Latest news with #SuperBowlXII
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys offensive lineman Tom Rafferty, who played 14 seasons with Dallas, dies at 70
Tom Rafferty, who played 14 seasons for the Dallas Cowboys as an offensive lineman and won a Super Bowl championship with the team, died on Thursday at the age of 70. Rafferty had been hospitalized in Windsor, Colorado since suffering a stroke in early May, his daughter told the Dallas Morning News. Advertisement The Cowboys' fourth-round pick (No. 119 overall) out of Penn State in 1976, Rafferty played his first five NFL seasons at guard before moving to center for the remainder of his career. He started 182 out of a possible 203 games, including 167 consecutive starts. 'If you look at his dimensions [6-foot-3, 256 pounds], he wouldn't be playing in the offensive line today.' longtime Cowboys radio broadcaster Brad Sham told the Dallas Morning News. 'But that's what [coach Tom Landry] wanted. He wanted pulling linemen and guys who could get downfield in front of [Tony] Dorsett on a screen pass." Rafferty threw a key block for Dorsett's NFL-record 99-yard touchdown run on Jan. 3, 1983 versus the Minnesota Vikings. Amazingly, Dallas only had 10 men on the field for that play. For the past 17 years, Rafferty had battled transverse myelitis, a disorder that affects the central nervous system. He was hospitalized for 48 days and refused to use a wheelchair. Advertisement "He just kept at it until he could walk again,' recalled Rafferty's daughter, Rachel Powers. 'No sensation below his waist, but he made it happen." Rafferty was one of 12 players in franchise history to play at least 14 years for the Cowboys. In his second season, Dallas defeated the Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl XII. The Cowboys lost Super Bowl XIII to the Pittsburgh Steelers the following year. His final season was 1989 for a 1-15 Cowboys team during Hall of Famer Troy Aikman's rookie year. With Aikman and Roger Staubach, Rafferty played with two Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Tom Rafferty, Super Bowl-winning Cowboys lineman, dead at 70
Former Cowboys lineman Tom Rafferty died Thursday, the team announced. He was 70. Rafferty had been hospitalized since May after suffering a stroke, and he died in Windsor, Colo., his daughter, Rachel Powers, confirmed. Advertisement Rafferty played on the Dallas offensive line for an impressive 14 seasons, protecting the likes of legendary quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman and clearing runways for running backs such as Tony Dorsett and Herschel Walker. Tom Rafferty spent 14 seasons with the Cowboys and is among the top players in the franchise's history for starts and games played. Getty Images He became a Super Bowl champion in 1978 when the Cowboys took down the Broncos for Super Bowl XII in what was their second title in franchise history. Rafferty started at right guard in the win. Advertisement At the same position, Rafferty also started in the team's 35-31 loss to the Steelers in Super Bowl XIII. After some injuries within the team, the 6-foot-3, 256-pound Rafferty was moved to center and went on to start at the position for nearly a decade. 'Three weeks turned into nine years,' Rafferty said of the position switch. Advertisement Tom Rafferty lines up at center — where he played for nearly a decade through the 1980s. Getty Images Born in Syracuse, Rafferty attended Penn State before being selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft. From 1976 through his retirement in 1989, he would play in 203 career games, all for the Cowboys, and he started in all but 21 of them. Advertisement His 203 games played are sixth in team history, and the 182 starts come in at fourth — only behind Jason Witten, Ed Jones and Emmitt Smith. Following his retirement from the NFL, Rafferty worked in sports equipment sales.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Josh Sweat on not being the MVP: I should've had it; I could've had it
Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat had one of the all-time best defensive performances in a Super Bowl. He did not become the 11th defensive player (including co-MVPs Harvey Martin and Randy White of Super Bowl XII) to win the MVP award, though. Quarterback Jalen Hurts instead won that, the 34th time in 59 Super Bowls a quarterback has been MVP. My MVP vote went to Sweat and at least two others among the 16 voters also had Sweat on their ballot. The fan vote had Sweat third behind Cooper DeJean and Hurts. The NFL no longer announces the places of the other finishers, so it is unknown whether Sweat finished second. 'I should've had it,' Sweat said, via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. 'I could've had it. It's all good, though.' Sweat had six tackles, 2.5 sacks and other pressures that led to an interception and allowed other defenders to get sacks of Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs quarterback was sacked a career-high six times. Sweat took advantage of Joe Thuney, who made the All-Pro team at left guard but moved to left tackle in Week 15 to stabilize the position. For the first time, Thuney looked like what he is. 'He don't play tackle. He's a guard,' Sweat said. 'That's all it was. But we don't underestimate anybody.' Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio called Sweat's performance "awesome." It's too bad it didn't win him the MVP award, but Sweat isn't sweating it. He will get paid in free agency either by the Eagles or some other team.
NBC Sports
11-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Josh Sweat on not being the MVP: I should've had it; I could've had it
Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat had one of the all-time best defensive performances in a Super Bowl. He did not become the 11th defensive player (including co-MVPs Harvey Martin and Randy White of Super Bowl XII) to win the MVP award, though. Quarterback Jalen Hurts instead won that, the 34th time in 59 Super Bowls a quarterback has been MVP. My MVP vote went to Sweat and at least two others among the 16 voters also had Sweat on their ballot. The fan vote had Sweat third behind Cooper DeJean and Hurts. The NFL no longer announces the places of the other finishers, so it is unknown whether Sweat finished second. 'I should've had it,' Sweat said, via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. 'I could've had it. It's all good, though.' Sweat had 2.5 sacks, six tackles and pressures that led to an interception and allowed other defenders to get sacks of Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs quarterback was sacked a career-high six times. Sweat took advantage of Joe Thuney, who made the All-Pro team at left guard but moved to left tackle in Week 15 to stabilize the position. For the first time, Thuney looked like what he is. 'He don't play tackle. He's a guard,' Sweat said. 'That's all it was. But we don't underestimate anybody.' Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio called Sweat's performance 'awesome.' It's too bad it didn't win him the MVP award, but Sweat isn't sweating it. He will get paid in free agency either by the Eagles or some other team.
Bloomberg
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Why Super Bowl LIX Risks Being New Orleans Superdome's Last Hurrah
After its debut in 1975, the Superdome in New Orleans became synonymous with big football games, hosting a Super Bowl every few years. The venue was ahead of its time, with a four-sided video scoreboard and spaceship exterior design. New Orleans' reputation as a party town served as an ideal backdrop for the NFL title game. The halftime show for Super Bowl XII in 1978 featured jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain. ABC even produced a drama film — Superdome — to promote the game, featuring actor Tom Selleck as quarterback.
