D.D. Lewis, a Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys, died earlier this week at the age of 79.
The linebacker was a key member of the Cowboys’ ‘Doomsday’ defense, playing an integral role in the franchise’s two Super Bowl victories in the 1970s.
The team confirmed his passing on Wednesday. No cause of death was given.
Lewis began his football career as a standout linebacker with Mississippi State, where he was an All-American and a College Football Hall of Famer.
He was a two-time First Team All-SEC performer and was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 1967 – his senior season.
Lewis was drafted by the Cowboys in the sixth round of the 1968 NFL Draft. After a one-year military stint, he joined the team in 1970, going on to 13 seasons with Dallas, playing in 186 games that included 135 starts.
D.D. Lewis (L), a Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys, has died at the age of 79
The linebacker (No 50) was a key member of the Cowboys’ ‘Doomsday’ defense
The Mississippi State product appeared in seven NFC title games and five Super Bowls
He began his career in Dallas as a backup to Chuck Howley – including for the Cowboys’ Super Bowl winning season in 1971 – before stepping into the starting role in 1973.
Lewis never experienced a losing season with the Cowboys, reaching the playoffs in 12 of his 13 years.
The linebacker appeared in seven NFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls, helping Dallas hoist the Lombardi Trophy in both 1971 and 1977.
Lewis’ 27 playoff games as a member of the Cowboys is the most in franchise history. It was an NFL record at the time, which, among non-kickers, his league mark has been surpassed over the years by only two players: Tom Brady and Jerry Rice.
In his final season of 1981, Lewis was given the Cowboys’ Man of the Year Award. He was also voted to the franchise’s Silver Anniversary Team in 1984.
Lewis was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Mississippi State’s Ring of Honor ten years later.
