Rayfield Wright, the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame offensive deal with nicknamed “Big Cat” who went to 5 Tremendous Bowls in his 13 NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, died Thursday. He was 76.
Wright’s household confirmed his dying Thursday to the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame, which stated Wright had been hospitalized for a number of days following a extreme seizure. The Cowboys additionally confirmed the dying.
An enormous participant for his period at 6-foot-6 and over 250 kilos, Wright had already been a backup tight finish for a few seasons when coach Tom Landry requested him about taking part in deal with. A stunned Wright stated he had by no means performed deal with in his life, however Landry informed him he would make a very good one.
Wright first began at deal with in a 1969 recreation lined up in opposition to Deacon Jones, probably the most dominant cross rusher of that period. Wright held his personal and settled in because the full-time starter at proper deal with in 1970, when Dallas made its first Tremendous Bowl. The Cowboys then gained their first Tremendous Bowl title in 1971, the primary of six consecutive seasons Wright was a Professional Bowler. He was a three-time All-Professional.
“He was absolutely the best,” Corridor of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach stated earlier than Wright’s corridor induction in 2006. “Rayfield was a big, strong guy that was able to transfer his size and strength from tight end to tackle. He also had such quick feet that he was able to deal with some of the faster defensive ends and even the linebacker blitzes. If he got beat, I don’t remember it.”
His “Big Cat” nickname was due to being so nimble for his measurement.
Dallas gained one other Tremendous Bowl in 1977, however Wright performed solely two video games that season due to knee surgical procedure. He had performed in 95 of the group’s 98 regular-season video games, beginning 94 of them, the earlier seven seasons.
After Wright began solely 16 of his 31 video games in 1978 and 1979, he was launched by the Cowboys the next spring. He signed with NFC East rival Philadelphia, however formally retired due to lingering accidents early in coaching camp with out taking part in a recreation for the Eagles.
Wright was recognized with early stage dementia in 2012, however had lengthy been tormented by seizures since his retirement. He believed they had been from the results of continued blows to the top whereas taking part in soccer. He had lengthy hidden coping with complications, dizziness and, at instances, unexplained irritability and forgetfulness.
In a 2014 interview with The New York Occasions, Wright stated he incurred so many concussions throughout his NFL profession that he could not even depend them.
When lastly inducted into the Corridor of Fame greater than a quarter-century after his final recreation, Wright was offered in Canton, Ohio, by longtime Fort Valley State soccer coach Stan Lomax.
Wright did not even make his highschool soccer group for 3 years in Griffin, Georgia, earlier than he went to Fort Valley State in his house state to play basketball. The next summer time, Lomax made him stop his summer time job at a mill to prepare to affix the soccer group.
Lomax tried Wright at free security, then used him as a punter, defensive finish and tight finish. The coach additionally grew to become a father determine to Wright, who was picked by the Cowboys within the seventh spherical of the 1967 NFL draft.
Wright nonetheless most popular basketball, although he turned down a suggestion after his junior season to signal with the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals, the franchise that’s now the Sacramento Kings, in order that he might end college.
His sights had been nonetheless set on the NBA when Cowboys participant personnel director Gil Brandt known as and stated the group was desirous about drafting him.
“I realized that potential, playing for the Cowboys, was a God-given opportunity, and I couldn’t ignore it. I decided to attend the Cowboys’ training camp which was in July. The Royals camp didn’t start till August,” Wright stated in his Corridor of Fame speech. “I kind of figured that if I didn’t make the Cowboys team, I could go right to the NBA.”
Wright stated Brandt was “signing everybody that could walk” and that he was amongst 137 rookies within the Cowboys’ coaching camp in 1967. He was considered one of 5 that made the group.
Wright was a backup deal with the primary two months of the 1969 season, then thrust into the beginning job when Ralph Neely obtained damage. His first begin got here when Dallas, then 8-1, performed on the 9-0 Los Angeles Rams with their Fearsome Foursome protection.
“We go up to the line of scrimmage and I’m looking at Deacon Jones square in his eyes, his eyes seem to be red as fire, he’s kicking his back leg like a bull,” Wright later recalled. “I’m saying to myself, ‘My God, what have I got myself into?'”
Earlier than the ball was snapped, Jones bellowed, “Boy, does your Mama know you out here?” Wright was so surprised that Jones ran over him.
“I rolled over, looked over at our sideline thinking that coach Landry was going to take me out of the game,” Wright stated. “By that time, Deacon Jones reached his big arms down and said, `Hey, rookie, welcome to the NFL.’ … I said, `Well, Mr. Jones, you don’t know my Mama, so don’t talk about her. You want to play the game this way, we’ll play it.'”
The Rams gained 24-23, however Wright obtained a recreation ball for the job he wound up doing in opposition to Jones. Their duels through the years went a great distance towards constructing Wright’s status.
Dallas by no means had a shedding file in Wright’s 13 seasons, a span that included eight NFC championship video games and people 5 Tremendous Bowl appearances. He was a part of the NFL’s all-decade group for the Seventies.
