Deacon Jones

David Deacon Jones (December 9, 1938 - June 3, 2013) (DE) is considered one of the greatest defensive ends in the history of football; specializing in quarterback sacks, so much so, he coined the phrase "sack." His college playing days were somewhat sketchy and were mired in the civil rights issues of the 1950s. As a player at South Carolina State University and Mississippi Valley State, Jones and other black athletes in the south suffered through racism and discrimination. The Los Angeles Rams, nevertheless, took Deacon in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft, teaming him with Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier on the Rams’ defensive line, forming “The Fearsome Foursome.” Since sacks were not recorded until 1982, there is no official record of the intimidation and bone jarring hits that Jones and his legion of doom imposed upon opposing quarterbacks, but Deacon thought his career total to be 194-1/2. He played 14 seasons with the Los Angels Rams (1961-1971), the San Diego Chargers (1972-1973) and the Washington Redskins (1974). Deacon was called the “Secretary of Defense” among his contemporaries, the “Most Valuable Ram of All-Time” by the Los Angeles Times and the “Greatest Defensive End of Modern Football” by former Rams coach George Allen. He was an eight-time NFL Pro Bowl selection and was named to five NFL All-Pro First Teams. In 1967 and 1968 Deacon was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. He played 191 games, recovered 15 fumbles and scored a total of five points on two safeties and extra points. Following his playing days, Jones enjoyed a career in acting, appearing in numerous major motion pictures and television series and also enjoyed time in the broadcast booth. Deacon Jones was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.