We have decided to feature a "Legend of the Star" every week during offseason. There are many past Cowboys who deserve recognition for helping the team we know and love become "America’s Team". It will be interesting to learn about a different Cowboy every week. Just because our football season is over doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy it! Thanks for all of your support throughout the season and beyond!
Many of us Cowboy fans have all heard of Bob Lilly at one time or another. We may have heard that he was the best Defensive Tackle in Cowboy history, or that he is permanently enshrined in the "Ring of Honor" at Texas Stadium. But there is more to Bob Lilly than meets the eye and that’s why he was chosen as the first player profiled in our new feature, "Legends of the Star."
Bob Lilly was born in 1939 and went to Texas Christian Univerity where he became a star defensive end and was named to the All-America team. As part of this honor he received a camera as one of his awards, a gift that would surely impact the rest of his life.
In 1961 Bob was drafted with first overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys and became their first ever draft pick. In his third year with the Cowboys, coach Tom Landry switched his position to Defensive Tackle where he excelled, and was named to the All-NFL team a record 8 times. He was often called "Mr. Cowboy" and was the first player ever to be inducted into the "Ring of Honor". During his long 14 year Hall of Fame career he was as durable as they came missing only one game to a leg injury. He is a member of the All Century Team and in 1999 was ranked number 10 on the "100 Greatest Football Players" by the Sporting News. Sports Illustrated calls him the greatest Defensive Tackle in NFL history.
Aside from football, Bob Lilly went on to become a noted photographer, a career that stemmed back to the day he began using the camera he won as an All-American. His interests included photographs of magnificent sunsets, majestic mountain ranges and scenic landscapes that captured all the natural beauty of the midwest. He has launched a successful business where people can buy some of his most famous photographs.
Where is Ken Norton, Erik Williams, Dat Nyugen? All should be on this list.