Rayfield Wright, the Pro Football Hall of Fame nicknamed "Big Cat", who went to five Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, died Thursday. He died at the age of 76.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame said that Wright had been hospitalized for several days after a severe seizure. The death was confirmed by the Cowboys.
Wright, a backup tight end for a couple of seasons, was asked if he wanted to play tackle by his coach. Wright said that he had never tackled before, but that he was going to make a good one.
Wright started at tackle in 1969 against the most dominant pass rush of that era, led by Deacon Jones. When Dallas made its first Super Bowl in 1970, Wright was the starter at right tackle. The Cowboys won their first Super Bowl title in 1971 and had a Pro Bowler for six years in a row. He was an All-Pro three times.
He was the best, according to Roger Staubach, the Hall of Fame quarterback. He was able to deal with some of the faster defensive ends because of his quick feet. If he got beat, I don't remember.
His nickname was Big Cat because he was so small.
Wright played only two games in 1977 because of knee surgery, after Dallas won another Super Bowl. He started 94 of the 98 regular-season games the previous seven seasons.
Wright was released by the Cowboys in the spring of 1979 after only 16 games in 1978 and 1979. He retired from the Eagles because of injuries he sustained early in training camp, despite signing with Philadelphia.
Wright was diagnosed with early stage dementia in 2012 and had been having seizures since his retirement. He believed they were caused by blows to the head while playing football. He had hidden his headaches, dizziness, and other symptoms.
Wright told The New York Times that he couldn't count the concussions he suffered during his career in the NFL.
Wright was presented to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, by Fort Valley State football coach Stan Lomax.
Before he went to Fort Valley State in his home state to play basketball, Wright didn't even make his high school football team for three years. He had to quit his summer job to join the football team.
Wright was tried at free safety, then used as a tight end, defensive end, and punt. The coach was a father figure to Wright, who was picked by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 1967.
After his junior season, Wright turned down an offer to play for the Cincinnati Royals in the NBA, so that he could finish school.
The Cowboys player personnel director called and said the team was interested in drafting him.
I realized that playing for the Cowboys was a God-given opportunity, and I couldn't ignore it. I went to the Cowboys training camp in July. The Royals camp didn't start until August, according to Wright in his Hall of Fame speech.
Wright said that he was one of 137 rookies in the Cowboys training camp in 1967. He was one of the five that made the team.
Wright was a backup tackle for the first two months of the 1969 season, then was thrust into the starting job when Ralph Neely got hurt. His first start was when Dallas played at the Los Angeles Rams with their Fearsome Foursome defense.
Wright later recalled that he looked at Deacon Jones square in his eyes, his eyes seem to be red as fire, and he kicked his back leg like a bull.
Wright was so shocked that Jones ran over him that he didn't know what to think.
Wright looked over at the sideline and thought that coach Landry was going to take him out of the game. I told Mr. Jones that he should not talk about my mother. You want to play the game this way, we will play it.
Wright got a game ball for the job he did against Jones. Their battles over the years helped build Wright's reputation.
The Cowboys had a losing record in 13 of Wright's 13 seasons, but they did make it to the Super Bowl five times. He was on the all-decade team for the 1970s.
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