| No. 55 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1941-04-27)April 27, 1941 (age 83) Excel, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 221 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Excel | ||||||||
| College: | Alabama (1960–1962) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1963: 1st round, 6th pick | ||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1963: 2nd round, 14 (byBoston Patriots)th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker for theDallas Cowboys of theNational Football League (NFL). After playingcollege football for theAlabama Crimson Tide under head coachPaul "Bear" Bryant, he played 14 years in the NFL for the Cowboys from 1963 to 1976. He was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1983.[1][2]
Born and raised inExcel, Alabama, Jordan was the fifth of seven children of Walter Sr. and Cleo Jordan. He has three older brothers Walter Jr., Carl and Bennie Ray and three sisters Lottie, Agnes and Darlene (who died at age two, of leukemia).[1][3] He was a standout atfullback atExcel High School and graduated in 1959.[4] He playedcollege football for theUniversity of Alabama inTuscaloosa under head coachBear Bryant.
Jordan excelled as both alinebacker andcenter for theCrimson Tide.[3] In his sophomore season of1960, he helped the Crimson Tide finish with an 8–1–2 record. In theBluebonnet Bowl, versus theTexas Longhorns, he was named the game's MVP in a 3–3 tie.[5]
Thefollowing year, Jordan was again an important part of the team as Alabama finished with an 11–0 record, aSoutheastern Conference (SEC) championship, and thenational championship. The season included six shutouts, which included a 34–0 win over rivalAuburn. Led by senior quarterbackPat Trammell (1940–1968), Alabama wrapped up the season with a 10–3 victory overArkansas in theSugar Bowl.[6]
In his senior season in1962, the Crimson Tide fell short of another national championship with a 10–1 record with sophomore quarterbackJoe Namath. The loss was by one point atGeorgia Tech in mid-November, their first defeat in over two years.[7] In his final game for the Tide, Jordan recorded 31 tackles in a 17–0 victory overOklahoma in theOrange Bowl, attended by PresidentJohn F. Kennedy.[8][9] For his performance, he received his second MVP award in a bowl game. At the end of his senior year, he received unanimousAll-American status and the Lineman of the Year award.[10][11]
During his career for Alabama, Jordan received high praise from Bryant, who stated, "He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen. If runners stayed between the sidelines, he tackled them. He never had a bad day, he was 100 percent every day in practice and in the games."[11]
In early August 1963 inChicago, he was part of theCollege All-Star team that defeated thedefending championGreen Bay Packers.[4][12][13]
In 1980, he was inducted into theAlabama Sports Hall of Fame. In 1983, he was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame.[2] In 1988, he received theNCAA Silver Anniversary Award.[14]
Jordan was selected sixth overall in the1963 NFL draft by theDallas Cowboys, and was the fourteenth overall pick in theAFL draft, taken by theBoston Patriots. He chose theNFL and signed in early January.[15] During preseason in1963 he was named the Cowboys'weakside linebacker and became the first rookie linebacker in franchise history to start a season-opener.
He shared time withJerry Tubbs atmiddle linebacker in1965,[16] then took over and teamed up withChuck Howley andDave Edwards to form one of the greatest linebacking corps in NFL history. His teammates nicknamed him "Killer" and named him team captain for the defense.
In1971, he had a team-record 21 tackles againstPhiladelphia Eagles on September 26.[17] On November 4,1973, he intercepted three passes in the first quarter from theCincinnati Bengals'Ken Anderson within the span of five minutes, returning one 31 yards for atouchdown. The picks were collectively named one of the ten most memorable moments in the history ofTexas Stadium byESPN in 2008.[18]
Jordan was usually the smallest middle linebacker in the league at only 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and 220 pounds (100 kg) (15 lb (7 kg) more than at Alabama), but his competitiveness and drive made up for his lack of size. Head coachTom Landry said of Jordan, "He was a great competitor. He was not big for a middle linebacker, but because of his competitiveness, he was able to play the game and play it well. His leadership was there and he demanded a lot out of the people around him as he did of himself."[19] He ran Landry's "Flex" defense on the field with unmatched intensity and efficiency. He watched game film endlessly; his contract included a projector for his home.
He became the franchise's all-time leader in solo tackles (743) in his 14 seasons with the Cowboys. He was a two-time All-Pro and a five-timePro Bowler. He also helped the Cowboys to threeSuper Bowls and fiveNFC Championship games. Jordan was an able defender against the run and pass, and had a penchant for recovering loose footballs. He remains tied for second in club history with 18 career fumble recoveries.
More than 25 years after his retirement, Jordan still ranks second in Cowboys' history in career solo tackles with 743, second in career assisted tackles with 493, second in combined total tackles with 1,236 and first with 154 consecutive starts. He also holds the third and fourth highest totals of solo tackles in a single season with 100 in1975 and 97 in1968. In his 14 NFL seasons, he intercepted 32 passes (seventh in club history), returning them for 472 yards and threetouchdowns.
He was selected to Cowboys Silver Season All-Time Team. In 1988, he was among fifteen finalists for induction into thePro Football Hall of Fame but did not make the cut (among those finalists, him andLou Rymkus are the only ones who did not eventually become elected into the Hall).[20] In1989, he became the seventh member of theDallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.[1] He was the first member inducted byJerry Jones.
In 2018, theProfessional Football Researchers Association named Jordan to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2018[21]
Jordan married his college sweetheart, Mary "Biddie" Banks ofEutaw, and they had three sons,[16][22] David, Lee and Chris Jordan.[1]
Jordan currently heads the Lee Roy JordanLumber Company, headquartered in Dallas.[23]