Ralph Neely
Offensive tackle | |||||
| Personal information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | September 12, 1943 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. | ||||
| Died: | January 5, 2022 (aged 78) | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Farmington (NM) | ||||
| College: | Oklahoma | ||||
| NFL draft: | 1965 / Round: 2 / Pick: 28 | ||||
| AFL draft: | 1965 / Round: 2 / Pick: 15 (by the Houston Oilers)[1] | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
| |||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||
Ralph Eugene Neely (September 12, 1943 – January 5, 2022) was an American professional
Early years
Neely attended
team.He was recruited by the
Neely was one of three
Professional career
In
Neely accepted the Oilers contract offer (which also included rights to own a Houston gas station), but requested it be kept secret to remain eligible to play in the Gator Bowl. When he learned that the Colts traded his rights to the Cowboys, he began negotiating with Dallas, and returned his check to the Oilers. Litigation ensued between the Oilers and Cowboys in regards to his rights.[3][4]
A rookie in
One of the terms of the merger agreement between the
Neely was a four-time
He was injured halfway into the Cowboys victorious 1971 Super Bowl season, when he fractured his left leg in an off-road motorcycle accident; and missed the rest of the year.[6]
In 1977, Neely retired after the Cowboys won Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos.[7] He was selected to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, though Neely has yet to join his bookend partner Rayfield Wright, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame or in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.
Later life and death
In 2018, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Neely to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2018.[8]
Neely died on January 5, 2022, at the age of 78.[9] He was living with dementia and the effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) prior to his death.[10]
References
- ^ "1965 AFL Draft". Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ "Cowboys Trade Lothridge To Baltimore Colts," The Associated Press (AP), Monday, August 30, 1965. Retrieved February 15, 2014
- ^ Houston Oilers, Inc., Appellant, v. Ralph Neely, Appellee, 361 F.2d 36 (10th Cir. 1966) – Justia.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020
- ^ "Oilers' Suit Against Neely Upheld By Supreme Court," The Associated Press (AP), Tuesday, October 11, 1966. Retrieved February 15, 2014
- ^ "The curious case of Houston vs. Dallas". UHCL Signal. November 3, 2014.
- ^ "Cowboys Lose Neely," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, November 2, 1971. Retrieved February 15, 2014
- ^ "Cowboys' Neely to Retire". Associated Press. December 23, 1977.
- ^ "PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2018". Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ Williams, Charean (5 January 2022). "Former Cowboys offensive lineman Ralph Neely dies at 78". NBC Sports. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Widow of Dallas Cowboys great Ralph Neely says his final years were destroyed by CTE