John Fitzgerald: Dallas Cowboys' Unsung Hero

0:00On April 16, John Fitzgerald, the rock-solid center for the Dallas Cowboys, passed away on April 14 at 877. He spent his whole 12-year NFL career with Dallas, helping them win two Super Bowls and becoming a key part of their powerhouse 70s teams. Fitzgerald backed up early on, but stepped up as starter by the mid-70s, anchoring the line in Super Bowl 12 against Denver in 1978. He protected Roger Stalbach and even recovered a key fumble, all while snapping for one of the league's toughest fronts, nicknamed after it's Irish Heavy Crew. Fans and teammates remember him for never playing a losing season in Dallas, suiting up for 137 regular games and 19 playoffs. Drafted fourth round out of Boston College in 1970, he swished from guard to center and adapted fast to coach Tom Landry's tricks, like Blind Snaps in a new spread setup. His college Hall of Fame nod came in 1982, right after retiring, and he even coined that

1:01famous line nickname himself. Though no probals or Hall of Fame jacket, Fitzgerald defined teen first grit. Cowboys history owes him big for that steady foundation, keeping the stars shining through contention after contention.