Dave Manders
Encyclopedia
David Francis Manders was an American football
center
in the National Football League
from 1964
through 1974
. He played college football
at Michigan State University
. He graduated from Kingsford High School and played in 2 Super Bowl
s with the Dallas Cowboys
, winning one.
at Kingsford High School, where he was named all-state and lineman of the year as a senior. He also set an Upper Peninsula of Michigan
shot put
record.
His number 51 is only one of three numbers retired by the school, along with Dick Berlinski and Tim Kearney
.
In 1980 he was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame.
in 1959, where he was a two-way player, playing center
on offense and linebacker
on defense.
During his college career, he was among the team leaders in tackles. As a sophomore he was a third team All-Big Ten
selection and became an All-America
n honorable mention after his senior year.
as a rookie undrafted free agent in 1962
to play linebacker
, but quit the team before training camp ended.
After spending two years playing semi-pro football
in the United Football League for teams in Grand Rapids and Toledo, Manders called the Cowboys front office and asked for another chance, he rejoined the Cowboys and made the team in 1964
as a center
.
Nicknamed "Dog" by his teammates, he was quick, strong and had huge legs. He was always considered to be one of the hardest-working players on the team.
In 1965
his second season in the NFL, he became the Cowboys starting center
replacing Mike Connelly
.
In 1966
together with Ralph Neely
became the first franchise offensive linemen to ever be named to the Pro Bowl
.
In 1967
he suffered a knee injury and missed the entire season, upon his return he served as a backup to Mike Connelly
and Malcolm Walker
until he took his job back in 1970
.
He was a starter in the Cowboys first Super Bowl
-Super Bowl V
, held in Miami on January 17 1971
against the Baltimore Colts
.
He was also involved in one of the game's controversial plays, when the Cowboys Duane Thomas
fumbled the ball on the Colts two-yard line, and although Manders recovered the ball, the officials still awarded it to the Colts, who won their first Super Bowl
as Jim O'Brien
kicked a 32-yard field goal with time running out for a 16-13 victory.
He was the starter in the Cowboys first championship team in franchise history, that won Super Bowl VI
in 1972
.
In 1973
, he retired due to a contract dispute, but by the month of September, he was back working out with the team. He played in the majority of games during that season, although John Fitzgerald was the starter at center
for the Cowboys. He continued splitting time with Fitzgerald until his retirement at the end of the 1974 season
.
Manders was a captain and a key component in a Cowboys offensive line that dominated the NFL for a decade and won 2 NFC Championship
s and 1 Super Bowl
.
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...
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...
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...
from 1964
1964 NFL season
The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to...
through 1974
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
. He played college football
College 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 Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. He graduated from Kingsford High School and played in 2 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 with 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...
, winning one.
Early Years
Dave Manders played footballAmerican 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...
at Kingsford High School, where he was named all-state and lineman of the year as a senior. He also set an Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
record.
His number 51 is only one of three numbers retired by the school, along with Dick Berlinski and Tim Kearney
Tim Kearney
Timothy Edward Kearney is a former American football linebacker who played ten seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the St. Louis Cardinals....
.
In 1980 he was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame.
College career
Manders went on to play at Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in 1959, where he was a two-way player, playing 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...
on offense and 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...
on defense.
During his college career, he was among the team leaders in tackles. As a sophomore he was a third team All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
selection and became 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 honorable mention after his senior year.
Professional career
Manders was signed by the Dallas CowboysDallas 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...
as a rookie undrafted free agent in 1962
1962 NFL season
The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee....
to play 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...
, but quit the team before training camp ended.
After spending two years playing semi-pro football
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...
in the United Football League for teams in Grand Rapids and Toledo, Manders called the Cowboys front office and asked for another chance, he rejoined the Cowboys and made the team in 1964
1964 NFL season
The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to...
as a 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...
.
Nicknamed "Dog" by his teammates, he was quick, strong and had huge legs. He was always considered to be one of the hardest-working players on the team.
In 1965
1965 NFL season
The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the...
his second season in the NFL, he became the Cowboys starting 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...
replacing Mike Connelly
Mike Connelly
Michael James Connelly is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Utah State University and was drafted in the 12th round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.-Early...
.
In 1966
1966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
together with 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:...
became the first franchise offensive linemen to ever be named to the 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...
.
In 1967
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
he suffered a knee injury and missed the entire season, upon his return he served as a backup to Mike Connelly
Mike Connelly
Michael James Connelly is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Utah State University and was drafted in the 12th round of the 1959 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.-Early...
and Malcolm Walker
Malcolm Walker
Malcolm Walker, born at Mexborough, Yorkshire, on 14 October 1933 and died at Retford, Nottinghamshire, on 2 September 1986, was a cricketer who played for Somerset in first-class matches between 1952 and 1958.-Biography:...
until he took his job back in 1970
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
.
He was a starter in the Cowboys first 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...
-Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V
Super Bowl V was an American football game played on January 17, 1971, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1970 regular season...
, held in Miami on January 17 1971
1971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
against the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
He was also involved in one of the game's controversial plays, when the Cowboys Duane Thomas
Duane Thomas
Duane Julius Thomas is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played four seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins from 1970 to 1974....
fumbled the ball on the Colts two-yard line, and although Manders recovered the ball, the officials still awarded it to the Colts, who won their first 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...
as Jim O'Brien
Jim O'Brien (American football)
Jim O'Brien is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played for the Baltimore Colts from 1970 to 1972 and the Detroit Lions in 1973. He also played wide receiver, catching the bulk of his career passes during the 1972 season while still performing his kicking...
kicked a 32-yard field goal with time running out for a 16-13 victory.
He was the starter in the Cowboys first championship team in franchise history, that won 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...
in 1972
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
.
In 1973
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
, he retired due to a contract dispute, but by the month of September, he was back working out with the team. He played in the majority of games during that season, although John Fitzgerald was the starter at 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 Cowboys. He continued splitting time with Fitzgerald until his retirement at the end of the 1974 season
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
.
Manders was a captain and a key component in a Cowboys offensive line that dominated the NFL for a decade and won 2 NFC Championship
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 1 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...
.