Wolves lobby NCAA to change sacks total

Ja’Von Rolland-Jones might become the all-time career sack leader after all.

Arkansas State University defensive line coach Brian Early said he scoured through film, studying his former defensive end’s sacks to be certain Rolland-Jones hadn’t earned the half-sack to tie or the full sack to break Terrell Suggs’ NCAA FBS record of 44.0 career sacks.

“I went back through every halfsack he had been credited in his career,” Early said. “We found two that, in my opinion, were full sacks.”

Both of the sacks in question came against New Mexico State. Early believes the half-sack last season that was given to Rolland-Jones and defensive end Ronheen Bingham should be awarded completely to Rolland-Jones. In 2016, Early said Rolland-Jones should fully own a sack he shares with former linebacker Kyle Wilson.

Early sent the film of each play to Arkansas State’s football sports information director, Jerry Scott, who emailed the information March 16 to the NCAA Media Coordination and Statistics Department, along with an explanation and request for the statistics to be changed.

Scott said the NCAA officials responded, saying they would make a determination in about a month, since the focus was then on the men’s basketball NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA has yet to respond.