Bob Lilly
Dallas Cowboys Player “Doomsday Defense” Bob Lilly
Before the Dallas Cowboys
Bob Lilly was born in Throckmorton, Texas. He lived there until his senior year, where he relocated to Pendleton, Oregon to complete high school. There, he was an Oregon All-Star in football and basketball through his senior year. Lilly later returned to Ft. Worth, Texas, to attend Texas Christian University on a football scholarship gained during his senior year’. There, he was a two-time All-South West Conference pick and a consensus All-America choice. He is a notable alumnus of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Dallas Cowboys Career
Lilly was drafted to the Dallas Cowboys in 1961 as a first round pick. He was the first draft pick in the teams franchise history, and went on to be All-Pro seven times. He began his career on the defensive end, but midway through 1963, his third season with the Cowboys, Tom Landry moved him to defensive tackle. There, he earned the nickname “Doomsday Defense.” In 1971 he made it to the Super Bowl, against the Baltimore Colts, but the Dallas Cowboys lost 16-13. Bob Lilly didn’t have to wait long for a win, as the next year the Dallas Cowboys won the Bowl against the Miami Dolphins, 24-3. His 29 yard sack of dolphin quarterback Bob Griese during that Dallas Cowboys/Dolphins game is one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl Defensive History. Here are some of his most noticeable achievements:
• 11× Pro Bowl selection (1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973)
• 7× First-team All-Pro selection (1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971)
• 2× Second-team All-Pro selection (1970, 1972)
• 8× All-Conference selection (1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972)
• 2× Second-team All-Conference selection (1970, 1973)
• Super Bowl champion (VI)
• NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
• NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
• NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
• Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
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Where is He Now?
Unlike most his compatriots, Lilly did not make the move to sports television. The Dallas Cowboys player developed a love of photography, and when he began traveling with the team, he always had a camera at his side. His interest began when he was named to the College Football All America team in 1961, which was sponsored by Kodak. Bob Lilly was given a 35mm camera and year supply of film. He spent time before and after each game capturing the stadiums that his team played at, and eventually published a book in 1983, Bob Lilly Reflections, co-authored by sportswriter Sam Blair. It featured black and white photographs of teammates in candid poses. Bob Lilly also was a photographer for the Texas Air National Guard when he was an Airman 2nd Class. He spent two weeks in 1967 at Rhein-Main Air Base in West Germany.
Fun Facts for Dallas Cowboys Bob Lilly
Every player has some kind of interesting history behind them, because they’re real people once you strip off the helmet and jersey.
Here are few facts about Dallas Cowboy Bob Lilly you may not have known:
• Bob Lilly only missed one game due to a leg injury in 1973
• He was commonly known as “Mr. Cowboy”
• Bob was the first player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame who spent his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys
• Bob Lilly was the only player in Dallas Cowboy History to wear #74, which the team had retired
• He owned his own photography studio from 1984-1989 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.