When former Dallas Cowboy defensive tackle Jethro Pugh died Jan. 7, I suddenly felt a little older.
Pugh played for the Cowboys from 1965-1978, when my love for football was taking hold. The Cowboys, along with the New Orleans Saints, were my two favorite National Football League teams.
Pugh, a good player on great Cowboy teams, was often overshadowed by his teammates. And despite his numerous successes on the field, he might best be remembered for his part in a Dallas loss.
The 1967 NFL championship game, also known as “The Ice Bowl,” was played at Green Bay with game-time temperatures of 13 below zero and 35 to 50 below wind chill factors. The Packers won the game, with 16 seconds left, on a quarterback sneak by Bart Starr. Pugh was the Cowboy blocked on the scoring play.
One of my earliest memories of professional football comes from watching that game played a little more than 47 years ago.
Pugh was not my favorite NFL player. He wasn’t even my favorite Cowboy player.
But there was something enduring and endearing about him.
I believe players like Pugh and his Dallas teammate, Bob Hayes, helped ease some of that era's racial unrest. White kids like myself, who were raised in the Deep South with a rural heritage, suddenly found ourselves cheering for black athletes.
When a player put on the uniform of our favorite team, they were no longer black or white, but instead they were black and gold of the Saints, blue and silver of the Cowboys or black and orange of the Chicago Bears.
Sports became the ultimate melting pot as we pulled for athletes on our favorite teams. Jethro Pugh helped in my quest to become color blind.
Jethro Pugh’s job, during my youth, was to play defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys. He went about the job with a resolve and dignity that made him one of the most respected players of his generation.
I read in Pugh’s obituaries he was a successful businessman after he retired for football.
Jethro Pugh was 70 at the time of his death. And, yes, I feel a little older now. I also feel fortunate for the distant influence he had on my life.
Thanks for the memories, Jethro.
Emailrandyd@crestviewbulletin.com, follow @BigRandle or call 682-6524 to reach Randy Dickson.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Memories of a Dallas Cowboy