The Dallas Cowboys announced on Saturday the death of former linebacker Lee Roy Jordan, a Ring of Honor member and Super Bowl Champion who spent his entire career with the team. He was 84.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we share the passing of Lee Roy Jordan. An inspirational leader of the Cowboys’ first championship teams, Jordan was at the core of the Dallas Cowboys’ ‘Doomsday Defense,’ anchoring the middle linebacker spot for 14 years,” the team said in a statement on social media.
Advertisement
Jordan played for the Cowboys from 1963-1976, spending his entire career with the team. He helped lead Dallas to its first Super Bowl championship, at Super Bowl VI in 1971.
Jordan was born and raised in Excel, Alabama, and played football with the Crimson Tide. Jordan helped lead Alabama to a national championship in 1961, and was named an unanimous All-American in 1962. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Jordan was Alabama’s oldest-living All-American at the time of his death, and is considered one of the best defensive players in the school’s history.
Jordan was drafted by the Cowboys sixth overall in the 1963 NFL Draft, and was a five-time Pro Bowler throughout his career. He was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but did not make the final cut.
Advertisement
Jordan was added to the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor in 1989, becoming the seventh person to receive the honor. Per the team, Jordan was the first Cowboy inducted into the Ring of Honor under team owner Jerry Jones’ tenure.
“With fearless instincts, leadership and a relentless work ethic, Jordan was the embodiment of the Cowboys’ spirit,” 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.”