Bob Lilly
Encyclopedia
Robert Lewis Lilly is a former American football
defensive tackle in the National Football League
and photographer. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1980.
at Texas Christian University
(TCU), where he was a two-time All-Southwest Conference pick and a consensus All-America
n. He was a 1961 member of the College Football All-America Team
and was a 2006 inductee to the East-West Shrine Game
Hall of Fame. Lilly was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1981. He is also a notable alumnus of Sigma Phi Epsilon
fraternity.
, and the first draft pick in Dallas Cowboys
franchise history, Lilly went on to be All-Pro
seven times, and was selected to play in 11 Pro Bowl
games. He was also drafted in the second round (14th overall) in the 1961 AFL Draft
by the Dallas Texans (now Kansas City Chiefs
) prior to the merger with the NFL.
Lilly began his career as a defensive end
in 1961, but midway though the 1963 (his third) season Cowboys coach Tom Landry
moved him to defensive tackle. Lilly made the adjustment becoming the main man in Dallas's vaunted "Doomsday Defense
". As a tackle, Lilly was a first-team All-NFL choice every year from 1964 through 1969, then again in 1971. On January 17, 1971, the Cowboys finally made the Super Bowl, against the Baltimore Colts
, only to lose the game, 16-13, on a field goal in the final nine seconds. However, in 1972 he and the rest of the Cowboys won the Super Bowl against the Miami Dolphins
, 24-3. His 29-yard sack of Dolphin quarterback Bob Griese
(an NFL Record) is one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl defensive history. This was the signature play of his 14-year hall-of-fame career.
Lilly's greatest assets were his furious pass-rushing skills and his ability to slice plays open with his agility and instincts. He had a distinct stance, the so-called 4-point stance, placing both hands on the field instead of the more usual one, generating greater force when rushing straight ahead. Lilly's agility and quickness helped him score four defensive touchdowns in his career. His first was returning an interception 17 yards in 1964 while the other three came on fumble recoveries. NFL Films did an eight minute feature on Lilly, and say about Lilly: [he was the] "unblockable, unstoppable, force of The Doomsday Defense
", and this was not to discredit those unfortunate enough to stand in his way. Lilly was regularly double and triple teamed for the majority of his career because of his effectiveness as a defensive tackle.
Lilly was extremely durable during his career, playing in 196 consecutive regular-season games. The only NFL game he would miss in his career, was the 1973 NFC Championship Game
loss (10-27), December 30, against the Minnesota Vikings
, due to a leg injury. Lilly injured his hamstring in the Cowboys victory (22-10) against the Denver Broncos
, December 2, 1973. In the first play of the 1973 NFC Divisional playoff game, three weeks later on December 23, versus the Los Angeles Rams
(Cowboys 27-Rams 16) he re-injured this same hamstring.
Affectionately known as "Mr. Cowboy," his name was the first inscribed in the "Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
", above Texas Stadium
and the current Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys had a Bob Lilly Day on November 23, 1975, to honor him and make Lilly the first inductee into The Ring of Honor. He has attended every induction of each ring of honor inductee since.
Lilly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1980, his first year of eligibility, and was the first player who spent his entire career with the Cowboys to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He entered the Hall of Fame along with former teammate Herb Adderley
(for two seasons), as well as David "Deacon" Jones
and Jim Otto
. The Sporting News named him a member of the All-Century NFL Team and "the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history". Lilly, Adderley, and Jones were all drafted in 1961. Tom Landry said of Lilly: "As I've said before, another Lilly won't come along in my time. We're observing a man who will become a legend". This comment is from the 1972 Street and Smith's Pro Football Yearbook. He also said that "Nobody is better than Lilly". He is a member of the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team and National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team.
In 1999, he was ranked number 10 on The Sporting News
list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking defensive lineman and the highest-ranking Cowboy. The only defensive players ranked ahead of Lilly were Dick Butkus
and Lawrence Taylor
. Sports Illustrated
named him one of the ten most revolutionary defensive players.
He is the only player to wear #74 in Dallas Cowboys team history.
where he was an Airman 2nd Class. Lilly spent two weeks in 1967 as part of the Texas National Guard at the Rhein-Main Air Base
in West Germany
.
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...
defensive tackle 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...
and photographer. He was inducted into 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...
in 1980.
College career
Lilly played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
(TCU), where he was a two-time All-Southwest Conference pick and a consensus 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. He was a 1961 member of the College Football All-America Team
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
and was a 2006 inductee to the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
Hall of Fame. Lilly 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 1981. He is also a notable alumnus of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
fraternity.
Professional career
As a first-round draft pick in the 1961 NFL Draft1961 NFL Draft
The 1961 National Football League Draft took place on December 27–28, 1960. The league would later hold an expansion draft for the Minnesota Vikings expansion franchise, and the Vikings were also awarded the first selection position in this draft. This draft was also the first regular draft for...
