Fitzy & Coach Mac Remembered: Cowboys & NFL Legends

0:00On April 16, longtime Dallas Cowboys center John Fitzgerald, better known as Fitsy, passed away Tuesday, April 14, just two days shy of his. 78th birthday. Drafted in the fourth round out of Boston College back in 1970, he spent a decade with the team, starting in 109 of 1. 137 games and playing on four Super Bowl squads, winning two. Fitsy earned his spot by adapting to coach Tom Landry's big tweak to the shotgun formation, in 1975. Snapping the ball head up from five to seven yards back, he gave Roger Stalbach extra time to read defenses and even run if needed. It was a game changer. First tested in a preseason matchup against the Rams, where even Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen couldn't help but chuckle at the. Set up. Folks remember Fitsy for his humility. He'd roll up to the Cowboys fancy new facility last year in a wheelchair for a regular tour, acting like no big. Deal despite helping build the franchise's golden era of 20 straight winning seasons. He bridged the old cramped locker rooms to today's luxury, always downplaying his role, even after getting called the Triggerman and the papers.

1:12Sad news doesn't stop there. Dave McGinnis, known as Coach Mac, passed Monday at 73. The former Bears and Cardinals coach, wrapped up with Titans radio analysis. Meanwhile, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says no trade talk yet on their franchise tag receiver George Pickens, and he's eyeing older college vets in. The draft for quicker transitions, even if second contracts hit sooner. Rest easy, Fitsy and Coach Mac, your plays and stories keep echoing through the game.