Cowboys offseason countdown: 99 facts until the regular season (Day 49)
We are at day 49 of our 99 day countdown until the regular season. Here is your daily fact associated with number 49.
The greatest number 49 for Dallas never actually wore that number for Dallas, but for the New York Giants. That Cowboys legend was Tom Landry.
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Landry was chosen by the New York Giants in the 20th round of the 1947 NFL draft. In 1954, he made the decision to transition into coaching, and by 1960, he assumed the role of the inaugural head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys under Landry’s leadership encountered challenges at the start, tallying 11 losses and failing to secure a victory in their debut season. They struggled to achieve five or more wins in each of the following four seasons.
Landry would thankfully solve the problem and in doing so would achieve 20 consecutive winning seasons (an NFL record) from 1966 to 1985, contributing to the team being dubbed “America’s Team”. He led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories in Super Bowl VI and XII, and finished with a career record of 270 wins, the fourth-highest in NFL history. His 20 playoff victories rank third among all NFL coaches.
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Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Both players and fans gave great respect to the legendary coach, and the iconic image of Landry in his trademark fedora hat became etched into the memories of Cowboys fans all over the world. Landry was renowned for his groundbreaking ideas, including bringing back the shotgun formation and beginning the trend of using situational substitutions. He placed a strong emphasis on implementing the 4-3 defensive formation to counter running plays, and developed the innovative “Flex” defense. Additionally, he was a pioneer in introducing offensive motion. Rarely did the Cowboys execute a play from the same formation they lined up in after the huddle.
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Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
After enduring multiple losing seasons in a row, Landry was relieved of his duties as the coach of the Cowboys in 1989 following the team’s sale to Jerry Jones. He was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1993. The esteemed coach, who was born on September 11th, 1924, passed away on February 12th, 2000.
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Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Cowboys Training Camp, Oxnard, 25th July (4 days to go).