Former Rams DE Deacon Jones Passes Away

[Giantmetfan07]

 

 
David "Deacon" Jones, the Hall of Fame defensive end whom some consider the greatest defensive player in NFL history, has died at the age of 74.
 
The Washington Redskins, for whom Jones played his final NFL season in 1974, posted an obituary on their website Monday night after announcing the news. Natural causes was given as the cause of Jones' death.
 
Jones' NFL career started in 1961, when he was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 14th round (186th overall) out of Mississippi Vocational (now known as Mississippi Valley State). Jones spent his first 11 seasons in Los Angeles, where he teamed with Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy to form "The Fearsome Foursome" -- one of the most famous defensive lines in NFL history. Jones was selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls with the Rams from 1964 to 1970 and made eight overall.
 
Olsen died in March 2010 at age 69 and Lundy died in February 2007 at 71. Grier, who is 80, is the only surviving member of the Fearsome Foursome.
 
"A tremendously sad day for our Rams family with the passing of Deacon Jones," tweeted Kevin Demoff, executive vice president of football operations and COO for the now-St. Louis Rams. "Revered on & off the field, a legend who redefined the game."
 
Few would disagree with former Rams coach George Allen, who labeled Jones as the "greatest defensive end of modern football." Jones, also a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was nicknamed "Secretary of Defense" by Rams fans. Jones later was named "defensive end of the Century" by Sports Illustrated in 1999.
 
Jones was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
 
Sacks weren't kept as an official NFL statistic until 1982. Had they been kept far earlier, few doubt Jones would have been among the NFL's all-time leaders. According to the Rams' media guide, Jones recorded a team-best 159.5 sacks with the franchise and 173.5 in his career. He recorded double-digit sacks seven times with the Rams and became the first defensive lineman to post 100 solo tackles in a season (1967).