Lee Roy Jordan

Infobox NFLretired


position=Linebacker
Center
number=54, 55
birthdate=birth date and age|1941|4|27
Excel, Alabama
debutyear=1963
finalyear=1976
draftyear=1963
draftround=1
draftpick=6
college=Alabama
teams=
* Dallas Cowboys (1963-1976)
stat1label=Interceptions
stat1value=32
stat2label=Touchdowns
stat2value=3
stat3label=Games
stat3value=186
nfl=JOR469456
highlights=
* 5x Pro Bowl selection (1967, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974)
* 5x All-Pro selection (1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1975)
* Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
HOF=
CollegeHOF=60032

Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941 in Excel, Alabama) was an football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys from 1963 to 1976 in the National Football League.

Before his NFL career, he played for the University of Alabama from 1960-1962. In his sophomore season of 1960, he helped the Crimson Tide to an 8-2-1 record, finishing the year with a 3-3 tie against University of Texas at Austin in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Jordan was named MVP of the game. The following season, Alabama recorded an 11-0 record and won the national championship. In his final season with the Crimson tide, Jordan was a first team All-American, helped his team to a 10-1 record, and was named the outstanding player of the Orange Bowl when he made 30 tackles en route to a 17-0 victory over the University of Oklahoma.

Jordan's coach in college, Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen. If runners stayed between the sidelines, he tackled them. He never had a bad day, he was 100 percent every day in practice and in the games." [http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=60032] .

He was drafted by the Cowboys in 1963. He became the franchise's all-time leader in solo tackles (743) in his 14 seasons with the Cowboys. He was a two-time All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowler. He also helped the Cowboys to three Super Bowls and five NFC Championship games.

Jordan was somewhat small for his position at only 6"1 and 215 pounds, but his competitiveness and drive made up for his lack of size. Head coach Tom Landry said of Jordan, "He was a great competitor. He was not big for a middle linebacker, but because of his competitiveness, he was able to play the game and play it well. His leadership was there and he demanded a lot out of the people around him as he did of himself." [http://www.dallascowboys.com/history_roh_player.cfm?art=4]

On November 4, 1973, Jordan intercepted three passes in the first quarter from the Cincinnati Bengals' Ken Anderson within the span of five minutes, returning one 31 yards for a touchdown. The picks were collectively named one of the ten most memorable moments in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=luksa_frank&page=hotread1/luksa]

In his 14 NFL seasons, Jordan intercepted 32 passes (tied for third-most all-time by linebackers), returning them for 472 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also recovered 18 fumbles, returning them for 37 yards.

In 1983, Jordan became a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1989, he became the seventh member of the Dallas Cowboy Ring of Honor at Texas Stadium.

Jordan currently heads the Lee Roy Jordan Lumber Company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

He now resides in Point Clear, Alabama.

External links

* [http://www.dallascowboys.com/history_roh_player.cfm?art=4 Dallas Cowboys: Lee Roy Jordan]
* [http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/jordanleeroy.shtml HickokSports.com: Lee Roy Jordan]
* [http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Top_100_Players/Top_100_Players_32_Lee_Roy_Jordan.htm College Football News: 100 Greatest Players of All-Time #32 Lee Roy Jordan]
* [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/JordLe00.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com: Lee Roy Jordan]
* [http://www.jordanredwood.com/ Lee Roy Jordan Lumber Company]