Deacon Jones

In the world of football, Deacon Jones is best known as the man who coined the term "sack," perfected the devastating "head slap" and was a member of the most dominant defensive line the league has ever seen---the "Fearsome Foursome."

Blessed with speed, agility, and quickness, the "Deacon" had an obscure college career. Had it not been for the chance observation of two Rams scouts viewing films of an opponent, he might never have had a chance to play pro football. When the scout noted that the 6-4, 272-pound tackle was outrunning the backs they were scouting, they recommended Jones as a sleeper pick.

A 14th-round selection by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1961 draft, Jones quickly blossomed into atop defensive end and one of the finest pass rusher in the business. Jones, alongside tackle Merlin Olsen, teamed up to give Los Angeles a perennial All-Pro left side of the defensive line. The so-called Fearsome Foursome defensive line of the Rams (Lamar Lundy, Rosey Grier, Olsen and Jones) was born and considered one of the best lines of all time.

Named the "Secretary of Defense" by Los Angeles fans, Jones unofficially amassed 26 sacks in 14 games during the 1967 season (the term "sack" had not yet been coined at the time and official sack statistics were not recorded by the NFL until 1982). Jones won unanimous all-league honors six straight years form 1965 through 1970. He also played in seven straight Pro Bowls, 1965-1971, and was selected to an eighth in 1973. In both 1967 and 1968, he was chosen the top defensive player in the NFL.

In 1972, Jones was included in a multi-player trade with the San Diego Charger, becoming an instant success with his new team. That year Jones led all Chargers' defensive linemen in tackles and winning a berth on the AFC Pro Bowl squad. He also was named San Diego's defensive captain. He concluded his career with the Washington Redskins in 1974. The extremely durable and dedicated Jones missed just five games of a possible 196 regular-season encounters in 14 campaigns.

Marketing, corporate imaging and public relations became Jones' forte when he left the game. As a radio and television personality he is almost as well know for his humor, candor, charisma and knowledgeable assessment of the game as he was for his physical play. With numerous media and broadcasting credits to his name, football fans grew to love the intimacy and behind-the-scenes insight he brought to the game.

The recipient of numerous awards for community work, in particular, his work with youngsters and youth organizations, Jones founded the Deacon Jones foundation in 1997, where he serves as President and CEO. The Deacon Jones Foundation, established to assist young people and the communities in which they live through education, mentoring, corporate internship, and community service is his passion.

Named the "Most Valuable Ram of All Time" and "Defensive End of the Century" by Sports Illustrated Jones was unanimously voted to the NFL's 75 Year All Time Team and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, in 1980.