Two-time Super Bowl champion and former Dallas Cowboys linebacker D.D. Lewis passed away at the age of 79 this week, the New York Post reported. Lewis, an All-American at Mississippi State, spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the storied franchise.
A Tennessee native, Lewis was a standout player at Mississippi State beginning in 1965. Just two years later, Lewis was named a first-team member All-American and received the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year.
His professional career was equally as accomplished. In 1968, Lewis joined the Cowboys as a sixth-round draft pick and went on to play in all but four games in the regular season throughout his career, except for 1969, when he served in the military.
The Cowboys won the big game in 1971, but Lewis would have his standout season in 1975, during which his two interceptions helped lead Dallas to a victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship. Dallas lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers that year in the final matchup, but the Cowboys would go on to another Super Bowl victory just two years later.
Lewis was especially revered by Mississippi State University and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 for his contributions to the sport. The university honored Lewis in a lengthy post to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, outlining some of his many accolades.
"Mississippi State University mourns the passing of MSU Ring of Honor inductee and Super Bowl Champion Dwight Douglas Lewis. D.D. Lewis was a three-year letterman for the Mississippi State football squad, starring at linebacker from 1965-67. During his time in Maroon and White, Lewis was named All-SEC (1966 and 1967); SEC Defensive Player of the Year (1967); All-American (1967)," the post said.
"Lewis was selected with the 159th overall pick in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys in 1968. Lewis went on to play 13 seasons in the league, all with Dallas. He appeared in five different Super Bowls and became the second Bulldog to ever win the big game after winning Super Bowl VI in 1972," the university went on.
"He then followed it with his second ring at Super Bowl XII in 1978. Lewis became just the second Bulldog player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame after earning the induction in 2001. He is also a member of the MSU Ring of Honor after being inducted in 2011," the post from the university concluded. It included photos of Lewis at different stages of his career.
Mississippi State University mourns the passing of MSU Ring of Honor inductee and Super Bowl Champion Dwight Douglas Lewis.
D.D. Lewis was a three-year letterman for the Mississippi State football squad, starring at linebacker from 1965-67. During his time in Maroon and White,… pic.twitter.com/vS14XCyrbm
— Mississippi State (@msstate) September 17, 2025
Lewis had several career highlights during his time with the Cowboys. He held the Cowboys record for playing in the most playoff games with 27 appearances, according to Fox News. An obituary on the team's website said Lewis was "one of the most underappreciated players in franchise history."
This was partly because he was a backup for Chuck Howley until he notched two fumble recoveries during the 1973 season. He would go on to be picked as one of Tom Landry's "Doomsday Defense" players as a top linebacker and make his mark on the team in Super Bowl XII with a key sack in the game against the Denver Broncos. The Cowboys beat the Broncos 27-10.
Despite such an impressive career, Lewis never received honors such as becoming an All-Pro selection or playing in the Pro Bowl, but he did receive the honor of being named ot the Silver Anniversary Team for the Cowboys in 1984. His contributions were numerous, but many remember Lewis as the one who uttered the most famous quote about the Cowboys' Texas Stadium venue that is still repeated today.
Before the new stadium was built, the old Texas Stadium had a dome with a portion left open. "Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play," Lewis said to reporters.
The football legend made his mark on the sport. Lewis's legacy will live on in the record books and replays, but there is no replacement for the quiet greatness Lewis brought to the field and beyond.
