David "Deacon" Jones, credited with coining the term "sacking the quarterback" during his stint as one of the NFL's greatest defensive ends, died of natural causes at his Southern California home, the Washington Redskins said Monday, June 3. He was 74. Here, the Los Angeles Rams Hall of Fame defensive end appears in the early 1960s. 
The 6-foot-5 Jones piled up 173 sacks during a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers and Redskins. Jones played for the Rams from 1961-71. 
Along with Rosey Grier, Lamar Lundy and Merlin Olsen, Jones formed one of the best lines of all time: the Fearsome Four. Rams fans nicknamed him "Secretary of Defense." And in 1999, Sports Illustrated named him the "Defensive End of the Century." 
Jones finished his career with the Redskins in 1974 after being traded two years earlier to the Chargers. 
Jones, right, with ex-basketball player Greg Anthony at a 2006 charity event in New York. In later years, Jones was a radio host and a spokesman for the blood pressure drug Atacand, and he started the Deacon Jones Foundation to mentor inner-city high school students. - NFL's Deacon Jones said he invented the "head slap" and the term "sacking the quarterback"
- Jones was part of the famous Los Angeles Rams' Fearsome Foursome defensive line
- Nicknamed the "Secretary of Defense," Jones also played for the Redskins and the Chargers
- Jones died of natural causes at his Southern California home
(CNN) -- There aren't many NFL players who influenced the game like David "Deacon" Jones.
Jones, 74, who died Monday of natural causes his Southern California home, proved himself many times over as arguably the sport's most fearsome defensive lineman.
He invented his own weapon on the field of battle: the head slap.
He created his own statistic on the NFL record books: the quarterback sack.
A look back at those we have lost in 2013. 
David "Deacon" Jones, who is credited with coining the term "sacking the quarterback" during his stint as one of the greatest defensive ends in the NFL, has died. 
Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey died June 3 of viral pneumonia, his office said. Lautenberg, 89, had been the Senate's last surviving veteran of World War II. 
Actress Jean Stapleton, best known for her role as Archie Bunker's wife, Edith, in the groundbreaking 1970s TV sitcom "All in the Family," died at age 90 on Saturday, June 1. 
Ed Shaughnessy, the longtime drummer for "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," has died, a close friend said Sunday. He was 84. 
Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of The Doors, passed away of cancer on Monday, May 20. He was 74. 
NASCAR legend Dick Trickle died on May 16 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 71. 
Popular American psychologist and television personality Dr. Joyce Brothers died at 85, her daughter said on May 13. Brothers gained fame as a frequent guest on television talk shows and as an advice columnist for Good Housekeeping magazine and newspapers throughout the United States. 
Jeanne Cooper, who played Katherine Chancellor, the "Dame of Genoa City," on "The Young and the Restless," died on May 8. She was 84. 
Ray Harryhausen, the stop-motion animation and special-effects master whose work influenced such directors as Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and George Lucas, died on May 7 at age 92, according to the Facebook page of the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation. 
Grammy-winning guitarist Jeff Hanneman, a founding member of the heavy metal band Slayer, died on May 2 of liver failure. He was 49. 
Chris Kelly, one-half of the 1990s rap duo Kris Kross, died on May 1 at an Atlanta hospital after being found unresponsive at his home, the Fulton County medical examiner's office told CNN. Kelly, right, and Chris Smith shot to stardom in 1992 with the hit "Jump." 
George Jones, the country music legend whose graceful, evocative voice gave depth to some of the greatest songs in country music -- including "She Thinks I Still Care," "The Grand Tour" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today" -- died on April 26 at age 81, according to his public relations firm. 
Actor Allan Arbus poses for a portrait with his daughter photographer Amy Arbus in 2007. Allan Arbus, who played psychiatrist Maj. Sidney Freedman in the M*A*S*H television series, died at age 95, his daughter's representative said April 23. 
Folk singer Richie Havens, the opening act at the 1969 Woodstock music festival, died on April 22 of a heart attack, his publicist said. He was 72. 
Australian rocker Chrissy Amphlett, the Divinyls lead singer whose group scored an international hit with the sexually charged "I Touch Myself" in the early 1990s, died on April 21 from breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, her husband said. She was 53. 
Pat Summerall, the NFL football player turned legendary play-by-play announcer, was best known as a broadcaster who teamed up with former NFL coach John Madden. Summerall died April 16 at the age of 82. 
Comedian Jonathan Winters died on April 11 at age 87. Known for his comic irreverence, he had a major influence on a generation of comedians. Here he appears on "The Jonathan Winters Show" in 1956. 
Sir Robert Edwards, a "co-pioneer" of the in vitro fertilization technique and Nobel Prize winner, died April 10 in his sleep after a long illness, the University of Cambridge said. He was 87. He is pictured on July 25, 1978, holding the world's first "test-tube baby," Louise Joy Brown, alongside the midwife and Dr. Patrick Steptoe, who helped develop the fertility treatment. 
