New unofficial sack totals highlight dominance of Deacon Jones and Jack Youngblood

New unofficial sack totals highlight dominance of Deacon Jones and Jack Youngblood

Deacon Jones had three seasons of 21.5-plus sacks and is unofficially 3rd all-time in career sacks.

theramswire.usatoday.com

New unofficial sack totals highlight dominance of Deacon Jones and Jack Youngblood​

Longtime Rams fans know just how good the team’s defensive line was in the 1960s and ‘70s thanks to the sheer dominance of Deacon Jones and Jack Youngblood. However, younger fans may not fully appreciate just how good those two Hall of Famers were in their primes.

Pro Football Reference is thankfully here to provide some context, though.

Thanks to nearly 30 years of research, Pro Football Reference has added sack totals for players who suited up before 1982, when sacks became an official NFL stat. Up to this point, there have been estimates of how many sacks some of the game’s best pass rushers had, but PFR did the work to find out their exact totals.

According to their decades of research and film work, Jones is now unofficially credited with 173.5 career sacks – third-most in NFL history. His teammate with the Rams, Youngblood, recorded 151.5 career sacks, which is good for sixth-most all-time.

As a result of this newfound data, three former Rams rank in the top six of career sacks, with Kevin Greene ranking fourth in league history (160.0 sacks). His total is official, since he played from 1985-1999.

Here’s a look at PFR’s new top-20 unofficial leaderboard for career sacks.

Unofficial Leaders Table

Rank	Player	Sk	Years
1	Bruce Smith+	200.0	1985-2003
2	Reggie White+	198.0	1985-2000
3	Deacon Jones+	173.5	1961-1974
4	Kevin Greene+	160.0	1985-1999
5	Julius Peppers	159.5	2002-2018
6	Jack Youngblood+	151.5	1971-1984
7	Chris Doleman+	150.5	1985-1999
8	Alan Page+	148.5	1967-1981
9	Lawrence Taylor+	142.0	1981-1993
10	Michael Strahan+	141.5	1993-2007
11	Jason Taylor+	139.5	1997-2011
12	Terrell Suggs	139.0	2003-2019
13	DeMarcus Ware	138.5	2005-2016
14	Richard Dent+	137.5	1983-1997
	John Randle+	137.5	1990-2003
16	Jared Allen	136.0	2004-2015
	Rickey Jackson+	136.0	1981-1995
18	John Abraham	133.5	2000-2014
	Carl Eller+	133.5	1964-1979
20	Leslie O’Neal	132.5	1986-1999

Between Jones, Greene, Youngblood and Aaron Donald, four of the game’s best pass rushers ever suited up for the Rams at one point or another. Donald has 85.5 career sacks in seven seasons, so he would need to keep up that exact pace for another seven years in order to crack the top four ahead of Greene.

That’ll be challenging to do since he’s 30 years old, but no one should ever doubt the three-time Defensive Player of the Year – and the guy who almost never takes a day off.

He needs another 47 sacks to tie for 20th all-time, though other active players could also continue to rise up the list along with him. And while he may never reach the top 20, he’ll be regarded as arguably the best defensive tackle in NFL history.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

But what about the single season record?

 

[den-the-coach]

Loved Deacon Jones, more after the fact because Deacon was traded in 1972, that season I was six. Jack Youngblood was the best I've ever seen until Aaron Donald. It's amazing at certain positions teams have been spoiled over the years as for the Los Angeles, Quarterback has not been one of them. Although it's been better then some teams.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

Loved Deacon Jones, more after the fact because Deacon was traded in 1972, that season I was six. Jack Youngblood was the best I've ever seen until Aaron Donald. It's amazing at certain positions teams have been spoiled over the years as for the Los Angeles, Quarterback has not been one of them. Although it's been better then some teams.

