Jones, "Deacon" (David)
Football
b. Dec. 9, 1938, Eatonville, FL
After playing at two small, predominantly black colleges, South Carolina State and Mississippi Vocational, Jones joined the NFL's Los Angeles Rams as a fourteenth-round draft choice in 1961.
Flamboyant and confident to the point of cockiness, Jones invented his nickname, "Deacon," for no particular reason except that he felt David Jones was not a memorable name. He also coined the term "sack" for the tackle of a quarterback before he can get the pass away.
Jones was the premier sacker of his day. Playing left end for the Rams' famous "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line, the 6-foot-5, 260-pounder has been credited with 26 sacks in 1967 alone, although sacks were not an official statistic at the time. A consensus All-Pro six years in a row, from 1965 through 1970, he played in eight Pro Bowls and was voted the NFL defensive player of the year in 1967 and 1968.
In 1972, Jones went to the San Diego Chargers and spent two seasons there before finishing his career with the Washington Redskins in 1974. He missed only three games in his 14-season career.