in the Alamo Bowl. The Bears had a winning year again in 1995. After that, Baylor’s next winning season and bowl appearance did not come until 2010, under coach Art Briles.

While Baylor football descended into football abyss, Joe’s career ascended in banking and private business. He and his wife, Lakeesha, had three sons, Jordan, Josh and Jacob.

“Whenever you play, you want to leave a legacy somewhere,” Joe told BaylorBears.com, when he was inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame. “I know my records will be broken, but you want to be thought of as a good guy.”

The man left a legacy as a person and a player.

At the time he played, a fan may not have known much about Baylor football, but they damn sure knew J.J. Joe.