The Dallas Cowboys lost one of the franchise’s true legends with the passing of Ring of Honor member Lee Roy Jordan. He was 84.
“With fearless instincts, leadership and a relentless work ethic, Jordan was the embodiment of the Cowboys’ spirit,” team owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. “Off the field, his commitment to his community was the centerpiece of his life after retiring in 1976. His legacy lives on as a model of dedication, integrity and toughness.”
Playing for Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama, Jordan helped the Crimson Tide to the 1961 national title before earning unanimous All-America honors the following year. He was then selected by the Cowboys in the first round, sixth overall, of the 1963 draft and went on to spend his entire NFL career under the guidance of another legendary head coach, Tom Landry.
Jordan manned the middle linebacker position for most of his 14 seasons with the Cowboys, becoming the undisputed leader of the famed Doomsday Defense. During his tenure in Dallas, the team made the playoffs 10 times, appeared in two NFL Championship Games and three Super Bowls, and won the Lombardi Trophy in 1971.
“Lee Roy Jordan, in our very first game in the Cotton Bowl, said, ‘Hey, rookie, we’re going to the Super Bowl this year, and I don’t want you to do anything to mess it up. Lee Roy said that,” Cliff Harris once related. “And so that team was destined to go to the Super Bowl, so focused.”
And teammate Charlie Waters said several years ago of Jordan, “He was an excellent athlete and tough. I mean tough as the day is long.”
“A head coach of the defense,” as Tom Landry described him, Jordan retired with 1,236 team-credited tackles for his career, a Cowboys record that stood for 26 years until Darren Woodson broke the mark in 2002.
According to Pro Football Reference, Jordan is also one of only five linebackers in NFL history with at least 30 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries. He recorded three interceptions in one game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 4, 1973, returning one for a touchdown, and notably had two picks during the Cowboys’ run to the Super Bowl in 1971.
And though sacks weren’t an official statistic during his era, that same website credits him with 19.5 for his career. With that kind of overall production, he was named to the Pro Bowl five times and earned second-team All-Pro nods in both 1969 and 1973.
In 1989, Jordan was enshrined in the Cowboys Ring of Honor, becoming the first inductee by the current owner Jones.
“Lee Roy Jordan’s impact on the game, and on those who knew him, will live on forever,” Jones stated. “Our hearts go out to Lee Roy’s family, friends and loved ones.”
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