Los Angeles Rams: 30 greatest players in franchise history

After considering all the great players that have been part of this organization over the years, defensive end Deacon Jones claiming the top spot for the greatest member of all time for the Rams seems only fair.

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Football was a lot different back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that Jones was an absolute freak when he was on the football field. His unofficial sack totals will back that belief up.

As impressive as it was to see Jones record 20 unofficial sacks over his first two seasons in Los Angeles, it was the defensive end’s fourth year in the NFL that saw his game reach a whole new level in the best way possible.

From 1964-68, Jones recorded 102.5 unofficial sacks in 70 games, making it easy to see why he was worthy of finishing No. 1 on a list like this. It should be noted that sacks would not be an official NFL stat until over a decade after Jones retired from playing.

Jones earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in all five of those remarkable seasons. The defensive lineman getting denied just once during that five-year stretch would have been utterly ridiculous. Jones was just that good of a playmaking presence coming off the defensive edge.

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The Rams have seen plenty of great defenders throughout their history. Whether it was during their time in Los Angeles, St. Louis, or even Cleveland, not stood out in the way that Jones did. If only the Rams as a team could have done more for Jones by helping him earn a championship, it would have made his hall of fame career even more amazing.