Lee Roy Jordan
Encyclopedia
Lee Roy Jordan is a retired American football
linebacker
. After attending the University of Alabama
, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant
, he spent 14 years in the National Football League
playing for the Dallas Cowboys
between 1963–1976. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1983.
team under legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant
. He played as both a linebacker
and center
for the team. In his sophomore season of 1960, he helped the Crimson Tide finish with an 8–2–1 record. In the Bluebonnet Bowl
, versus the Texas Longhorns
, he was named the game's MVP in a 3–3 tie.
The following year, Jordan was again an important part of the team as Alabama finished with an 11–0 record, a SEC
Championship, and a National Championship
. The season included six shutout
s, which included a 34–0 blowout of rival Auburn
. Alabama wrapped up the season with a 10–3 victory over Arkansas
in the Sugar Bowl
.
In his senior season, the Crimson Tide fell short of another National Championship with a 10–1 record. In his final game for the Tide, Jordan recorded 31 tackles in a 17–0 victory over Oklahoma
in the Orange Bowl
. For his performance, he received his second MVP award in a bowl game. At the end of his senior year, he received unanimous All-America
n status.
During his career for Alabama, Jordan received high praises from coach Bear Bryant. Bryant 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."
er. He also helped the Cowboys to three Super Bowl
s and five NFC
Championship games.
Jordan was somewhat small for his position at only 6"1 and 215 pounds, but his competitiveness and drive made up for his lack of size. Head coach Tom 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."
He teamed up with Chuck Howley
and Dave Edwards, to form one of the greatest linebacking corps in NFL history.
His teammates nicknamed him "Killer". Jordan was team captain for the defense and ran Landry's "Flex" defense on the field with unmatched intensity. He watched game film endlessly, his contract included a projector for his home.
On Sept. 26, 1971, he had a team-record 21 tackles against Philadelphia.
On Oct. 28, 1973, he had 14 solo tackles against Philadelphia, which ranks him tied for third on the club's all-time list.
On November 4, 1973, Jordan intercepted three passes in the first quarter from the Cincinnati Bengals
' Ken Anderson within the span of five minutes, returning one 31 yards for a touchdown. The picks were collectively named one of the ten most memorable moments in the history of Texas Stadium
by ESPN
in 2008.
Not only was Jordan an able defender against the run and pass, he also had a penchant for recovering loose footballs. He remains tied for second in club history with 16 career fumble recoveries.
In his 14 NFL seasons, Jordan intercepted 32 passes (tied for third-most all-time by linebackers), returning them for 472 yards and three touchdowns. He also recovered 18 fumbles, returning them for 37 yards.
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 and second in combined total tackles with 1,236. Jordan still holds the third and fourth highest totals of solo tackles in a single season with 100 in 1975 and 97 in 1968.
. In 1989, he became the seventh member of the Dallas Cowboys
Ring of Honor
at Texas Stadium
. He was the first member inducted by Jerry Jones.
Jordan currently heads the Lee Roy Jordan Lumber
Company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas
.
He now resides in Point Clear, Alabama.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. After attending the University of Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
, he spent 14 years in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
playing for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
between 1963–1976. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1983.
Alabama
Between 1960–1962, Jordan was a standout for the Alabama Crimson Tide footballAlabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
team under legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
. He played as both a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for the team. In his sophomore season of 1960, he helped the Crimson Tide finish with an 8–2–1 record. In the Bluebonnet Bowl
Bluebonnet Bowl
The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 1959 through 1967, and again in 1985 and 1986. The game was...
, versus the Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, he was named the game's MVP in a 3–3 tie.
The following year, Jordan was again an important part of the team as Alabama finished with an 11–0 record, a SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Championship, and a National Championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
. The season included six shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, which included a 34–0 blowout of rival Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
. Alabama wrapped up the season with a 10–3 victory over Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in the Sugar Bowl
1962 Sugar Bowl
The 1962 Sugar Bowl featured the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, and the 9th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks.-Alabama:Alabama entered the contest undefeated and as champions of the SEC.-Arkansas:...
.
In his senior season, the Crimson Tide fell short of another National Championship with a 10–1 record. In his final game for the Tide, Jordan recorded 31 tackles in a 17–0 victory over Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
. For his performance, he received his second MVP award in a bowl game. At the end of his senior year, he received unanimous All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n status.
During his career for Alabama, Jordan received high praises from coach Bear Bryant. Bryant 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."
Professional
He was drafted by the Cowboys in 1963. 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-time Pro BowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er. He also helped the Cowboys to three Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s and five NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Championship games.
Jordan was somewhat small for his position at only 6"1 and 215 pounds, but his competitiveness and drive made up for his lack of size. Head coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
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."
He teamed up with Chuck Howley
Chuck Howley
Charles Louis "Chuck" Howley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League...
and Dave Edwards, to form one of the greatest linebacking corps in NFL history.
His teammates nicknamed him "Killer". Jordan was team captain for the defense and ran Landry's "Flex" defense on the field with unmatched intensity. He watched game film endlessly, his contract included a projector for his home.
On Sept. 26, 1971, he had a team-record 21 tackles against Philadelphia.
On Oct. 28, 1973, he had 14 solo tackles against Philadelphia, which ranks him tied for third on the club's all-time list.
On November 4, 1973, Jordan intercepted three passes in the first quarter from the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
' Ken Anderson within the span of five minutes, returning one 31 yards for a touchdown. The picks were collectively named one of the ten most memorable moments in the history of Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 2008.
Not only was Jordan an able defender against the run and pass, he also had a penchant for recovering loose footballs. He remains tied for second in club history with 16 career fumble recoveries.
In his 14 NFL seasons, Jordan intercepted 32 passes (tied for third-most all-time by linebackers), returning them for 472 yards and three touchdowns. He also recovered 18 fumbles, returning them for 37 yards.
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 and second in combined total tackles with 1,236. Jordan still holds the third and fourth highest totals of solo tackles in a single season with 100 in 1975 and 97 in 1968.
Personal life
In 1983, Jordan became a member of the College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
. In 1989, he became the seventh member of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
Ring of Honor
Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
The Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor was a ring around Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas and currently around Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas which honors former players, coaches and club officials who made outstanding contributions to the Dallas Cowboys football organization. The Ring of Honor began...
at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
. He was the first member inducted by Jerry Jones.
Jordan currently heads the Lee Roy Jordan Lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
Company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
He now resides in Point Clear, Alabama.
See also
- Most consecutive starts by a middle linebacker
External links
- Dallas Cowboys: Lee Roy Jordan
- HickokSports.com: Lee Roy Jordan
- College Football News: 100 Greatest Players of All-Time #32 Lee Roy Jordan
- Pro-Football-Reference.com: Lee Roy Jordan
- Lee Roy Jordan Lumber Company
- Gallery of Lee Roy Jordan football cards