Breakfast Granola for 8/13/10

As the NFL preseason begins, there is a list of top players that I happen to take issue with:

5. Reggie White – At 6-foot-5, 300 pounds, White had a defensive tackle’s body and the speed to play defensive end. He finished his career with 198 sacks despite playing primarily at left end, as opposed to the right side where most speed rushers play. If White hadn’t spent two years in the USFL, he might still hold the sacks record.

Author Jason Cole has already taken flak for his list, but here's my two cents: as he claims to be an LA Rams fan from his childhood, I argue that he's not a very good one if he doesn't remember one of the greatest Rams of all time. Stipulated, Reggie White was a great player, but I believe Deacon Jones is the superior defensive end and should get at least the #5 spot.

Jones lists as 6-5/272, but was probably closer to 290, yet insanely fast. When he arrived in the NFL, there was nobody like him, least of all for his aggression and ruthlessness. Defenses of the era were about immobility and delay, but his innovation was to take the attack to the offense, making tackles from sideline to sideline and destroying quarterbacks with gleeful prejudice. Without him, there would be no "sack" statistic for White to collect.

Keeping in mind that Jones played one less season than White -- 14 vs. 15 -- Jones unofficially amassed between 173.5 and 180.5 sacks, depending on if you ask Pro Football Weekly or John Klawitter, who examined George Allen's records while helping Deacon write his biography, Headslap. Also keep in mind that seasons were only 14 games long, and Deacon unofficially collected 26 sacks in 1967. If recognized, these stats would place him 3rd in career total and 1st in single season.

Unfortunately, the "sack" was not recorded until 1982, despite that NFL films is probably able to corroborate Allen's meticulous notes, and thus, Deacon Jones goes overlooked.

But how many rules does Reggie White have named for him? In my estimation, that's a high mark of effectiveness.