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Former Cowboys Player Dies At 77 Before NFL Draft

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 9:29 PM ET

Mere hours before the 2025 NFL Draft, the wider football world has had to mourn as a former member of the Tennessee Volunteers, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and Houston Oilers passed away.

On Thursday afternoon, it was reported that former starting linebacker Steve Kiner passed away. He was 77 years old.

Kiner played linebacker for the University of Tennessee in the 1960s, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1969 while earning All-American honors twice. He would go on to receive induction into the College Football Hall of Fame and the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.

In the NFL, Kiner went 73rd overall to the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970 NFL Draft and proved to be extremely durable, playing in all 14 games as a rookie.

Unfortunately, his time in Dallas was cut short when team legend Chuck Howley came out of retirement in 1971, leading to a clash with head coach Tom Landry that ultimately saw him traded to New England.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Kiner would play all 14 games for the Patriots in 1971 but was once again traded the next season. After spending the 1972 season on the taxi squad for the Washington Redskins, he returned to the Patriots in 1973 for one more year.

In 1974, Kiner was again traded, this time to the Houston Oilers, who he would go on to play the final five seasons of his career for. Kiner did not miss a game for Houston and played the final 72 games of his NFL career with them.

Kiner would play his final game in 1978 and retired with 19.0 sacks, 10 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries.

After football, Kiner obtained his Ph.D. in clinical psychology and went on to establish a mental health therapy practice in Georgia.

Our hearts go out to Kiner's family and loved ones.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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