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NFL to add the Deacon Jones award for most quarterback sacks

The NFL intends to add a new annual award called the Deacon Jones award, given to the player with the most quarterback sacks per year.

By Josh Kirkendall
David Maxwell

The NFL plans to announce a new annual NFL award, called the Deacon Jones award, given to the player with the most quarterback sacks in the NFL. The announcement is expected to happen during Deacon Jones' memorial service.

This is only natural for the man that actually coined the term sack. Well, at least made it popular. Per PFT:

Here’s the story, as told by former NFL coach Marv Levy, as assistant under Allen with the Redskins: "George was talking the night before in the team meeting about playing the Dallas Cowboys and their quarterback, Craig Morton. The term [sack] had never been used. It was always, ‘Tackle the QB for a loss.’ But the night before the game, George goes, ‘Before we play those Dallas Cowboys, we’re going to take that Morton salt and pour him into a sack.’ That was the inspiration for it.’’

Still, it was Jones who ran with it as a word to generally describe tackling the quarterback for a loss. So while Allen gets the assist, Jones saw that the word had far broader appeal than linking a quarterback named Morton to the Morton salt brand and putting the salt in a proverbial sack.

Jones, who passed away earlier this month, is generally described as the best pass rusher in the history of the sport and would own virtually every quarterback sack record. However, sacks weren't an official statistic until after his 17-year career concluded.

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