Rayfield Wright
Encyclopedia
Larry Rayfield Wright is a former American football
offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys
of the National Football League
and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
. Wright attended Fort Valley State College
and was an All-America
n selection.
Unable to make his high school football team, he went to Fort Valley State College to play basketball. The following summer, coach Stan Lomax made him quit his summer job at a mill to get ready to join the football team.
Lomax tried Wright at free safety, then used him as a punter, defensive end
and tight end
. The coach also became a father figure to the fatherless Wright.
He was a standout basketball player at Fort Valley State College and was eventually drafted
by the Dallas Cowboys
in the 1967 NFL Draft
as a tight end
.
In 1969, Wright got his first chance as a starter
after Ralph Neely
was sidelined by injury. The man he would face all afternoon was the Los Angeles Rams future Hall of Fame
defensive end
Deacon Jones
, who was in his prime.
Wright's performance was so strong that he won a starting role as right tackle before the first day of the 1970 training camp.
For thirteen seasons, Wright played 166-games, started at right tackle in six NFC Championship game
s, and played in five Super Bowl
s, winning two of them (Super Bowl VI
and Super Bowl XII
). He earned his first of four All-NFL honors in 1971 and was voted that same year to the first of six straight Pro Bowl
s.
Wright was named first- or second-team All-Pro each season from 1971 through 1976, earned three All-NFC honors, and the Cowboys led the league for total offense five times (ranked 6th all-time at retirement in 1979). His blocking (and leadership as the team's co-captain for 7 years) helped the Cowboys win 10 division titles and six conference crowns.
He anchored the line for an offense that finished in the top 10 in scoring all 10 seasons in the 1970s, while helping pave the way for the first five 1,000-yard rushers in Dallas Cowboys
history.
Wright played at a time when the right tackle was the most important spot on the offensive line, and was usually paired against the opponent's best pass rusher.
Wright broke every time-honored mold previously held for men of his size. He was light on his feet and possessed an athleticism that had him miscast as a tight end and defensive end for the first three years of his NFL career.
A knee injury he suffered in 1977 cut short a season that would have surely gained him his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl, as he was considered the NFL's premier offensive tackle at the time.http://www.dallascowboys.com/history_roh.cfm?player=wright
"Rayfield could do it all," said former Cowboys running back
Calvin Hill
after Wright's election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
. "He could pull. He could run in the open field. He could finesse-block and power-block in the run game. And there was no one better in pass-blocking. He was dominant."
"He was absolutely the best," said Roger Staubach
. "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."
Was voted the NFLPA NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1972.
Wright was also presented with a number of individual awards following the conclusion of his career, including the NFL All-Super Bowl Team (1990), the Dallas Cowboys 1st Anniversary Team (1985), the Cowboys' own Ring of Honor (2004), the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
(2005). and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s.
. Wright's post-football involvement with at-risk, inner city youth resulted in his appointment to the Juvenile Supreme Court in Arizona. He also served as president of the NFL Alumni Chapter, “Caring for Kids” program in the mid-nineties. He philanthropic endeavors, including the non-profit "Kids 4 Tomorrow" organization he co-founded with some other NFL players, were featured in Volume 9 of the Philanthropy World Magazinehttp://www.philanthropyintexas.com/0905/harris-wright.htm, along with fellow former-Cowboy teammate, Cliff Harris
. The Athletes International Ministries awarded him Hall of Faith Award in 1997.
Wright was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
in 1988. He was a member of the NFL All-Time Super Bowl Team in 1990 and received the NFL Legends Award that same year. He was inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, Rayfield Wright was inducted in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
. In 2006, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
. He was officially inducted, with introduction by college coach Leon J. "Stan" Lomax, during the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 6, 2006 where his bust, sculpted by Scott Myers
, was unveiled.
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...
offensive tackle 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...
of 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...
and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
High school and college years
Wright attended Fairmont High School in Griffin, Georgia and was a letterman in basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. Wright attended Fort Valley State College
Fort Valley State University
Fort Valley State University is a historically black university located in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is also a unit of the University System of Georgia and a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
and was an 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 selection.
Unable to make his high school football team, he went to Fort Valley State College to play basketball. The following summer, coach Stan Lomax made him quit his summer job at a mill to get ready to join the football team.
Lomax tried Wright at free safety, then used him as a punter, defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
and tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
. The coach also became a father figure to the fatherless Wright.
He was a standout basketball player at Fort Valley State College and was eventually drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by 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...
in the 1967 NFL Draft
1967 NFL Draft
The 1967 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft in the first year in which the NFL and AFL held a joint draft of college players on March 14–15.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
as a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
.
