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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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D.D. Lewis, who played in the most playoff games in Dallas Cowboys history and won two Super Bowls, died Tuesday at 79.
A linebacker, Lewis was selected with the 159th overall pick in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Cowboys in 1968. He went on to play 13 seasons in the NFL, all with Dallas, and appeared in five different Super Bowls.
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In its obituary of Lewis, the Dallas Morning News attributed to him a famous quote about the Cowboys' former home field: "Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play."
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Lewis holds the Cowboys' franchise record with 27 playoff games played. He played in 12 NFC divisional contests, one NFC wild card game, and nine NFC championship games. He made five Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl VI and XII. In 1980, Lewis and Larry Cole became the first three-decade players in team history.
In the 1975 NFC championship game, Lewis intercepted two passes in a 37-7 Dallas victory against the Los Angeles Rams, helping the Cowboys become the first wild-card team to reach a Super Bowl.
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After serving as a backup for four seasons, Lewis took over the weakside linebacker position in 1973, when Chuck Howley retired. He was the Cowboys' primary starter at the position for the next eight years.
Born in Knoxville, Tenn. as the youngest of 14 children, Lewis attended Mississippi State University, where he was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American in 1967. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2011, he was inducted into the Mississippi State University Ring of Honor.
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"D.D. was a great player," former Cowboys teammate Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson told the Dallas Morning News. "He kept Thomas Henderson from the weakside because he played it so well. D.D. was a tough guy and I wanted his job Day 1, but I never could get it because he played [coach Tom] Landry's defense and I couldn't interrupt that. So I ended up on the strong side, which was better for me because I got to box every down."
Lewis retired to Richardson, Texas after his playing days ended. He volunteered at local Boys & Girls Clubs, providing volunteer support for charity golf tournaments and other special events.
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