Rams, NFL to honor Deacon Jones
The St. Louis Rams will honor Deacon Jones throughout the 2013 season with a decal on their helmets. Jones’ number 75 will be emblazoned on every Rams player in a show of appreciation and remembrance of the Hall of Famer.
Jones died this last June at his home in Anaheim Hills, California. Several members of his family will be in attendance and honored before the Rams game today.
“Deacon Jones was a legend who was cherished by generations of NFL fans and players,” Rams COO Kevin Demoff said in a statement. “Our team is proud to wear his number on our helmets throughout the season to honor his meaning to this organization.”
Jones was drafted by the Rams in 1961 and played 11 seasons for them. One of the greatest players in the history of the NFL, Jones coined the term “sack” when bringing down the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. Upon his passing, the NFL created an award called the “Deacon Jones Award”, appropriately given out to the defensive player that leads the league in sacks every year.
Pro-Football reference ranks Deacon Jones as the 10th greatest all-around player of all time, but there is no measuring the impact he had on the Rams organization and the NFL as a whole.