Tom Landry Biography - The Early Years, The Innovator, Chronology, America's Team, Awards And Retirement
football coach dallas players
1924-2000
American football coach
Every football Sunday for twenty-nine years, Tom Landry stood expressionless on the sidelines as coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). Whether winning or losing, Landry, in his suit and trademark fedora, always remained calm. His stoic demeanor and aura of control demanded respect from both his opponents and his players. He possessed a superior football mind and was recognized for his innovations even as a young man. As a player-coach with the New York Giants, Landry created the 4-3 defense, a staple of pro football, featuring four linemen and three linebackers. In Dallas, he was the first to use computers for scouting and game preparation. Landry's continuing influence on the game is carried forward by former staff members and players still active in the league.
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Born Thomas Wade Landry on September 11, 1924 in Mission, Texas, he was the son Ron Landry, an auto mechanic. As a child, he shared an attic bedroom with his two older siblings and was nearly killed when he was struck in a car accident. Somewhat shy, he was an A student, class president and football standout in high school. During Landry's senior year his team went undefeated and he was off…
The list of Landry's innovations is long and impressive and what he considered most important to his legacy. In Dallas, he created the umbrella-like flex defense, began using computers, reintroduced the shotgun formation and popularized situational substitutions. His command of the X's and O's of the game was matched only by his ability to keep a cool distance from his players…
Landry's Cowboys' rise to the top culminated in their first trip to the Super Bowl in 1971. With their loss to the Baltimore Colts, the fans didn't take long to place blame squarely on Landry. Noting his lack of emotion on the sidelines and the Cowboy's recent record of coming up short in big games, the fans lashed out at Landry for his apparent inability to win. Dallas…
Landry's status as icon and legend never changed, but the NFL did and in 1989, after three consecutive losing seasons, he was unceremoniously fired by Dallas' new owner, Jerry Jones. Although most onlookers felt it was the wrong choice at the time, Landry never expressed public bitterness. In 1990, he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame alongside five of his former players. He made…
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User Comments
4 days ago
Im 10 years old lady! im not supposed to see word like that!
4 months ago
tom landry's wife
everything is true about him. you guys have done such a shitty job