Deacon Jones
Deacon Jones fits into the Jim Brown category. Because he wasn’t playing in what many believe to be the’modern day’ NFL, others speculate on how excellent these two gentlemen would’ve been compared to athletes today. We’re willing to go out on a limb and say that Jones would have been alright. He was the meanest, hardest, and most athletic defensive lineman of his period. He was believed to have racked up 173.5 sacks over a 14-year period (unofficially), which would rank him third all-time. He wouldn’t just try to sack the opposition quarterback; he’d also want to inflict significant bodily injury on the guy.
Deacon Jones
Bruce Smith
Smith holds the record for the most career sacks in the NFL. Smith was simply meant to break the previous record during his 19-year career. He was the first overall choice out of Virginia Tech and had an early impact in the NFL. Smith had 6.5 sacks as a rookie, and that total increased to 15.0 as a sophomore. Smith went on a 13-year streak with at least 10.0 sacks (the most coming in 1990 with 19.0 sacks). Smith was a remarkable athlete, despite not being the biggest defensive end. He was also extremely strong, which allowed him to shuck offensive tackles like they were practice dummies. Smith had 11 Pro Bowl appearances, 10 All-NFL teams, and two Defensive Player of the Year awards by the end of his career.
Bruce Smith
