Lee Roy Jordan, a key linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys’ inaugural Super Bowl-winning team in the 1970s, has passed away at 84.
The Cowboys confirmed his death on Saturday, without disclosing the date or cause. Selected in the first round by Dallas in 1963 after a stellar career under coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama, Jordan was a cornerstone of the “Doomsday” defense that powered the Cowboys to a 24-3 win over the Miami Dolphins in the 1971 Super Bowl.
He retired in 1976, a year before the team’s second championship. A five-time Pro Bowler, Jordan was the first to be honored in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor after Jerry Jones acquired the team in 1989.
Lee Roy Jordan remains second on the Dallas Cowboys’ all-time tackles list with 1,236, trailing only Darren Woodson, a safety from the 1990s three-time Super Bowl-winning teams, who recorded 1,350.
The Cowboys praised Jordan as the epitome of their spirit, highlighting his fearless instincts, leadership, and tireless work ethic. Off the field, his dedication to community service defined his post-retirement life after 1976.
The Cowboys earned the nickname “next year’s champions” after their 1967 “Ice Bowl” defeat to Green Bay, who won Super Bowl 2. Three years later, Dallas fell to the Baltimore Colts on a last-second field goal in the Super Bowl.
Their breakthrough came in 1971, with Jordan and Chuck Howley leading the linebacking corps, alongside defensive tackle Bob Lilly, whose 29-yard sack of Bob Griese became the defining moment of the Super Bowl victory.
At Alabama, Jordan was a defensive standout on the 1961 national championship team and earned AP All-American honors in 1962. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983, Alabama hailed him as a “legend” in a Saturday social media post, affirming his enduring place in Crimson Tide history.
