Deacon Jones, the man credited with coming up with the term “sack,” for the way he punished NFL quarterbacks, died at his home in Southern California of natural causes on Monday. He was 74.
Jones was a part of the Rams’ “Fearsome Foursome,” and played in L.A. from 1961-71, before winding down with two years in San Diego and one with Washington in 1974. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and made the league’s 75th anniversary all-time squad.
Sacks did not become an official stat in the NFL until 1982, so there is no total to the number that Jones actually accumulated, but many have called him the best of all-time.
According to the Rams website, unofficial stats show Jones with 159½ sacks in L.A. and 173½ for his career. Jones only missed five games in his 14 pro seasons. His official total would be good for third all-time behind Reggie White (198) and Bruce Smith (200).