, and the first draft pick 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...
franchise history, Lilly went on to be All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
seven times, and was selected to play in 11 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...
games. He was also drafted in the second round (14th overall) in the 1961 AFL Draft
1961 American Football League Draft
Because another league was in competition for the class of 1961 college stars, the American Football League draft for 1961 graduates was actually held in 1960, with a six-round telephone draft on November 23, that saw the Denver Broncos select New Mexico State's Bob Gaiters as the overall first...
by the Dallas Texans (now Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
) prior to the merger with the NFL.
Lilly began his career as a 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...
in 1961, but midway though the 1963 (his third) season Cowboys 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...
moved him to defensive tackle. Lilly made the adjustment becoming the main man in Dallas's vaunted "Doomsday Defense
Doomsday Defense
The Doomsday Defense was the nickname given to the famous defense of the Dallas Cowboys American football team during the dynasty years of the late 1960s - 1970s...
". As a tackle, Lilly was a first-team All-NFL choice every year from 1964 through 1969, then again in 1971. On January 17, 1971, the Cowboys finally made the Super Bowl, against the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
, only to lose the game, 16-13, on a field goal in the final nine seconds. However, in 1972 he and the rest of the Cowboys won the Super Bowl against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 24-3. His 29-yard sack of Dolphin quarterback Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
(an NFL Record) is one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl defensive history. This was the signature play of his 14-year hall-of-fame career.
Lilly's greatest assets were his furious pass-rushing skills and his ability to slice plays open with his agility and instincts. He had a distinct stance, the so-called 4-point stance, placing both hands on the field instead of the more usual one, generating greater force when rushing straight ahead. Lilly's agility and quickness helped him score four defensive touchdowns in his career. His first was returning an interception 17 yards in 1964 while the other three came on fumble recoveries. NFL Films did an eight minute feature on Lilly, and say about Lilly: [he was the] "unblockable, unstoppable, force of The Doomsday Defense
Doomsday Defense
The Doomsday Defense was the nickname given to the famous defense of the Dallas Cowboys American football team during the dynasty years of the late 1960s - 1970s...
", and this was not to discredit those unfortunate enough to stand in his way. Lilly was regularly double and triple teamed for the majority of his career because of his effectiveness as a defensive tackle.
Lilly was extremely durable during his career, playing in 196 consecutive regular-season games. The only NFL game he would miss in his career, was the 1973 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...
loss (10-27), December 30, against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, due to a leg injury. Lilly injured his hamstring in the Cowboys victory (22-10) against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, December 2, 1973. In the first play of the 1973 NFC Divisional playoff game, three weeks later on December 23, versus the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
(Cowboys 27-Rams 16) he re-injured this same hamstring.
Affectionately known as "Mr. Cowboy," his name was the first inscribed 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...
", above 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...
and the current Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys had a Bob Lilly Day on November 23, 1975, to honor him and make Lilly the first inductee into The Ring of Honor. He has attended every induction of each ring of honor inductee since.
Lilly was inducted into 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...
in 1980, his first year of eligibility, and was the first player who spent his entire career with the Cowboys to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He entered the Hall of Fame along with former teammate Herb Adderley
Herb Adderley
Herbert Allen Adderley is a former American football cornerback who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League....
(for two seasons), as well as David "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...
and Jim Otto
Jim Otto
James Edwin Otto is a former Professional Football center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League.-Wausau High School and University of Miami:...
. The Sporting News named him a member of the All-Century NFL Team and "the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history". Lilly, Adderley, and Jones were all drafted in 1961. Tom Landry said of Lilly: "As I've said before, another Lilly won't come along in my time. We're observing a man who will become a legend". This comment is from the 1972 Street and Smith's Pro Football Yearbook. He also said that "Nobody is better than Lilly". He is a member of the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team and National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team.
In 1999, he was ranked number 10 on The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking defensive lineman and the highest-ranking Cowboy. The only defensive players ranked ahead of Lilly were Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...
and Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
named him one of the ten most revolutionary defensive players.
He is the only player to wear #74 in Dallas Cowboys team history.
Photography
When he began traveling with the Cowboys, Lilly regularly had his camera at his side. His interest in photography began when he was named to the College Football All-America Team in 1961, which was sponsored by Kodak. As a part of the honor he was given a 35-mm camera and a year's supply of film by the company. Before and after games, he spent an increasing amount of time studying and photographing old sports stadiums. Lilly co-authored the 1983 book Bob Lilly Reflections with sportswriter Sam Blair, featuring scores of his black and white photographs of teammates in candid poses. He was also a photographer for the Texas Air National GuardTexas Air National Guard
The Texas Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Texas and a component of the Texas Military Forces...
where he was an Airman 2nd Class. Lilly spent two weeks in 1967 as part of the Texas National Guard at the Rhein-Main Air Base
Rhein-Main Air Base
Rhein-Main Air Base was a U.S. Air Force / NATO military airbase near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It occupied the south side of Frankfurt International Airport. Its airport codes are discontinued....
in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
External links
- Lilly profile - Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Bob Lilly homepage
- A list of Bob Lilly Quotes