Annette Funicello, one of the best-known members of the original 1950s "Mickey Mouse Club" and a star of 1960s "beach party" movies, died at age 70 on April 8. Pictured, Funicello performs with Jimmie Dodd on "The Mickey Mouse Club" in1957. 
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a towering figure in postwar British and world politics and the only woman to become British prime minister, died at the age of 87 on Monday, April 8. 
Designer Lilly Pulitzer, right, died on April 7 at age 81, according to her company's Facebook page. The Palm Beach socialite was known for making sleeveless dresses from bright floral prints that became known as the "Lilly" design. 
Film critic Roger Ebert died on April 4, according to his employer, the Chicago Sun-Times. He was 70. Ebert had taken a leave of absence on April 2 after a hip fracture was revealed to be cancer. 
Jane Nebel Henson, wife of the late Muppets creator Jim Henson and instrumental in the development of the world-famous puppets, died April 2 after a long battle with cancer. She was 78. 
Shain Gandee, one of the stars of the MTV reality show "Buckwild," was found dead with two other people in Kanawha County, West Virginia, on April 1. He was 21. 
Music producer and innovator Phil Ramone, right, with Paul Shaffer, left, and Billy Joel at the Song Writers Hall of Fame Awards in New York in 2001. Ramone died March 30 at the age of 72. 
Writer/producer Don Payne, one of the creative minds behind "The Simpsons," died March 26 at his home in Los Angeles after losing a battle with bone cancer, reports say. He was 48. 
Gordon Stoker, left, who as part of the vocal group the Jordanaires sang backup on hits by Elvis Presley, died March 27 at 88. 
Deke Richards, center, died March 24 at age 68. Richards was a producer and songwriter who was part of the team responsible for Motown hits such as "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow." He had been battling esophageal cancer. 
Legendary publisher, promoter and weightlifter Joe Weider, who created the Mr. Olympia contest and brought California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the United States, died at age 93 on March 23. 
Playboy magazine's 1962 "Playmate of the Year," Christa Speck Krofft, died March 22 of natural causes at the age of 70. 
Rena Golden, who held top positions at CNN, died at age 51 after battling lymphoma for two years on March 21. 
Harry Reems, the porn star best known for playing Dr. Young in the 1972 adult film classic "Deep Throat," died March 19, according to a spokeswoman at a Salt Lake City hospital. Reems, whose real name is Herbert Streicher, was 65. 
Bobbie Smith, who as a member of the Spinners sang lead on such hits as "I'll Be Around" and "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love," died on March 16 at age 76. Pictured clockwise from left, Spinners band member Pervis Jackson, Billy Henderson, Jonathan Edwards, Bobbie Smith and Henry Fambrough, 1977. 
Sweden's Princess Lilian, the Welsh-born model who lived with her lover Prince Bertil for 30 years before they were married, has died at the age of 97, the Swedish Royal Court said in a statement. 
Alvin Lee, the speed-fingered British guitarist who lit up Woodstock with a monumental 11-minute version of his song "I'm Going Home," died on March 6, according to his website. He was 68. 
Hugo Chavez, the polarizing president of Venezuela who cast himself as a "21st century socialist" and foe of the United States, died March 5, said Vice President Nicolas Maduro. 
Bobby Rogers, one of the original members of Motown staple The Miracles, died on Sunday, March 3, at 73. From left: Bobby Rogers, Ronald White, Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore circa 1965. 
Actress Bonnie Franklin, star of the TV show "One Day at a Time," died at the age of 69 on March 1 of complications from pancreatic cancer. 
Actor Dale Robertson, who was popular for his western TV shows and movies, died at age 89 on Thursday, February 28. 
Richard Street, former member of the Temptations, died at age 70 on February 27. Street, second from the left, poses for a portrait with fellow members of the Temptations circa 1973. 
Van Cliburn, the legendary pianist honored with a New York ticker-tape parade for winning a major Moscow competition in 1958, died on February 27 after a battle with bone cancer, his publicist said. He was 78. 
Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop died on February 25. He was 96. Koop served as surgeon general from 1982 to 1989, under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. 
Damon Harris, former member of the Motown group the Temptations, died at age 62 on February 18. Harris, center on the stool, poses for a portrait with fellow members of The Temptations circa 1974. 
Lou Myers, a stage, film and TV actor who memorably portrayed Mr. Gaines on the comedy "A Different World," died on February 19 at the age of 75. 
Los Angeles Laker owner Jerry Buss died February 18 at age 80. Buss, who had owned the Lakers since 1979, was credited with procuring the likes of Earvin "Magic" Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers won 10 NBA championships and 16 Western Conference titles under Buss' ownership. 
Country singer Mindy McCready was found dead on February 17 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. She was 37. During her career, McCready landed 14 songs and six albums on the Billboard country charts. 