We have defensive lineman and running backs

 

[ArkyRamsFan]

Hate to admit it but there are a ton of Vikings on this list. Man I still hate them. I remember the games in 20 below weather and they're all in short sleeves.
I knew even before kickoff we were in trouble.
At any rate is spite of my disdain for anything in purple I gotta admit that their D-line of Carl Eller, Alan Page, Gary Larson and Jim Marshall was elite and a real chore for our O-line.
Was always a pleasure to see if
our D-line of Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosie Grier and Lamar Lundy would outplay theirs.
Sidenote: almost forgot, I couldn't stand Bud Grant either. And Fran Tarkenton also.

~ArkyRamsFan~

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Loved Deacon Jones, more after the fact because Deacon was traded in 1972, that season I was six. Jack Youngblood was the best I've ever seen until Aaron Donald. It's amazing at certain positions teams have been spoiled over the years as for the Los Angeles, Quarterback has not been one of them. Although it's been better then some teams.

I was five in 72’. If not for football cards I’d have never known about some of them. The Rams were only on tv in the playoffs in the North East back then……at least that I recall.

 

[Loyal]

I was five in 72’. If not for football cards I’d have never known about some of them. The Rams were only on tv in the playoffs in the North East back then……at least that I recall.

I tell ya, you youngsters....smh.

 

[Loyal]

Loved Deacon Jones, more after the fact because Deacon was traded in 1972, that season I was six. Jack Youngblood was the best I've ever seen until Aaron Donald. It's amazing at certain positions teams have been spoiled over the years as for the Los Angeles, Quarterback has not been one of them. Although it's been better then some teams.

But you like the next Pat Haden (Kyler Murray....)

 

[Flint]

I didn’t realize Deacon was so big, he coulda played today. The guy was huge, it just wasn’t fair. And back then you could body slam guys without any consequences whatsoever, it had to be scary to see that guy across the line.

 

[den-the-coach]

But you like the next Pat Haden (Kyler Murray....)

I'm going to be candid here, Murray's arm is much stronger then the Rhode Scholar ever was, but in fairness I believe Haden is/was actually taller, if there such a thing at those heights or lack there of.

 

[den-the-coach]

I was five in 72’. If not for football cards I’d have never known about some of them. The Rams were only on tv in the playoffs in the North East back then……at least that I recall.

So we are close to the same age (September 1972) the advantage I had was having an Uncle that was 5 years older so it was like a bigger brother and he provided me with quite a bit of information about Deacon Jones, but you're correct the Rams were not on much in the Northeast about 4 times a year plus playoffs, but oh did we live for those Monday Night Football highlights and "This Week in the NFL."

 

[Loyal]

So we are close to the same age (September 1972) the advantage I had was having an Uncle that was 5 years older so it was like a bigger brother and he provided me with quite a bit of information about Deacon Jones, but you're correct the Rams were not on much in the Northeast about 4 times a year plus playoffs, but oh did we live for those Monday Night Football highlights and "This Week in the NFL."

And the 6 months old info in new Footbal magazines before the internet...lol

 

[den-the-coach]

And the 6 months old info in new Footbal magazines before the internet...lol

Ironically we had a newspaper here that actually included a football paper book with all the teams and their depth charts (not sure accurate) plus the Head Coaches of each team. My father gave me that paper book in 1973 and I memorized most teams including Head Coaches. Can still recite some of that information to this day, i.e. Howard Schnellenberger being Head Coach of the Colts & Don McCafferty being Head Coach of the Detroit Lions.

 

[nighttrain]

Loved Deacon Jones, more after the fact because Deacon was traded in 1972, that season I was six. Jack Youngblood was the best I've ever seen until Aaron Donald. It's amazing at certain positions teams have been spoiled over the years as for the Los Angeles, Quarterback has not been one of them. Although it's been better then some teams.

I had been divorced for over a year in '72, haha. The Fearsome Foursome, one of NFL's greatest defensive lines. And Roman Gabriel was a QB ahead of his time, he would have been truly great in today's NFL
train

 

[den-the-coach]

I had been divorced for over a year in '72, haha. The Fearsome Foursome, one of NFL's greatest defensive lines. And Roman Gabriel was a QB ahead of his time, he would have been truly great in today's NFL
train

I agree, only wish Gabriel was younger when Chuck Knox became Head Coach as both he & Hadl were 33 and at the end of their playing days....BTW, how old is Stafford?

