Deacon Jones, 74, dead of natural causes
The NFL lost a legend when Hall of Fame defensive end, David “Deacon” Jones passed away.
Jones, known as the “Secretary of Defense,” and for his bell-ringing head slap, reportedly died of natural causes, at home in Southern California.
In 1961, the Los Angeles Rams drafted Jones as the 186th overall pick (imagine that) and he began what would be a 10-year career with the Rams, with Rookie of the Year honors. During his time with the Rams, Deacon left his mark as part of the “Fearsome Foursome,” along with Rosie Grier, Lamar Lundy, and Merlin Olsen.
He later played for the Chargers and ended his career with the Redskins.
Unfortunately, complete stats of Deacon’s career are incomplete, but you can get a pretty good grasp of his greatness by watching this video…
