Legendary Former Alabama Linebacker Passes Away

On Saturday, Former Alabama and Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Lee Roy Jordan passed away at the age of 84.

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Jordan played for the Tide back in the 1960s, where he was an All-American in 1962, and was actually Alabama’s oldest living All-American. The Dallas Cowboys announced Jordan’s death via a statement.

Jordan, a native of Excel, Alabama, was a key player on the Crimson Tide’s 1961 national championship team, which marked the program’s first national title under the legendary head coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant. As the team captain, Jordan led a defense that recorded six shutouts and allowed no more than seven points to any opponent during the Tide’s perfect 11-0 season. In his final game with Alabama, he delivered an impressive performance, recording 31 tackles in the Tide’s 17-0 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl.

The former All-American was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1980 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. He was highly regarded by his former college coach, who once stated, “He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen. If runners stayed between the sidelines, he tackled them.” Bryant also remarked, “He never had a bad day; he was 100 percent every day in practice and in games,” according to the National Football Foundation.

Jordan had a successful NFL career after being selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the sixth overall pick in the 1963 Draft. He played for the Cowboys for 14 seasons, achieving significant milestones during his tenure with the team. Notably, he won Super Bowl VI in 1972, where they defeated the Miami Dolphins 24-3. The following year, he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year and earned five Pro Bowl selections throughout his career.

In 1989, Jerry Jones elected Jordan into the Ring of Honor, an exclusive club for former players and coaches inducted by Jones.

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