You can thank the Jaguars Twitter account for the “Sacksonville” nickname given to the stout Jacksonville defense. As CBS Sports details, the Jaguars recorded 10 sacks against the Texans in Week 1, including 3.5 sacks from free agent acquisition Calais Campbell. After the game, the Jaguars changed their Twitter handle to Sacksonville.
While the Jacksonville defense did not get 10 sacks every game, they became one of the best units in the league, and the name stuck. The Jaguars ended the season with 55 sacks ranking them No. 2, just one shy of the Steelers league-leading 56 sacks. The Jaguars ranked No. 2 in total defense allowing just 16.8 points per game. Jacksonville also ranked No. 2 in total yards allowed giving up 286.1 yards a game.
Jacksonville had two players ranked in the top 10 for individual sack totals. Campbell recorded 14.5 sacks to rank No. 2 in the league, while Yannick Ngakoue was tied for No. 8 with 12 sacks. The only challenge with the Sacksonville nickname is it is specific to the defensive line, while the entire Jaguars defense has been playing lights out.
The Jaguars also have one of the top secondaries in the league with A.J. Bouye, Jalen Ramsey, Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson. Jacksonville ranked No. 2 in the NFL with 21 interceptions. Bouye ranked No. 3 in the league with six interceptions, while Church and Gipson were tied for No. 12 with 4 picks each.
At the beginning of October, the Jaguars reached out to Twitter for new nicknames to encompass the whole team, but none of the suggestions had the same ring to it as Sacksonville.
“Sacksonville sounds right for the D-Line,” Ramsey joked to NFL Network.
“We ballin’,” Bouye told NFL Network. “The whole defense is ballin’ so we gotta find a name for the whole defense.”
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry even declared Campbell the “Mayor of Sacksonville” in a December proclamation. Here is an excerpt from the proclamation courtesy of First Coast News’ Mike Kaye.
Calais Campbell’s athletic prowess has given Jaguars fans plenty to cheer about this season. Although he is just beginning his tenure in Jacksonville, we look forward to many more years of watching him break records and make history.
Now, therefore, I, Lenny Curry, by virtue of the authority vested in me as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, do hereby recognize Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell as “Mayor of Sacksonville” and encourage all fans to cheer on his exceptional performance this year. Go Jags!
“You are in Sacksonville right now,” Ngakoue told Bleacher Report. “[We are] 11 savages, 11 dogs hunting every Sunday.”
Defensive tackle Malik Jackson spoke with Bleacher Report about the difference between last year’s Jaguars, who were one of the worst teams in the league, and the Jaguars team that was one of four NFL teams left standing in the playoffs.
“Last year, I don’t think we had a good mix,” Jackson told Bleacher Report. “We didn’t have the stability and wherewithal. We had a young DB core last year. This year, we have A.J. and Church, two guys everybody in this room should want to be like. And then with Calais, we have more examples of guys who are professionals who know how to do the right thing day in and day out.”
One fan took the nickname a bit too far by getting a tattoo that reads “Sacksonville Jaguars Super Bowl LII Champions”.
SB Nation’s Big Cat Country are selling Sacksonville t-shirts with part of the proceeds going to the First Coast Relief Fund. Shirts start at $24, and can be purchased here. Heres a look at some of the best highlights from the Sacksonville defense.