- Byname of:
- David D. Jones
- Born:
- December 9, 1938, Eatonville, Florida, U.S.
- Died:
- June 3, 2013, Anaheim, California (aged 74)
- Education:
- Mississippi Valley State University
- South Carolina State University
- Height/Weight:
- 6 ft 5 inches, 272 lb (1.96 m, 123 kg)
- Position:
- defensive end
- Jersey Number:
- 75 (Washington Redskins, 1974)
- 75 (Los Angeles Rams, 1961ā1971)
- 75 (San Diego Chargers, 1972ā1973)
- Draft:
- Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 14th round (186th overall) of the 1961 NFL draft.
- Games Played:
- 191
- Interceptions:
- 2
- Touchdowns:
- 0
- Yards Gained By Passing:
- 50
Deacon Jones
Deacon Jones (born December 9, 1938, Eatonville, Florida, U.S.ādied June 3, 2013, Anaheim, California) was an American professional gridiron football player, regarded as one of the sportās premier defense players.
Jones, an accomplished high school athlete in Orlando, Florida, played football at South Carolina State College and Mississippi Vocational College. He was relatively unknown in 1961 when the Los Angeles Rams selected him in the 14th round of the National Football League (NFL) draft, but he soon distinguished himself as the left defensive end of the Ramsā āFearsome Foursome,ā the moniker of the teamās renowned defensive line.
Jones was surprisingly agile for his powerful frameāabout 6 feet 5 inches (1.9 metres) and 250 pounds (113 kg)āand he was praised for his ability to pursue a ballcarrier from sideline to sideline. The outspoken Jones coined the term āsackā for the act of tackling the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage, a facet of the game at which he excelled. He also popularized the head slap, a move (since banned) that involved a defensive player slapping an offensive linemanās helmet as hard as he could at the snap in order to stun the blocker and thus gain an advantage off of the line. He was named All-Pro five consecutive times (1965ā69) and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice, in 1967 and 1968.
Jones left the Rams in 1972 to play two seasons with the San Diego Chargers, before playing his final year with the Washington Redskins in 1974. During his 14-year professional career, he missed only five regular-season games and was named to eight Pro Bowls. Both during his playing days and after his retirement, Jones dabbled in acting and singing, and in his later years he remained in the public eye through frequent appearances on television programs about the history of football, which highlighted his colourful personality. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and in 1994 was named to the NFLās 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. Soon after his death in 2013, the NFL announced that it would begin presenting the Deacon Jones Award to the player who had the most sacks each season.