RIP Deacon.
On a side note... I wonder how much the "head slap" helped him? I know it wasn't illegal then, but from most of what I've seen, that was his main tactic to throw a lineman off balance and put pressure on a QB. Not knocking him or his accomplishments (hard to compare era's), but the man was a stout 6'5" and 272 lbs, while most O-lineman of the era were "only" 6'3" and 251 lbs. He also played side by side with some of the great Defensive linemen of the era. Of course he played in fewer games and also played in a less "pass happy" era, so comparing players from different era's isn't that simple.
The fact is he was a dominant force during his time and will always be recognized as one of the best DE's to play the game.