:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/15239273/deaconjones.0.jpg)
If Minnesota Vikings' defensive end Jared Allen can do in 2013 what he did in 2011, that being lead the National Football League in sacks, he's going to get himself a shiny new award for his mantle.
According to NFL.com, starting in 2013, the man who leads the National Football League in sacks for the season will now be the recipient of the Deacon Jones Award. The announcement was made at the memorial service for Jones that was held on Saturday in Los Angeles.
(Hell of a place to make that announcement, isn't it?)
Although sacks were not officially a stat for the entirety of Jones' career, according to NFL historians he racked up four separate seasons of at least 20 sacks during his playing career and finished with an unofficial total of 194.5, which would trail only Bruce Smith and Reggie White on the all-time list if those numbers were official.
Hopefully, the first ever Deacon Jones Award can find its way to the Twin Cities, courtesy of #69. Or, you know, another member of the Minnesota Vikings.