Jordan Phillips, at 341 pounds, Gets 3.0 Sacks in a Single Game—Most Ever?

PERSPECTIVE
By John Turney

We don't know what Jordan Phillips weighs. He's listed by the Bills at 341 pounds. So, we'll go with that. NFL Linemen, as Paul Zimmerman once wrote cannot really claim one weight.

Sunday Phillips recorded 3 sacks versus the Tennessee Titans. We say that he had the sacks on the first half and it made us wonder if a man that heavy had recorded that many sacks in a game.

First, we'll deal with post-1982, when sacks became official.

For players 340 or more pounds we found only Shaun Rogers, then of the Lions,  had 2.5 sacks in 2007. He was listed at 350 pounds but we suspect he was 10-15 pounds heavier than that.

Johnathan Hankins listed at 340 has a 2.5-sack game to his credit as well.

Akiem Hicks also listed in the 350s, has five games of 2.0 sacks but none with more. Dan Wilkinson was listed at 340 (likely heavier in some seasons) had seven games with 2.0 sacks but also with none more than that. Sam Adams also had seven games of 2.0 sacks. He was listed at 350 or so.  Grady Jackson (listed at 345, often was over 360) had four games of exactly 2.0 sacks.

Kris Jenkins, at 360 or so, had three games of 2.0 sacks.

There have some several other big men of 340+ with games of 2 sacks, but none with 3.0.

In the pre-1982 era it's hard to find a defensive linemen who was over 300 pounds, much less 340. Certainly there were a few. Roger Brown of the Lions was around 300, usually more, but he was never 340 or more. Maybe 310-320 at most. The Rams had a defensive tackle named Phil Murphy who was over 300 but listed at 290. That was a common practice in that era.

So, we conclude, (but welcome any corrections) that Jordan Phillips has the NFL record for most sacks by a player listed at 240 or more pounds.

Hows that for esoteric?