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History Of The Sack Statistic
In 1947, the NFL implemented a new team statistic, yards lost attempting to pass. The new category allowed the league to separate gross yards passing from net yards, to more accurately reflect a team's passing performance. Net passing yards included yards lost by backs tackled on passing plays.
In 1963, Seymour Siwoff, president of the league's official statistical company, the Elias Sports Bureau, made a suggestion. Recognizing the 'yards lost attempting to pass' figure needed a complement, he argued for a new category: number of times losing yards attempting to pass. The league agreed, and one of the NFL's top executives, Jim Kensil, first coined the term "Sack," which in the early 1960s was a dark-ages word, meaning to plunder a captured town. Kensil, who handled NFL public relations among other responsibilities, popularized the term in his stories and publicity materials.
In 1982, convinced by member team PR directors (many of whom were convinced by their players), Elias and the NFL agreed to make individual sacks an official number. New rules were written, such as only two players can share in a sack.
Today, it's arguably the game's most popular stat. Siwoff, whose bureau also tracks official numbers for MLB, the NBA and NHL, still has the final word on every challenged sack, spending Tuesday or Wednesday in the film room at the league office.
Last Updated: 07/31/08
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