Rayfield Wright was an offensive tackle who went to five Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s.
- Died: April 7, 2022 (Who else died on April 7?)
- Details of death: Died after a severe seizure at the age of 76.
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Football career
Wright was originally a basketball player who didn’t make it onto his high school football team. But after a year of playing college basketball at Fort Valley State College, he joined the football team, where he excelled. Wright was selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 1967 NFL Draft – and he had to decide between the NFL and the NBA, as he was still a standout basketball player. He chose the Cowboys, and he went on to a stellar career there. Nicknamed “Big Cat” for his speed and size, he helped his team to victory in Super Bowls VI and XII, and he was a six-time Pro Bowl pick and five-time All-Pro. Wright retired in 1980 and was later named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Notable quote
“I learned a poem in the eighth grade entitled ‘The Road Not Taken.’ It’s about two roads. One was well-traveled, the other was grassy and wanted wear. Through this poem, I discovered that life would give me choices. It was recognizing those choices that proved to be the greatest challenge. Looking back, my instinct was to always take the easy road. But the easy road never came my way.” —from Wright’s Hall of Fame enshrinement speech
Tributes to Rayfield Wright
Full obituary: ESPN
