Cowboys legend Lee Roy Jordan dead

I will admit, this story is a little personal for me, as I am a longtime Dallas Cowboys fan, which was not easy growing up in Philadelphia.

A name I remember from those original glory days, just a young child at the time, is Lee Roy Jordan, an anchor to the “Doomsday Defense.”

Sadly, Jordan is gone, with reports surfacing over the weekend that he has passed away.

Stud

To call Jordan a stud is an understatement. He was an All-American at Alabama, having won the National Championship in 1962.

He was drafted in the first round, sixth overall, by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1963 NFL Draft. He was also drafted by the Boston Patriots in the AFL draft, but wound up signing with the Cowboys.

His career got off to a bit of a slow start, sharing time at middle linebacker with Jerry Tubbs, but he eventually took over and became the anchor for one of the greatest defenses in the history of the game, which came to be known as the “Doomsday Defense.”

Some of the greats that were included with Doomsday I and Doomsday II are Bob Lilly, Jethro Pugh, Larry Cole, Randy White, Havery Martin, and Ed “Too Tall” Jones.

Amazing Career

Some of his career highlights include 21 tackles against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1971 (yes, I chose that purposely to take a dig at Eagles fans) and intercepting Bengals’ QB Ken Anderson three times in one game, one of which he ran back for a TD.

Jordan finished his career with 743 solo tackles, second only to Darren Woodson all-time, and a record that stood for nearly two decades until Woodson broke it.

He is in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, had five Pro Bowl appearances (when it actually meant something), and is a Super Bowl champion (SB VI).

This man is the definition of old-school football, and why he is not in the Hall of Fame is criminal.

He’s Gone

While no details of his death were announced, the Dallas Cowboys announced his passing this weekend.

The team, in part, stated, "With fearless instincts, leadership and relentless work ethic, Jordan was the embodiment of the Cowboys’ spirit. Off the field, his commitment to his community was the centerpiece of his life after retiring in 1976."

Cliff Harris reminisced, "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. And so that team was destined to go to the Super Bowl, so focused."

I was so young, many of the memories of the 1970s Cowboys have faded, but he was one of the reasons I fell in love with the team. Rest in peace, Lee Roy, and thank you for the amazing memories.