Jerry Tubbs
Encyclopedia
Gerald J. Tubbs is a former American football
linebacker
who played for ten seasons in the National Football League
from 1957
to 1966
, mainly for the Dallas Cowboys
. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys
in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft
. After his retirement he stayed with the Cowboys as an assistant coach for 22 years.
Tubbs played college football
at the University of Oklahoma
. In 1996 he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
. Tubbs never played in a game his team lost until turning pro.
at Breckenridge High School
. He was part of two Texas
state championship football
teams in 1951 and 1952. He played in three high school
All-Star games and was a unanimous Texas
All-State selection in 1952.
He never lost a game in high school
.
The teams were coached by Cooper Robbins (1951) and Joe Kerbel
(1952). Both went on to the college ranks.
Since 2008, the Breckenridge Buckaroos open the football
season playing the "Jerry Tubbs Kickoff Classic".
In 1971, he was inducted into the Texas
High School
Football
Hall of fame
.
, and the Sooners won all 31 games in that period. He was a fullback
in 1954 and averaged six yards on rushing attempts. Head coach Bud Wilkinson
moved him to center
in 1955, and this became his signature position. He also played linebacker
and in a victory over Texas in 1955, he intercepted three passes. In 1956 he was unanimous All-America
center
and was named Lineman of the Year by three agencies.
In 1954, when fullback
Billy Pricer
was injured, Tubbs had to replace him playing against University of Texas, the first time he had ever played in the backfield. In the remaining games of that season, he averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
Tubbs graduated from Oklahoma with a degree in economics and was a 1956 Academic All-America
.
During his three varsity years, Oklahoma's record was 10-0, 11-0, 10-0. His 31 wins were part of that legendary 47-game winning streak and two national titles from 1954-56.
The 1954 team was ranked third nationally in the Associated Press
and United Press polls. The 1955 and 1956 teams were national champions. In those years Oklahoma played one bowl game
. The 1955 team beat Maryland University 20-6 in the Orange Bowl
.
A consensus selection for 1955 and 1956 All-America
n honors at center
and linebacker
, Tubbs was the first Sooner
ever to win the Walter Camp Award
as the outstanding player of the year. He was the leading vote-getter for All-America
n in both UPI and AP
polls and was voted the outstanding lineman in every poll he was eligible.
Tubbs finished fourth in the 1956 Heisman Trophy
voting (very high for a lineman), behind his second place teammate, Tommy McDonald, and winner Paul Hornung
of Notre Dame University.
In 1996, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
.
In 1999, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
— 10th overall. Suddenly, he found himself on a perennial loser, playing out of position as an outside linebacker. He was benched, then traded to the San Francisco 49ers
near the end of his second season. He finished out that year at outside linebacker. The following year he moved into the middle linebacker spot.
After the 1959 season
, Tubbs planned to retire, so the Forty Niners left him off their list of players who were exempt from the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft
.
in 1960 NFL Expansion Draft
. As it turned out, he would spend the next 29 years in Dallas — as a player, then a player-coach, then a fulltime assistant coach.
When Jack Patera
fell to injury in the 4th game of the 1960 season
, Tubbs became the starter at middle linebacker.
He was an impact player on those early Cowboys teams. He had quickness, toughness and an unbeatable motor. In 1962
, he was one of the first Cowboys players voted to the Pro Bowl
, along with: QB
Eddie LeBaron
; DT Bob Lilly
; RB
Don Perkins
; and CB
Don Bishop.
During his playing days, he rated among the top middle linebackers in the NFL.
Tubbs became a player-coach in 1965
. In 1966
he retired and was working for the Dallas Federal Savings and Loan Association, but was lured back for one more year by Tom Landry
. He played just the first 3 games of the season, until he suffered a back injury.
The following year (1967
), Landry, sensing that the Cowboys had a real chance at a championship, wanted to have Tubbs as insurance in the event Lee Roy Jordan
should be injured. He came back again, but didn't play a single down.
, he became the linebacker
s coach under Tom Landry
for 21 years. He coached in five Super Bowl
s, with Dallas winning two.
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...
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...
who played for ten seasons 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 1957
1957 in sports
1957 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Detroit Lions won 59-14 over the Cleveland Browns.*College football champions Auburn University-Association football:...
to 1966
1966 in sports
1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –** Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France** Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France-American football:...
, mainly 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...
. He was selected 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 1960 NFL Expansion Draft
1960 NFL Expansion Draft
The 1960 NFL Expansion Draft was a National Football League draft in which a new expansion team, named the Dallas Cowboys, selected its first players. The NFL awarded Dallas, Texas a franchise to compete for revenue with Lamar Hunt's Dallas Texans of the upstart American Football League...
. After his retirement he stayed with the Cowboys as an assistant coach for 22 years.
Tubbs 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 the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. In 1996 he was inducted to 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...
. Tubbs never played in a game his team lost until turning pro.
High school career
Tubbs was an honor graduate student and played centerCenter (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...
at Breckenridge High School
Breckenridge High School
Breckenridge High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Breckenridge, Texas . It is part of the Breckenridge Independent School District. Breckenridge High School's mascot is a Buckaroo .-Athletics:...
. He was part of two Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
state championship 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...
teams in 1951 and 1952. He played in three high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
All-Star games and was a unanimous Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
All-State selection in 1952.
He never lost a game in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
.
