The Dallas Cowboys are mourning the death of a two-time Super Bowl champion on Wednesday evening.
Earlier on Wednesday, reports surfaced, announcing that legendary Dallas Cowboys star D.D. Lewis had died. He was 79 years old. The 1968 NFL Draft pick played collegiately at Mississippi State. He went on to play for the Cowboys for 13 seasons. Lewis went on to start 132 out of a possible 134 contests at weakside linebacker from 1973-81.
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He played next to Lee Roy Jordan, who passed away on August 30, and later Bob Breunig.
“Yeah, D.D.’s such a great guy,” Breunig said several years ago. “D.D. was a locker room peacemaker, peacekeeper, because everybody loved D.D. I mean, he’s got this happy spirit about him and was a great linebacker, too, by the way.”
Lewis added: “I never realized that we had such a great defense until I got out of football and started looking back at it. But my attitude was, ‘Okay we won that one, but let’s get back to work on the next one, you know? Let’s put it together.'”
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Dallas Cowboys helmet. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Tom Pennington/Getty Images
The Dallas Cowboys are officially mourning his loss, calling him one of the most “underappreciated” players in franchise history.
Lewis was a two-time Super Bowl champion and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Dallas Cowboys saddened by his passing
Lewis, who reached the playoffs in 12 of 13 seasons, appeared in 27 career postseason games. At the time of his retirement, that was an NFL record. He is also the owner of one of the most iconic quotes in franchise history.
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“Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play,” he once said.
The Cowboys released an official story on his death on Wednesday night.
“D.D. Lewis, the Dallas Cowboys’ all-time leader in postseason games played and one of the most underappreciated players in franchise history, has died,” the Cowboys said.
“Over a career that spanned 13 years, all spent with the Cowboys, Lewis missed only four regular season games. From 1973 to 1981, he started 132 out of a possible 134 contests at weakside linebacker in Tom Landry’s famed Doomsday Defense, lining up next to middle linebacking great Lee Roy Jordan, who passed away on August 30, and later Bob Breunig.”
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Our thoughts are with his friends and family members during this time. May he rest in peace.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.