Following his death earlier this month, the NFL has created an award to honor the late Deacon Jones. The league will hand out the Deacon Jones Award annually to the player who leads the NFL in sacks.
Jones is considered one of the greatest defensive ends in NFL history. Many historians claim that he would hold both the single season, and career records for Sacks if the stat existed during his enitre career. Instead it is Jones who is widely credited with coining the term “sack” as he wanted the term to be the same as that for pillaging a city.
On June 4th, Deacon Jones passed away at age 74.
During his most dominant years, he was played alongside fellow Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy – the tandem teetered on “unblockable”. His old coach, George Allen, called him the “greatest defensive end of modern football.”
Deacon Jones quite literally revolutionized the game with the way he attacked the Quarterback and put pressure on the passing game. His innovation of being a lineman who wasn’t just there to help stop the run, but created havoc in the passing attack was unique, and has forever altered the positions of Defensive End and Defensive Tackle. His impact on professional football today can not be overstated.
We here at LWOS are pleased to see the Hall of Famer Jones honoured in this way, and believe it is a tremendous way to honor a great man, and fantastic human being.
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