Ralph Neely
Encyclopedia
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.
, where he was an All-State tackle
for two years in football
, and a standout center
for the basketball
team.
Neely was recruited by the University of Oklahoma
, where he played college football
under coaches Bud Wilkinson
and Gomer Jones
. He was a 261-pound tackle
who played both ways, as a dominant performer on defense and an excellent blocker on offense.
He was named the Big Eight
sophomore lineman of the year and was a two-time All-American and an all-conference selection in both 1963 and '64.
He was one of three Sooners
stars who missed the 1965 Gator Bowl
game against Florida State University
. Neely, fullback
Jim Grisham and halfback
Lance Rentzel
signed with professional teams before the game, and were ruled ineligible for the contest, which Florida State University
won 36–19 on the strength of four touchdown
catches by Fred Biletnikoff
.
, he was drafted
in the second round of both the 1965 NFL Draft
(by the Baltimore Colts
) and the 1965 AFL Draft (by the Houston Oilers). The Colts would later trade his rights to the Dallas Cowboys
.
Neely accepted the Oilers contract offer (which also included rights to own a Houston gas station), but requested it be kept secret to remain eligible to play in the Gator Bowl
. When he learned that the Colts traded his rights to the Cowboys, he began negotiating with Dallas, and returned his check to the Oilers. Litigation ensued between the Oilers and Cowboys.
One of the terms of the merger agreement between the NFL and the AFL
was that the Neely contract dispute be resolved. Dallas finally agreed to send draft choices to Houston and the incident between the Oilers and the Cowboys was the start of the annual pre-season game between the two teams, the Governor's Cup
.
A rookie in 1965
, Neely joined the Cowboys just as they were beginning their ascent in the NFL and started right away as a right tackle, and remained there for 5 seasons.
With great quickness for a big man, he became a dominant player on the Cowboys offensive line for 13 seasons. After being named to the NFL all-rookie team, he went on to earn first- or- second team All-NFL the next four years.
Neely was an All-Pro
four times and a three-time Pro Bowl
er in 1967
, 1968
and 1969
.
In 1970
, Neely started the season at right guard
, but soon took over for Tony Liscio
at left tackle, were he manned that position until 1977
, while continuing to be one of the NFL’s premier offensive linemen.
He was injured halfway into the Cowboys victorious 1971
Super Bowl
season, when he fractured his leg in an off-road, in-season motorcycle accident; and missed the rest of the year.
In 1977
, Neely retired after the Cowboys won Super Bowl XII
against the Denver Broncos
.
He was selected to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
.
Though Neely has yet to join his bookend partner Rayfield Wright
, in Canton or in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
, he was an excellent and versatile player.
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...
offensive tackle who played 13 seasons and 172 games 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...
from 1965 to 1977.
Early years
He attended Farmington High School (New Mexico)Farmington High School (New Mexico)
Farmington High School is a public high school in Farmington, New Mexico . It is part of the Farmington Municipal School District....
, where he was an All-State tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
for two years in 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...
, and a standout center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
for the basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team.
Neely was recruited by 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...
, where 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...
under coaches 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...
and Gomer Jones
Gomer Jones
-External links:...
. He was a 261-pound tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
who played both ways, as a dominant performer on defense and an excellent blocker on offense.
He was named the Big Eight
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
sophomore lineman of the year and was a two-time All-American and an all-conference selection in both 1963 and '64.
He was one of three Sooners
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,...
stars who missed the 1965 Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
game against Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
. Neely, 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...
Jim Grisham and halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
Lance Rentzel
Lance Rentzel
Thomas Lance Rentzel is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams from 1965 to 1974.-Early years:...
signed with professional teams before the game, and were ruled ineligible for the contest, which Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
won 36–19 on the strength of four touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
catches by Fred Biletnikoff
Fred Biletnikoff
Frederick S. "Fred" Biletnikoff is a former American football wide receiver and coach. He spent the majority of his professional playing and coaching days with the Oakland Raiders...
.
Professional career
In 19651965 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...
, he was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the second round of both the 1965 NFL Draft
1965 NFL Draft
The 1965 National Football League Draft took place on November 28, 1964. The first player selected was Tucker Frederickson, back from Auburn, by the New York Giants. The draft was marked by the failure of the St...
(by 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....
) and the 1965 AFL Draft (by the Houston Oilers). The Colts would later trade his rights to 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...
.
Neely accepted the Oilers contract offer (which also included rights to own a Houston gas station), but requested it be kept secret to remain eligible to play in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
. When he learned that the Colts traded his rights to the Cowboys, he began negotiating with Dallas, and returned his check to the Oilers. Litigation ensued between the Oilers and Cowboys.
One of the terms of the merger agreement between the NFL and the AFL
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
was that the Neely contract dispute be resolved. Dallas finally agreed to send draft choices to Houston and the incident between the Oilers and the Cowboys was the start of the annual pre-season game between the two teams, the Governor's Cup
Governor's Cup (Texas)
The Texas Governor's Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the football game between the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. The two teams usually meet in the pre-season in years they do not play in the regular season. However in 2010 the teams faced each other in the pre-season and in...
.
A rookie 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...
, Neely joined the Cowboys just as they were beginning their ascent in the NFL and started right away as a right tackle, and remained there for 5 seasons.
With great quickness for a big man, he became a dominant player on the Cowboys offensive line for 13 seasons. After being named to the NFL all-rookie team, he went on to earn first- or- second team All-NFL the next four years.
Neely was an 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...
four times and a three-time 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...
er 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...
, 1968
1968 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...
and 1969
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
.
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...
, Neely started the season at right guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, but soon took over for Tony Liscio
Tony Liscio
Anthony Liscio is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League from 1963 through 1971. He played college football at the University of Tulsa...
at left tackle, were he manned that position until 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, while continuing to be one of the NFL’s premier offensive linemen.
He was injured halfway into the Cowboys victorious 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...
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...
season, when he fractured his leg in an off-road, in-season motorcycle accident; and missed the rest of the year.
In 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, Neely retired after the Cowboys won Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
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...
.
He was selected to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
The NFL 1960s All-Decade Team is a list of all NFL players who have had outstanding performances throughout the 1960s and have been compiled in a fantasy group. The team was selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:...
.
Though Neely has yet to join his bookend partner Rayfield Wright
Rayfield Wright
Larry Rayfield Wright is a former American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-High school and college years:...
, in Canton or 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...
, he was an excellent and versatile player.