Ed Koch, the brash former New York mayor, died February 1 of congestive heart failure at 88, his spokesman said. 
Patty Andrews, center, the last surviving member of the Andrews Sisters, died at her Northridge, California, home on January 30, her publicist Alan Eichler said. She was 94. Patty is seen in this 1948 photograph with her sisters Maxene, left, and Laverne. 
Baseball Hall of Famer and St. Louis Cardinals great Stan Musial died on January 19, according to his former team. He was 92. 
Baseball Hall of Fame manager Earl Sidney Weaver, who led the Baltimore Orioles to four pennants and a World Series title with a pugnacity toward umpires, died January 19 of an apparent heart attack at age 82, Major League Baseball said. 
Pauline Phillips, better known to millions of newspaper readers as the original Dear Abby advice columnist, has died after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She died January 16 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at age 94. 
Aaron Swartz, the Internet activist who co-wrote the initial specification for RSS, committed suicide, a relative told CNN on January 12. He was 26. Swartz also co-founded Demand Progress, a political action group that campaigns against Internet censorship. 
Claude Nobs, the founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, died aged 76 following a skiing accident. 
Richard Ben Cramer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer whose 1992 book "What It Takes" remains one of the most detailed and passionate of all presidential campaign chronicles, died January 7, according to his longtime agent. He was 62. 
Director and stuntman David R. Ellis died on January 7. He directed "Snakes on a Plane." 
Tony Lip, who played mob figures in the hit cable show "The Sopranos" and several critically acclaimed movies, died January 4, a funeral home official said. Lip, whose real name was Frank Vallelonga, was 82. 
Character actor Ned Wertimer, known to fans of "The Jeffersons" as the doorman Ralph Hart, died on January 2. He was 89. 
Pop-country singer Patti Page died on January 1 in Encinitas, California. She was 85. Born Clara Ann Fowler, Page was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s and had 19 gold and 14 platinum singles. 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
Photos: People we lost in 2013 "I developed a term that is used in the game right now called sacking the quarterback," Jones is quoted on NFL.com. "Sacking a quarterback is just like you devastate a city or you cream a multitude of people. I mean it's just like you put all the offensive players in one bag and I just take a baseball bat and beat on the bag."
Clearly, Jones didn't mince words.
Advertising execs on Madison Avenue played on Jones' tough-guy persona with a series of memorable TV beer commercials for Miller Lite. Dressed in a black leather jacket, Jones marches into a bar and recites a poem about the virtues of the beer, and then warns, "and if you don't believe me, I'm gonna break your nose."
The numbers alone tell the tale: The 6-foot-5-inch tall Jones piled up 173 sacks during a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Rams, the San Diego Chargers and the Redskins. That's second only to Reggie White.
"Deacon Jones was one of the greatest players in NFL history," said Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen. "Off the field, he was a true giant. His passion and spirit will continue to inspire those who knew him."
Sacks weren't even an official NFL statistic until 1982, long after Jones' retirement.
Then there was the head slap -- the brain-jarring swipe of a defensive lineman's hand or arm against the helmet of his opponent.
"Jones could split helmets with his head slap, and his outside speed rush was devastating," wrote Paul Zimmerman, aka Dr. Z, in Sports Illustrated. "Plus, Jones was relentless; he never gave up. He collected sacks on his hands and knees."
Jones started his NFL career in 1961 with the Rams and spent 11 seasons there. Along with fellow icons Rosey Grier, Lamar Lundy and Merlin Olsen, Jones formed one of the best defensive lines of all time: the Fearsome Four.
As a Ram, Jones perfected the head slap. Jones once said he wished that, after messing with him, opposing players would wake up "hopefully on Tuesday."
You could say it was effective. So effective, the NFL banned it.
"His eyes were as red as fire, and after he took his stance, he was pawing his leg in the dirt like a bull," remembered Rayfield Wright of his first NFL start. Wright, playing with the Dallas Cowboys, was facing Jones in that 1969 game.
"As an offensive lineman, you're taught only to hear the quarterback's voice. Nothing else," Wright said in the Sports Illustrated interview. "I'm listening in case there's an audible, and in the pause between 'Huts!' I hear a deep, heavy voice say, 'Does yo' mama know you're out here?' It was Deacon Jones."
Rams fans nicknamed him "Secretary of Defense." And in 1999, Sports Illustrated named him the "Defensive End of the Century."
In 1972, he was traded to the Chargers, and he finished his career with the Redskins in 1974.
During his entire time with the NFL, Jones missed just six games.
In later years, Jones worked as a radio host, served as a spokesman for the blood-pressure drug Atacand and started the Deacon Jones Foundation to mentor inner-city high school students.
He also published an autobiography titled -- what else? -- "Head Slap."
People we lost in 2013: The lives they lived
