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Football World Mourns Death of 2-Time Super Bowl Champion Cowboys Linebacker

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 8:11 AM ET

The football world mourns the loss of longtime Dallas Cowboys linebacker D.D. Lewis, who died earlier this week at 79.

Lewis, an All-American standout at Mississippi State, spent his entire 13-year career with the Cowboys. A sixth-round pick in 1968, Lewis won two Super Bowls in Dallas and remains the team’s all-time leader in postseason games played.

Lewis appeared in 27 playoff games, the most in Cowboys history and among the highest totals in NFL history.

Dallas reached seven NFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls during Lewis’s time with the Cowboys. He intercepted two passes in the Cowboys’ 1975 NFC Championship Game victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry once called Lewis the most underappreciated player of his 29 seasons in Dallas.

“I don’t remember him saying anything like that, so when I read that after he retired, just, wow, those words blew me away,” Lewis said, according to the Cowboys’ official website’s obituary. “There was nothing more than a pat on the behind after a game from Tom, which also meant the world to me.”

Lewis, a 1967 first-team All-American, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He earned All-SEC honors twice despite the Bulldogs going 7-23 in his three seasons.

Lewis is also remembered for his famous line, “Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play.”

We extend our condolences to Lewis’s friends, family, and the entire Cowboys community.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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