Is it Time for Canton to Get It Right With Lee Roy Jordan?

By John Turney 

Credit: Merv Corning

In the late 1960s through the 1970s, the Dallas Cowboys had a unit so formidable that it was called the "Doomsday Defense." In the middle of it was linebacker Lee Roy Jordan, and talk about appropriate. A tackling tornado, he amassed 1,236 team-credited stops as the linchpin of the run-stopping juggernaut.

“We shut down the league’s top backs in a run-heavy era,” Jordan declared. 

In Tom Landry’s flex defense, his unit was a fortress: Only two teams allowed fewer points or yards, and just one allowed fewer rushing touchdowns. With Jordan in the middle, Dallas five times led the league in fewest rushing yards and twice in yards per attempt. In short, its front was an impenetrable wall, thanks to a lot of accomplished players -- with Jordan the best of them.

Yet, despite his dominance, Jordan’s Hall-of-Fame momentum somehow stalled after he was a modern-era finalist in 1988 ... and then it wilted. He’s the only finalist among that year's modern-era candidates not to reach Canton (seniors' nominee Lou Rymkus that year has also been snubbed), and, yes, that message is directed to the Hall's seniors committee.

Making Jordan a "one-and-done" finalist isn't just unfair. It's wrong. 

I don't know what happened, but I know that a flood of Hall-worthy Cowboys leapfrogged him in the process. In 1990, Landry was inducted; in 1991, Tex Schramm followed. In 1994, Mel Renfro made the final 15, and in 1995, Randy White and Tony Dorsett were enshrined. Then, Renfro was voted in two years later. 

Meanwhile, other Cowboys like Chuck Howley, Bob Hayes, Drew Pearson, Rayfield Wright, Harvey Martin, Cliff Harris and Ralph Neely appeared on preliminary lists, potentially overshadowing Jordan. Thanks to the seniors committee, Hayes, Wright, Harris, Pearson and Howley eventually gained immortality. So did former executive Gil Brandt, a 2019 contributor enshrinee.

But Lee Roy Jordan? Nope. He's still on the outside looking in. It can't be that he lacks Hall-of-Fame worthy numbers because he doesn't. His numbers are so impressive that they're worth reciting. And so I will: 

-- His 32 interceptions tie him with Hall-of-Famer Nick Buoniconti as the most by a middle or inside linebacker-- ever.

-- Only three linebackers, all outside guys, matched or exceeded his interception total: Don Shinnick (37), Stan White (34) and Jack Ham (32). 

-- With 16 fumble recoveries, Jordan’s 48 career takeaways are tied with Bill Bergey for second among inside linebackers. Only Ray Lewis has more (51). And among all linebackers -- inside, outside or any side for that matter -- he’s tied for third behind Ham (53) and Lewis. 

-- Turning to single-season marks, Jordan's two seasons with six or more interceptions are tied for the most ever by a linebacker -- sharing the mark with Lambert, White and Eagles' outside linebacker William Thomas.

-- Again, counting just the middle linebackers, Jordan and Lambert are the only ones with two such seasons.

Now for the can of worms: If you're not a stats nerd, skip over the next several paragraphs because here's the scoop: The reported tackle total for Lee Roy Jordan—1,286—isn't the full story. It's higher.

The 1,286 figure comes from coaches' film reviews, where Landry's staff meticulously tracked defensive stats, including tackles, assists, forced fumbles and sacks (or "traps," as they called them). However, that number only accounts for the last 10 seasons of Jordan's career. For reasons unclear, the totals from 1963-66 are missing. 

My suspicion? The records from those years may be lost. I've searched for them myself. In fact, while researching Cowboys' history in the early 1990s, I uncovered documents that credited Jordan with 59 tackles in 1964 alone.

Confusing? Absolutely. But stay with me.

The missing years -- 1963, 1965, and 1966 -- might pose a problem if official NFL gamebooks from those seasons didn't offer a solution. But they do. By using press box stats from gamebooks as a substitute for coaches' tallies, we can arrive at Jordan's tackles for those years. And when you add them to the known coaches' total, Lee Roy Jordan's career tackle total jumps to 1,567.

