Former Cowboys offensive lineman Tom Rafferty passed away on Thursday in Windsor, Colorado, after suffering a stroke, according to Kevin Sherrington from the Dallas Morning News. He was 70 years old.
Rafferty’s daughter, Rachel Powers, shared with Sherrington that her father had been in the hospital since early May.
The Cowboys selected Rafferty in the fourth round of the 1976 draft, and he played his entire 14-year career with the team in Dallas. He was teammates with Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman.
In his second season, Rafferty stepped in for Blaine Nye at right guard and held that position for four seasons before transitioning to center. He participated in two Super Bowls and set a record by starting 167 consecutive games, which was the longest streak in franchise history at that time.
Midway through the 1989 season, Mark Stepnoski took over Rafferty’s position, and Rafferty retired at the end of that season. He played in a total of 203 games, starting 182 of them.
After retiring from football, Rafferty moved into sports equipment sales for his second career.
