Gridiron Great John Fitzgerald Passes

0:00On April 16, John Fitzgerald, the Dallas Cowboys center who powered their lines through the 1970s, passed away on April 14th at age 77. This two-time Super Bowl champ started for most of that decade, anchoring the offense over 12 seasons in 137 games. He suited up for five Super Bowl's total, grabbing rings in two of them. Fitzgerald was key in coach Tom Landry's shift to the shotgun formation, snapping longer hikes to Roger Staubach and fueling three Super Bowl runs in. Four years, including that 27 to 10 win over Denver in Super Bowl 12, tributes flooded in from fans and the NFL world right away. Folks called him a legend who built the game before the big lights, praising his dominant presence up front. The Cowboys highlighted how he laid the foundation for that shotgun revival starting in 1975. They also remembered his classic nickname for the 79, 80 offensive line, four Irishmen and a Scott nodding to him in his linemates, like Pat Donovan, Tom Rafferty, Jim Cooper, and Herb Scott.

1:05His legacy lives on in those championship blocks and our hearts go out to his family and friends as they mourn this gridiron grade.