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Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker D.D. Lewis, a cornerstone of the 'Doomsday Defense' that won Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII, has died at the age of 79, the Cowboys announced on their official website Thursday (September 17).
Lewis, an All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and two-time First-team All-SEC selection at Mississippi State who was eventually enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, was picked by Dallas at No. 159 overall in the sixth-round of the 1968 NFL Draft and spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the franchise. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native had a one-year military stint before returning to the Cowboys in 1070, initially backing up Chuck Howley before taking over as a full-time starter in 1973.
"It took two or three years for it to click for me and understand what it's all about," Lewis once said during an interview for the Cowboys' Deep Blue documentary series via DallasCowboys.com. "But especially when Chuck got hurt in the 1972 season, that's when I got my chance to play."
Lewis only missed four regular season games in 13 seasons, which included making 132 starts out of a possible 134 at weakside linebacker from 1973 to 1981 on the famed 'Doomsday Defense,' playing alongside middle linebacker Lee Roy Jordan and later Bob Breunig under legendary head coach Tom Landry. Dallas never had a losing season during Lewis' 13 seasons, having made 12 playoff appearances, including seven NFC Championship Games and five Super Bowl appearances.
Lewis is also remembered for providing the legendary quote claiming Texas Stadium, the Cowboys' longtime former home, "as a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play."