Professional career
During his first three years with Dallas, the six-foot-six, 255-pound "Big Cat" was used as a tight end, defensive lineman, and offensive tackle.In 1969, Wright got his first chance as a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
after Ralph Neely
Ralph Neely
Ralph Eugene Neely is a former American football offensive tackle who played 13 seasons and 172 games for the Dallas Cowboys from 1965 to 1977.-Early years:...
was sidelined by injury. The man he would face all afternoon was the Los Angeles Rams future Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Deacon Jones
Deacon Jones
David D. "Deacon" Jones is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.Jones specialized in quarterback sacks, a term attributed to him...
, who was in his prime.
Wright's performance was so strong that he won a starting role as right tackle before the first day of the 1970 training camp.
For thirteen seasons, Wright played 166-games, started at right tackle in six NFC Championship game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
s, and played in five 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, winning two of them (Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl VI was an American football game played on January 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1971 regular season...
and Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
). He earned his first of four All-NFL honors in 1971 and was voted that same year to the first of six straight Pro Bowl
Pro 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...
s.
Wright was named first- or second-team All-Pro each season from 1971 through 1976, earned three All-NFC honors, and the Cowboys led the league for total offense five times (ranked 6th all-time at retirement in 1979). His blocking (and leadership as the team's co-captain for 7 years) helped the Cowboys win 10 division titles and six conference crowns.
He anchored the line for an offense that finished in the top 10 in scoring all 10 seasons in the 1970s, while helping pave the way for the first five 1,000-yard rushers in 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...
history.
Wright played at a time when the right tackle was the most important spot on the offensive line, and was usually paired against the opponent's best pass rusher.
Wright broke every time-honored mold previously held for men of his size. He was light on his feet and possessed an athleticism that had him miscast as a tight end and defensive end for the first three years of his NFL career.
A knee injury he suffered in 1977 cut short a season that would have surely gained him his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl, as he was considered the NFL's premier offensive tackle at the time.http://www.dallascowboys.com/history_roh.cfm?player=wright
"Rayfield could do it all," said former Cowboys running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Calvin Hill
Calvin Hill
Calvin G. Hill is a retired American football running back who had a 12-year NFL career from 1969 to 1981. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns...
after Wright's election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. "He could pull. He could run in the open field. He could finesse-block and power-block in the run game. And there was no one better in pass-blocking. He was dominant."
"He was absolutely the best," said Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
. "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."
Was voted the NFLPA NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1972.
Wright was also presented with a number of individual awards following the conclusion of his career, including the NFL All-Super Bowl Team (1990), the Dallas Cowboys 1st Anniversary Team (1985), the Cowboys' own Ring of Honor (2004), the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Texas Sports Hall of Fame
The Texas Sports Hall of Fame recognizes athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made "lasting fame and honor to Texas sports". It was established in 1951 by the Texas Sports Writers Association. Once it made its first induction in 1951, Texas became the first U.S...
(2005). and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s.
After the NFL
In 1992, Wright served as an assistant coach to the Arizona RattlersArizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
. Wright's post-football involvement with at-risk, inner city youth resulted in his appointment to the Juvenile Supreme Court in Arizona. He also served as president of the NFL Alumni Chapter, “Caring for Kids” program in the mid-nineties. He philanthropic endeavors, including the non-profit "Kids 4 Tomorrow" organization he co-founded with some other NFL players, were featured in Volume 9 of the Philanthropy World Magazinehttp://www.philanthropyintexas.com/0905/harris-wright.htm, along with fellow former-Cowboy teammate, Cliff Harris
Cliff Harris
Clifford Allen Harris is a former professional American football safety who played for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League for ten seasons.-Professional career:...
. The Athletes International Ministries awarded him Hall of Faith Award in 1997.
Wright was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in America at .-Exhibitions:The Hall of Fame houses over of exhibit space broken down into sections including Hall of Fame Inductees, High School, collegiate sports, Olympic, Paralympic,...
in 1988. He was a member of the NFL All-Time Super Bowl Team in 1990 and received the NFL Legends Award that same year. He was inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, Rayfield Wright was inducted in the Dallas Cowboys 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...
. In 2006, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. He was officially inducted, with introduction by college coach Leon J. "Stan" Lomax, during the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 6, 2006 where his bust, sculpted by Scott Myers
Scott Myers
Scott Myers is an American painter and sculptor who lives and works in Texas. He graduated Texas A&M University in 1984 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He studied sculpture throughout Italy focusing on Florence, Venice and Rome. Sculpting in Tuscany, he cast his work in bronze at the...
, was unveiled.