In a statement released yesterday, the Dallas Cowboys mourned the loss of former center and guard of 14 years, Tom Rafferty, who died on Thursday at the age of 70. The cause of death was a stroke.
Rafferty, a staple of Penn State and Joe Paterno’s offensive line in the early 1970s, was drafted by the Cowboys with the 119th pick in the 1976 NFL Draft.
The next season that he was not a part of the organization was 1990. He was one year away from playing in three different decades.
To say he had an illustrious run in Dallas would be an understatement; only five Cowboys in franchise history played more seasons with the team, and no offensive lineman in team history played in more games.
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If you’re a younger fan, you may have never heard of Rafferty and his nearly 15-year career, but his contributions were pivotal in Super Bowl XII. Dallas took down the Denver Broncos in a 27-10 win, largely on the shoulders of the offensive line.
Dallas’s success waned as his career stretched into the 1980s, but Rafferty’s presence remained irreplaceable, and in hindsight, his life story proved remarkable.
Tom Rafferty: Rise and Resilience
Born in Syracuse, New York, Tom Rafferty did not stem from a football powerhouse. He is arguably the most successful NFL player from his hometown, and he is the only football player in his high school’s “Hall of Distinction.”
As a dual-sport athlete in football and lacrosse, he was elected in 2000 in the inaugural class of honorees for Fayetteville-Manlius, which is the only school in its district.
Rafferty was also elected to the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
Despite these humble beginnings in a small town, Rafferty wound up at one of the most prominent football colleges in the nation, as he was recruited to play for the Nittany Lions. They moved him to the offensive line, and that one decision opened the doors to a long career.
Dallas drafted him as a team captain with a First-team All-American nod and two First-team All-East nominations under his belt. With that résumé, it’s hard to believe he fell to the fourth round.
After over a decade of gritty work with the Cowboys, “Raff” retired, became a sales manager, and taught himself how to walk again after developing a neurological disorder.
If you ever need an example of resilience, look at Tom Rafferty first.
He beat long-shot odds to forge a storied football career, and after retirement, he fought just as hard off the field as he did on it.