The teams were coached by Cooper Robbins (1951) and Joe Kerbel
Joe Kerbel
- External links :*...
(1952). Both went on to the college ranks.
Since 2008, the Breckenridge Buckaroos open the 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...
season playing the "Jerry Tubbs Kickoff Classic".
In 1971, he was inducted into the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
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...
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...
.
College career
Tubbs played three varsity years at the University of OklahomaUniversity of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, and the Sooners won all 31 games in that period. He was a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
in 1954 and averaged six yards on rushing attempts. Head coach Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
moved him to 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 1955, and this became his signature position. He also played 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...
and in a victory over Texas in 1955, he intercepted three passes. In 1956 he was unanimous 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...
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...
and was named Lineman of the Year by three agencies.
In 1954, when fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Billy Pricer
Billy Pricer
Billy Pricer is a former professional American football player who played running back for five seasons for the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Texans. Played for the University of Oklahoma football team from 1954 to 1956. During this time he played under Bud Wilkinson and as a sooner never lost a game...
was injured, Tubbs had to replace him playing against University of Texas, the first time he had ever played in the backfield. In the remaining games of that season, he averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
Tubbs graduated from Oklahoma with a degree in economics and was a 1956 Academic All-America
Academic All-America
Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program...
.
During his three varsity years, Oklahoma's record was 10-0, 11-0, 10-0. His 31 wins were part of that legendary 47-game winning streak and two national titles from 1954-56.
The 1954 team was ranked third nationally in the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and United Press polls. The 1955 and 1956 teams were national champions. In those years Oklahoma played one bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
. The 1955 team beat Maryland University 20-6 in the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
.
A consensus selection for 1955 and 1956 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 honors 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...
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...
, Tubbs was the first Sooner
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
ever to win the Walter Camp Award
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
as the outstanding player of the year. He was the leading vote-getter for 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 in both UPI and AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
polls and was voted the outstanding lineman in every poll he was eligible.
Tubbs finished fourth in the 1956 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting (very high for a lineman), behind his second place teammate, Tommy McDonald, and winner Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
of Notre Dame University.
In 1996, he 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 1999, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.
Cardinals and 49ers
He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft1957 NFL Draft
The 1957 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1956.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
— 10th overall. Suddenly, he found himself on a perennial loser, playing out of position as an outside linebacker. He was benched, then traded to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
near the end of his second season. He finished out that year at outside linebacker. The following year he moved into the middle linebacker spot.
After the 1959 season
1959 NFL season
The 1959 NFL season was the 40th regular season of the National Football League. Tragedy struck as NFL Commissioner Bert Bell died of a heart attack on October 11 at Philadelphia's Franklin Field while watching the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers play...
, Tubbs planned to retire, so the Forty Niners left him off their list of players who were exempt from the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft
1960 NFL Expansion Draft
The 1960 NFL Expansion Draft was a National Football League draft in which a new expansion team, named the Dallas Cowboys, selected its first players. The NFL awarded Dallas, Texas a franchise to compete for revenue with Lamar Hunt's Dallas Texans of the upstart American Football League...
.
Dallas Cowboys
Tubbs was acquired 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...
in 1960 NFL Expansion Draft
1960 NFL Expansion Draft
The 1960 NFL Expansion Draft was a National Football League draft in which a new expansion team, named the Dallas Cowboys, selected its first players. The NFL awarded Dallas, Texas a franchise to compete for revenue with Lamar Hunt's Dallas Texans of the upstart American Football League...
. As it turned out, he would spend the next 29 years in Dallas — as a player, then a player-coach, then a fulltime assistant coach.
When Jack Patera
Jack Patera
John Arlen "Jack" Patera is a former American football player and coach in the National Football League. He played for the Baltimore Colts, Chicago Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys. He was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings. Patera was the first head...
fell to injury in the 4th game of the 1960 season
1960 NFL season
The 1960 NFL season was the 41st regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty-third ballot. Meanwhile, the league expanded to 13 teams with the addition of the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Cardinals...
, Tubbs became the starter at middle linebacker.
He was an impact player on those early Cowboys teams. He had quickness, toughness and an unbeatable motor. 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....
, he was one of the first Cowboys players voted 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...
, along with: QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Eddie LeBaron
Eddie LeBaron
Edward Wayne LeBaron, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the 1950s and early 1960s in the National Football League.-Early years:LeBaron graduated from Oakdale High School in Oakdale, California....
; DT Bob Lilly
Bob Lilly
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.-College career:...
; RB
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...
Don Perkins
Don Perkins
Donald Anthony Perkins is a former American football halfback who spent eight seasons with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:...
; and CB
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Don Bishop.
During his playing days, he rated among the top middle linebackers in the NFL.
Tubbs became a player-coach 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...
. 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...
he retired and was working for the Dallas Federal Savings and Loan Association, but was lured back for one more year by 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...
. He played just the first 3 games of the season, until he suffered a back injury.
The following year (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...
), Landry, sensing that the Cowboys had a real chance at a championship, wanted to have Tubbs as insurance in the event Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan
Lee Roy Jordan is a retired American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963–1976...
should be injured. He came back again, but didn't play a single down.
Post-playing career
When he finally retired as a player in 19681968 NFL season
The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The...
, he became the 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...
s coach under 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...
for 21 years. He coached 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, with Dallas winning two.