The word around the NFL after the 1977 season was that Deacon Jones may have named the head slap but it was Claude Humphrey who outlawed it.
“It’s true,’’ the Falcons’ Hall of Fame defensive end said. “They tried to slow me down, taking out the head slap but I didn’t do that much. It wasn’t like I killed anyone or had someone dragged off the field.’’
The NFL changed the rules in 1978, making it harder for players like Humphrey to get to the quarterback. But he would still finish his career as one of the greatest pass rushers ever, finally getting recognized for it in 2014 when he was enshrined in Canton.