Alabama Great, 1961 National Champion Lee Roy Jordan Dies at 84

Legendary former Alabama center and linebacker, 1961 national champion and Dallas Cowboys great Lee Roy Jordan passed away on Saturday. The 1962 All-American was 84 years old. Jordan was inducted into the Cowboys' Ring of Honor in 1989.

The Cowboys announced Jordan's passing in a statement issued via social media Saturday afternoon.

"With fearless instincts, leadership and a relentless work ethic, Jordan was the embodiment of the Cowboys' spirit," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement published by the team. "Off the field, his commitment to his community was the centerpiece of his life after retiring in 1976. His legacy lives on as a model of dedication, integrity and toughness."

Jordan was a first-round pick by Dallas in 1963, going sixth overall and spending 14 seasons with the Cowboys. He is also enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and was the first player inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor by Jones.

“I can’t ever recall him missing a practice," former Crimson Tide head coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant wrote in his 1975 autobiography. "You have to have winners, and you have to be able to recognize them. After a while you can almost tell just by sitting across the desk from one. Lee Roy Jordan was like that."

Jordan capped his college career with a 30-tackle game in the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma for his final outing in an Alabama uniform. He finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1962, closing his NFL stint as a five-time Pro Bowler.

Former Cowboys head coach Tom Landry, one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, regarded Jordan as an elite competitor who could perform at a high level despite not being a big middle linebacker.

“He was a great competitor,” said Tom Landry, the Cowboys’ Hall of Fame coach. “He was not big for a middle linebacker, but because of his competitiveness, he was able to play the game and play it well. His leadership was there and he demanded a lot out of the people around him as he did of himself.”

Of the three Super Bowls Jordan played in, the Cowboys won one, making Jordan a Super Bowl champion (in 1971). He was twice an All-Pro and held the franchise's total tackles record for 26 years. His 1,236 team-credited tackles, per the Cowboys' website, were not surpassed until Darren Woodson pulled off the feat in 2002.

"Lee Roy Jordan's impact on the game, and on those who knew him, will live on forever. Our hearts go out to Lee Roy's family, friends and loved ones," Jones said.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Lee Roy Jordan on the cover of Sports Illustrated | Sports Illustrated

A Crimson Tide Legend

Although Jordan also played center at Alabama, he's especially known for being an All-American linebacker.

Jordan arrived at the Capstone one year after Bryant returned to coach, and helped return the Alabama to the top of the college football world.

In 1960, Jordan’s sophomore year, Alabama went 8-1-2 with a 3-3 tie against Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl, where he was voted the game’s most valuable player.

A year later, the Tide finished a perfect 11-0, including a 10-3 victory against Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, for Bryant’s first national championship. Opponents scored 25 points all season, compared to 297 for Alabama, with North Carolina State, led by quarterback Roman Gabriel, managing the most points, seven. Two others scored six, and two more had just three points.

“They play like it is a sin to give up a point."
Paul W. "Bear" Bryant on 1961 defense

After Tennessee managed a field goal in a 34-3 loss, Alabama didn’t yield another point during its five final games of the regular season, recording shutouts against Houston, Mississippi State, Richmond, Georgia Tech and Auburn.

“I don’t know if that’s a great team, but they most certainly were great against us,” Auburn coach Shug Jordan said after the 34-0 loss. “I don’t guess anybody has ever hit us that hard.”

For his senior season, 1962, Jordan was a unanimous All-America selection and Alabama went 10-1 with a 17-0 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Jordan made the amazing 30 tackles in the game.

“He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen,” Bryant said about Jordan. “If runners stayed between the sidelines, he tackled them. He never had a bad day, he was 100 percent every day in practice and in the games.”

Alabama finished 10-1 and ranked No. 5 after outscoring opponents 289-39. Jordan finished his college career with a 29-2-2 record over his last three seasons. The Dallas Cowboys selected him with the sixth overall pick in 1963 draft, where he became a key part of the Doomsday Defense. Despite being only 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, he played 14 seasons in the National Football League, became the franchise’s all-time leader in solo tackles with 743, helped lead the Cowboys to three Super Bowls (winning one), and was twice named All-Pro (with five Pro Bowls).

In 1989, Jordan received the Cowboys’ highest honor when 13 years after his retirement became the seventh player inducted into the club’s Ring of Honor, joining Bob Lilly, Don Meredith, Don Perkins, Chuck Howley, Mel Renfro and Roger Staubach. A contract dispute late in his career with former Cowboys president Tex Schramm was believed to be the reason for the delay.

“I’d like to thank Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys, my friends and the fans who remembered me for all these years. You’ve got a hell of a long memory,” Jordan said at the time. “I’m honored to be put on the board with these guys.”

Lee Roy Jordan

College Football Hall of Fame Induction: 1983
Position: Center/Linebacker
Years: 1960-1962
Place of Birth: Excel, AL
Date of Birth: Apr 27, 1941
Jersey Number: 54
Height: 6-2
Weight: 207
High School: Excel, AL (Excel HS)

All-Time Alabama Crimson Tide Players in the NFL

Rest In Peace to Crimson Tide Legend,
Lee Roy Jordan.

A champion, a leader, and forever part of Alabama Football history. pic.twitter.com/pYlwipeZc7
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) August 30, 2025

A Crimson Tide Legend

Lee Roy Jordan

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