D.D. Lewis, two-time Cowboys Super Bowl champion, dead at 79

D.D. Lewis, a two-time Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl champion and a former Mississippi State All-American, died this week at age 79, Dallas announced. Born in Tennessee, he arrived at Mississippi State in 1965 and became one of the program's most decorated players, earning the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American honor in 1967. The Cowboys drafted him in the sixth round in 1968, and he built a 13-year NFL career that was briefly interrupted in 1969 when he served in the military.

During his Cowboys tenure, Lewis played in double-digit games in every season and helped Dallas win two Super Bowls in the 1972 and 1978 campaigns, while appearing in three other championship games. His playoff ledger includes a standout moment after the 1975 season, when he intercepted two passes in the NFC Championship against the Rams to help send Dallas to the Super Bowl.

Other honors followed after his playing days. In 1984 he was named to the Cowboys' Silver Anniversary Team. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and enshrined in Mississippi State's Ring of Honor a decade later. Lewis is also remembered for a now-famous quip about Texas Stadium: 'Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play.'

Lewis' impact extended beyond wins and titles. He played 13 seasons with Dallas, missing just four regular-season games, and his durability helped anchor a defense during a long stretch of success. His legacy endures in the Cowboys and Mississippi State communities.