[Ads-l] Antedating of "Sack" (U.S. Football, Verb and Noun)

[Ben Zimmer]

I don't think we have direct evidence that Deacon Jones was the one who
coined "sack," though he was clearly associated with the term early on.
That 2013 thread was initiated by Larry Horn because the coinage claim
appeared in obituaries for Jones at the time. Among the cites I gave was
this one quoting Deacon Jones using the noun "sack" (comparing himself to
Colts defensive end Bubba Smith):

---
1968 Los Angeles Times 24 Oct. iii. 1/5 "I've been in the league eight
years; he's been in it only six weeks (Bubba was switched from tackle to
end at the start of the season). I believe I have more sacks (tackling the
quarterback) and more unassisted tackles than he does."
---

And now we have Fred's Aug. 14, 1967 cite for the verb (in a new thread)
which mentions Jones as the one doing the sacking but doesn't credit him
with the coinage.

--bgz

On Mon, May 6, 2024 at 7:40 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:

> Thanks to Garson and Ben !  Is there any evidence for the often-repeated
> claim that Deacon Jones coined "sack" ?
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Ben
> Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Monday, May 6, 2024 12:55 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Antedating of "Sack" (U.S. Football, Verb and Noun)
>
> In a 2013 thread, Garson shared a 1967 cite for "sack" as a verb (after I
> supplied 1968 cites for the noun and verb).
>
> https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2013-June/127387.html
>
> Date: December 18, 1967
> Newspaper: The Independent
> Article title: Rams Stopped Unitas - And Won
> Author: Joe Hendrickson
> Quote Page: 16
> Column: 1
> Newspaper Location: Pasadena, California
> Database: NewspaperArchive
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The great Baltimore quarterback seldom has been "sacked" like this
> before-48 yards in losses when thrown behind the line of scrimmage at
> seven crucial times by the charging men of George Allen.
> [End excerpt]
>
> On Sun, May 5, 2024 at 8:06 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
> wrote:
>
> > sack (OED, v.1 d., 1969)
> >
> > 1968 _Progress-Bulletin_ (Pomona, Cal.) 5 Apr. 3:1/1 (Newspapers.com)
> >
> > Jones sacked that opposing QB 26 times !
> >
> >
> > sack (OED, n.1 I.1.j., 1972)
> >
> > 1971 _Dayton Daily News_ 3 Sept. 11/1 (Newspapers.com)
> >
> > May ... relieved Reid against Pittsburgh and on his first play got credit
> > for the first quarterback sack of the year.
>

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