The Book of Deacon: The Wit and Wisdom of Deacon Jones [Paperback]

Deacon Jones (Author), John Klawitter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2001

As one of the greatest football players of the 20th Century Deacon Jones learned that it would take more than size and speed to be the best defensive end in the NFL. He knew that extraordinary mental toughness would keep him at the peak of his game. After he retired from football, Deacon continued to use his winning attitude to help him to recreate his success off the gridiron. The Book of Deacon is a collection of sayings that represents the mental and spiritual essence of a modern day warrior.

As an integral member of the Los Angeles Rams legendary Fearsome Foursome, Deacon Jones was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1980. Deacon’s combination of speed and tenacity made him one of the leading pass rushers in NFL history and the 13th greatest football player to have played in the NFL by Sporting News. Today, the Deacon Jones Foundation is instrumental in helping academically qualified inner city students find personal and financial success by providing scholarships and mentoring programs.

The Book of Deacon is a combination of down home wisdom, gridiron determination, and modern motivation to help anyone to succeed in the game of life.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

After spending some time with Deacon Jones it became obvious that he was a man of strong character and conviction. His involvement in the community and his concern for the youth of America makes him a role model for other professional sports figures. This book was a pleasure to work on and we hope everyone who reads it will find a little bit of what makes Deacon Jones great planted inside of their hearts.

From the Inside Flap

It has been said that great warriors find their own way to wisdom. Deacon Jones, the greatest of the great to play the fierce game of NFL football, gives you his unique perspective on what is important in life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 159 pages
• Publisher: Seven Locks Pr (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929765362
• ISBN-13: 978-0929765365
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,414,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Black Oral Wisdom From The Old Country, April 4, 2010

By 

John Klawitter (Hollywood) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Deacon: The Wit and Wisdom of Deacon Jones (Paperback)

This is an attempt to catch time in a bottle, to preserve a bit of a way of thinking for future generations, the actual way the first generations of American negroes thought when they brought their culture from Africa, preserved through the generations in a unique way. One would think it might be better to record this history as an audio book, and there is some truth in that; but oral wisdom can be elusive as a moth in the night; it is best when spontaneous, when it takes flight in unconscious reaction to the events of the moment. The direct observation: the individual who related this wisdom, the legendary football star and celebrity Deacon Jones, freezes a bit under the mike, as most people do. So I did what I could; while writing his biography (Headslap) in the early 1990's, I took hand-written notes, and this book is the result of that often frantic scribbling, to capture as much as I could of the flavor and the essence of the way his mind works, the way his people and his people's people taught him in a direct and unadulterated line over the generations.