Granted, it's a hybrid figure derived from two legitimate sources, but it's a more complete view of Jordan's tackles -- and it's the most in franchise history. Maybe you think it's Darren Woodson, but think again. It's Lee Roy Jordan. 

But let's not stop there. Jordan’s end-of-season accolades are equally impressive:

-- After earning All-Rookie honors in 1963, he gained All-Conference recognition in 1966, followed by his first Pro Bowl in 1967.

-- He continued with All-Conference honors and Pro Bowl selections in 1968 and 1969.

-- In 1973, he was a consensus choice on two of three major All-Pro teams, was named NFC Defensive Player of the Year by the Kansas City Committee of 101 and reached his fourth Pro Bowl.

-- In 1974, he added a fifth Pro Bowl, and in 1975, he was named All-NFC.

For those counting, that means eight of his 14 seasons were marked by notable honors. Plus, his five Pro Bowls not only match Sam Huff; they surpass Ray Nitschke. Considering Jordan's contemporaries were middle linebackers like Nitschke, Dick Butkus, Willie Lanier and Nick Buoniconti, his "alls" are more than Hall-worthy. And that doesn't include great non-Hall guys like Tommy Nobis, Bill Bergey and Mike Curtis.

It was truly a golden age of middle linebackers and competition for All-Pro teams and Pro Bowl slots was tough -- especially for someone who, at 6-feet-1, 220 pounds, was small for the position. But Jordan relied on his smarts, and Landry -- who called him "a head coach on the defense" -- relied on Jordan.

“If you had to fight a war," wrote former teammate Bob Lilly, "you'd want Lee Roy Jordan on your side. He would never give up. He was extremely intense on the field and a fierce competitor with tremendous self-confidence. Lee Roy was a student of the game, and he played it hard and he played it well.”

Jordan's collegiate coach, Alabama's Paul “Bear” Bryant, went one step farther.

"He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen," he said. "If runners stayed between the sidelines, he tackled them.” 

Someone pass that on to the Hall's senior committee.

Jordan has been a candidate for that group for 24 years, but he's never been a finalist ... and, as I've said, I don't get it. Maybe it's because, with so many Cowboys enshrined in Canton (particularly as seniors), voters may think that a group with that much talent should have fared better in the playoffs. A book entitled “Next Year’s Champions: The Story of the Dallas Cowboys” said precisely that, suggesting they were underachievers.

However, critics forget that they were victims of several heartbreaking losses in NFL title games against Green Bay (twice), Baltimore (Super Bowl V) and Pittsburgh (Super Bowl X)—nail-biters that could’ve gone Dallas’ way. Still, the Cowboys’ 24-3 rout of the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI ensured that Jordan gained his ring, and that should be enough for Hall selectors.

It is for me.

Consider this: Hall-of-Famers Bill George, Mike Singletary, Sam Huff and Willie Lanier each won only one championship. Furthermore, seven of the 17 middle or inside linebackers in Canton have no rings. Jordan’s single championship isn’t underwhelming compared to most; it only pales next to Nitschke and Lambert, who have five and four rings, respectively. 

If that was a reason, then it should have been debunked. 

Jordan’s competitiveness, stats, accolades, and leadership made the Cowboys’ defense iconic, and his undersized frame only amplifies his accomplishments.

“I don't guess anyone loved to play the game more than I did," Jordan said of his career. "I loved practice like I loved the games. I just enjoyed playing, period.”

Lee Roy Jordan's case checks a lot of boxes, and the clock’s ticking. At 84, he's waited long enough on Canton. Voters should give him what he deserves ... and that's one more shot at a Gold Jacket. 

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Career stats—

Note: TFLs are tackles for loss, not stuffs

Playoff stats—

Career honors—

• 1963—All-Rookie
• 1964
• 1965
• 1966—All-Conference; Pro Bowl
• 1967—Pro Bowl
• 1968—All-Conference; Pro Bowl
• 1969—Second-team All-Pro (NYDN), All-Conference; Pro Bowl
• 1970
• 1971
• 1972—Honorable mention All-Conference
• 1973—Consensus All-Pro; All-Conference; All-Conference
• 1974—Pro Bowl
• 1975—All-Conference
• 1976

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