Good points and good book recommendations Waterfield, got them and read them both.
Headslap i picked up at the HOF when Dickerson was inducted. When I read it a few years back I noticed it was autographed, which made it extra special.
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waterfield
I've listened to so many conversations with Deacon over the years before his death and met him personally at an award banquet where I sat and talked with him for some time. I can assure you while I loved the man he was full of hyperbole. Simply put you couldn't take a statement from Deacon that he enjoyed putting people in the hospital as anything more than he wanted to play overpowering football. And he did !
BTW: There is an excellent book co-written by John Klawitter on Deacon called "Headslap-the Life and Times of Deacon Jones". It touches on a lot of what has been discussed in this post. Another interesting book on the subject is Jim Hock's "Hollywood's Team". Hock is the son of Ram O Lineman John Hock and has some interesting takes on the Rams of the 50s.