 

[nighttrain]

I agree, only wish Gabriel was younger when Chuck Knox became Head Coach as both he & Hadl were 33 and at the end of their playing days....BTW, how old is Stafford?

Stafford is the beneficiary of newer NFL rules that protect the QB, NFL realized that Offense puts butts in the seats, although its Defense that wins Super Bowls, it's the QB position that most fans cue on
train

 

[Tano]

Stafford is the beneficiary of newer NFL rules that protect the QB, NFL realized that Offense puts butts in the seats, although its Defense that wins Super Bowls, it's the QB position that most fans cue on
train

QBs used to get killed out there

 

[Tano]

I had been divorced for over a year in '72, haha. The Fearsome Foursome, one of NFL's greatest defensive lines. And Roman Gabriel was a QB ahead of his time, he would have been truly great in today's NFL
train

Roman could not hold onto the ball for the life of him.

He fumbled almost every time he got hit lol

 

[Psycho_X]

Cool little story even though it's not a Ram. I'm ok with Strahan not having the sack record. All though it won't matter when AD gets 24 this year.

Al “Bubba” Baker says he cried after getting recognition for unofficial sack crown

The expansion of sack statistics from before the stat became official in 1982 has allowed the stellar 1978 season of former Detroit Lions star Al “Bubba” Baker to get the credit it deserves. While pre-1982 sack numbers remain unofficial for league history purposes, the 23.0 sacks by Baker during...

www.yahoo.com

The expansion of sack statistics from before the stat became official in 1982 has allowed the stellar 1978 season of former Detroit Lions star Al “Bubba” Baker to get the credit it deserves.
While pre-1982 sack numbers remain unofficial for league history purposes, the 23.0 sacks by Baker during his rookie season in Detroit would be the most in a single season in league history. Michael Strahan’s 22.5 sacks during the 2001 season is the official benchmark for most sacks in a single season.
Baker, in the Around the NFL podcast, said learning that his 23 sacks were being widely recognized by Pro-Football-Reference and other statisticians made him get rather emotional.
“For some reason, and I’m not kidding you, without any prompting, tears just started running down my eyes,” Baker said. “And my wife was inside, I opened up the patio doors. And my wife, first thing she said was, ‘What’s wrong?’ And I said, nothing’s wrong and I said come look at this. And, you know, we hugged and then I lost about an hour and a half, two hours. My daughter called. It was really emotional for my family. I guess at 6-foot-8, 290 pounds, that doesn’t sound really tough, but, we were all crying.
“You know somebody tells you you’re a sack leader and what do you do, you start crying. And I guess it’s because none of us really sat around like some players and, ‘We want this and we want that.’ We hadn’t thought about it for at least, for at least, I’m not kidding you, 20 years.”
Through research that has included play-by-play logs, game books, game footage and other sources, Pro-Football-Reference estimates it has 99 percent of the sacks from the 1970 AFL-NFL merger through the 1981 season accounted for, as well as about 95 percent of sacks in both the AFL and NFL from 1966 to 1969, and about 80 percent of sacks from 1961 to 1965. Pre-1960 sack statistics are more challenging to reliably compile.
That has allowed the performances of Baker, Deacon Jones, Jack Youngblood and other standout pass rushers to have their success on the field quantified reliably.
Baker was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1978 following his standout campaign. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and made the All-Pro team his rookie year. Baker finished his career with 131 sacks in 13 seasons played for the Lions, St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings. The 131 sacks would put him 21st all-time.

 

[nighttrain]

Roman could not hold onto the ball for the life of him.

He fumbled almost every time he got hit lol

I don't remember this being issue with Roman at any time, and he got hit a lot.
Gabriel does hold the record for fumbles with the Rams. but the all time leader in NFL is Bret Favre, Gabriel ranks in at #17, behind a lot greats

Which Quarterback Has The Most Fumbles In NFL History | StatMuse

Brett Favre has the most career fumbles by a quarterback, with 166 fumbles.

www.statmuse.com

train