A tip of the hat to the late great Deacon Jones

Not sure if everyone knows this, but the NFL's most feared tackler of all time and hall of famer, Deacon Jones, had a part in this film. He basically played himself, although the name they used was Gorman. With his recent passing I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a post to his contribution to the film as well as his legacy...a legacy that is *prodigious*.

Jones coined the word "sack" to refer to tackling a quarterback behind the line, and he also perfected one of the most wicked moves in football, the dreaded HEAD SLAP! Incidentally, the move was eventually outlawed in the game...partially because Deacon Jones was just so darned *good* at it. He routinely dazed his opponents over and over again with the move.

Jones was also a member of the Fearsome Foursome, one of the greatest defensive lines in history. Two other notable members were Rosie Greer and Merlin Olsen. The group was also noted for their fierce loyalty to one another, on and off the field. Jones stated that they "had a code", and this code transcended race, age, and the game itself though their great friendship.

Some of the really funny scenes in HCW involved him....where RG Armstrong announces that Farnsworth bought the team and wants to play QB, you can hear Deacon say "SH***T" quietly in the background...just hilarious. And when Joe finally completes a pass during the scrimmage, they cut to the defense pointing fingers at each other whilst cursing...another great scene with Deacon.

So here's to you Mr. Deacon Jones, one of the greatest players ever to wear a uniform in the game of football, and a small but integral part of the brilliance that is Heaven Can Wait.