Deacon Jones

David D. "Deacon" Jones (December 9, 1938 – June 3, 2013) was an American professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Jones specialized in sacks. Nicknamed "the Secretary of Defense", Jones is considered one of the greatest defensive players ever. The Los Angeles Times called Jones the "most valuable Ram of all time", and former Rams head coach George Allen called him the "greatest defensive end of modern football". Jones attended Hungerford High School, where he played football, baseball, and basketball. During high school, Jones developed a lump in his thigh and learned that it was a tumor; he had surgery to remove it by Dr. Ron Alegria.

College career Jones' college football career consisted of one year at South Carolina State University in 1958, followed by one year of inactivity in 1959 and a final season at then National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Mississippi Vocational College, now known as Mississippi Valley State University, in 1960.

South Carolina State revoked Jones' scholarship after they learned that he participated in a protest during the Civil Rights Movement. He then earned a starting role as a defensive end and teamed with tackle Merlin Olsen to give Los Angeles a perennial All-Pro left side of the defensive line.

Jones won consensus All-Pro honors five straight years from 1965 through 1969 and was second-team All-Pro in 1964, 1970, and 1972. He was also in seven straight Pro Bowls, from 1964 to 1970, and was selected to an eighth after the 1972 season with the San Diego Chargers. He was named San Diego's defensive captain and led all Chargers' defensive linemen in tackles and won a berth on the AFC Pro Bowl squad. He concluded his career with the Washington Redskins in 1974. "The head slap was not my invention, but Rembrandt, of course, did not invent painting. The quickness of my hands and the length of my arms, it was perfect for me. It was the greatest thing I ever did, and when I left the game, they outlawed it."

In 1964, Jones had 22 sacks in only 14 games. If official, this would have stood as an NFL record until Al Baker's 1978 campaign in which he totaled 23 sacks. In 1967, Jones had 21.5 sacks; he again tallied 22 sacks in 14 games the following year. That is 1.57 sacks per game. The current NFL record, set by Myles Garrett in 2025 is 23 sacks in a 17 game season, or 1.35 per game. Unofficial annual sack totals Year Sacks Team 1961 8 Los Angeles Rams 1962 12 Los Angeles Rams 1963 5.5 Los Angeles Rams 1964 22 Los Angeles Rams 1965 19 Los Angeles Rams 1966 18 Los Angeles Rams 1967 21.5 Los Angeles Rams 1968 22 Los Angeles Rams 1969 15 Los Angeles Rams 1970 12 Los Angeles Rams 1971 4.5 Los Angeles Rams 1972 6 San Diego Chargers 1973 5 San Diego Chargers 1974 3 Washington Redskins (Source: Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins Media Guides)

After football

Acting Jones worked as a television actor, and appeared in numerous TV programs since the 1970s, most often appearing in cameo roles. He appeared in an episode of The Odd Couple where he and Oscar were in a television commercial selling shaving products. He appeared as himself on The Brady Bunch, and in a Bewitched episode in 1969, he played a guard to the Giant's castle in "Sam & the Beanstalk". Jones also played himself on an episode of Wonder Woman in 1978.

In 1978, he played a Viking named Thall in The Norseman. Fellow Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff joined Jones in the film, also portraying a Norseman. That same year, Jones portrayed a fierce defensive lineman named Gorman in the film Heaven Can Wait.

In the series G vs E, he played himself, but as an agent of "The Corps". He also played a role in the hit show, ALF, where he played a father figure to Alf.

Broadcasting Jones served as a color analyst for Rams broadcasts on KMPC radio in the 1994 season, teaming with Steve Physioc and Jack Snow. In 1998, shortly before Super Bowl XXXII between the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers, Jones correctly predicted the Broncos, 11.5-point underdogs, would win the game and Terrell Davis would be named MVP of the game.

Business Jones worked for many companies, including the Miller Brewing Company, Haggar Clothing, Pacific Coast Medical Enterprises, and Epson America, and represented the NFL and Champion Products as spokesman for their Throwback campaigns.

Jones served as the president and CEO of the Deacon Jones Foundation, an organization he founded in 1997 "to assist young people and the communities in which they live with a comprehensive program that includes education, mentoring, corporate internship, and community service."

1980 – Elected to South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame 1981 – Voted to the Central Florida Sports Hall of Fame 1983 – Elected to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame 1999 – Recipient of the Gale Sayers Lifetime Spirit Achievement Award 1999 – Awarded "The Order of the Leather Helmet" by the NFL Alumni Organization, their highest honor 2001 – Winner of the NFL Alumni Spirit Award for community service 2005 – Recipient of the Junior Seau Foundation "Legend of the Year Award" 2007 – Named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team which selected the Top 33 players in the 100-year history of high school football in Florida's history 2009 – His number 75 was retired by the Rams on September 27, 2009. 2013 – An award for the league leader in sacks is named in his honor and awarded for the first time. Robert Mathis of the Indianapolis Colts was the inaugural award winner.

Personal life Jones stated that he gave himself the nickname Deacon after joining the Rams because too many David Joneses were in the local phone book. "Football is a violent world and Deacon has a religious connotation", he told the Los Angeles Times in 1980. "I thought a name like that would be remembered."

Jones' wife Elizabeth is the chief operating and financial officer of the Deacon Jones Foundation, based in Anaheim Hills, California, He was also confused with Melvyn "Deacon" Jones from Richmond, Indiana, a rhythm and blues singer who was active during the same period. He sang onstage with Ray Charles, performed on The Hollywood Palace in 1967 and 1968, and on The Merv Griffin Show in 1970.

Jones was the inspiration for the name of the 1977 song "Deacon Blues" by Steely Dan.

Death On June 3, 2013, Jones died at his home in Anaheim Hills, California at age 74 of natural causes after suffering from lung cancer and heart disease. Jones' death left Rosey Grier as the last surviving member of the Fearsome Foursome, the L.A. Rams defensive line that is widely considered the best such unit in the history of the NFL. Of the former defensive standout, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, "Even with his fellow Hall of Famers, Deacon Jones held a special status. He was an icon among the icons." Washington Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen, son of Jones' longtime coach George Allen, called him "one of the greatest players in NFL history. Off the field... a true giant." Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King noted at his death that Jones had a profound effect on the way defense was played in the NFL and cited the influence on such later NFL stars as Lawrence Taylor, Deion Sanders, and Michael Strahan. As a tribute to Jones, the NFL created the Deacon Jones Award, that is given annually to the league leader in sacks.