Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan ( born April 27 , 1941 ) is a retired American football linebacker . After attending the University of Alabama , playing under head coach Paul " Bear " Bryant , he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963 – 1976 . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 . Early years . Jordan attended Excel High School in Excel , Alabama , where he was a standout at fullback . Between 1960 – 1962 , Jordan excelled for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team under head coach Paul " Bear " Bryant . He played as both a linebacker and center for the team . In his sophomore season of 1960 , he helped the Crimson Tide finish with an 8 – 1 - 2 record . In the Bluebonnet Bowl , versus the Texas Longhorns , he was named the game ' s MVP in a 3 – 3 tie . The following year , Jordan was again an important part of the team as Alabama finished with an 11 – 0 record , a SEC Championship , and a national championship . The season included six shutouts , which included a 34 – 0 win over rival Auburn . Alabama wrapped up the season with a 10 – 3 victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl . In his senior season , the Crimson Tide fell short of another national championship with a 10 – 1 record . In his final game for the Tide , Jordan recorded 31 tackles in a 17 – 0 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl . For his performance , he received his second MVP award in a bowl game . At the end of his senior year , he received unanimous All - America n status and the Lineman of the Year award . During his career for Alabama , Jordan received high praise from Bryant , who stated , " He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen . If runners stayed between the sidelines , he tackled them . He never had a bad day , he was 100 percent every day in practice and in the games . " In 1980 , Jordan was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame . In 1983 , he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . Professional career . He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1963 NFL Draft . During preseason he was named the team ' s weakside linebacker and became the first rookie linebacker in franchise history to start a season - opener . In 1964 he replaced Jerry Tubbs at middle linebacker , teaming up with Chuck Howley and Dave Edwards , to form one of the greatest linebacking corps in NFL history . His teammates nicknamed him " Killer " and named him team captain for the defense . On Sept . 26 , 1971 , he had a team - record 21 tackles against Philadelphia Eagles . On November 4 , 1973 , he intercepted three passes in the first quarter from the Cincinnati Bengals ' Ken Anderson within the span of five minutes , returning one 31 yards for a touchdown . The picks were collectively named one of the ten most memorable moments in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008 . Jordan was usually the smallest middle linebacker in the league at only 6 ' - 1 " and 215 pounds , but his competitiveness and drive made up for his lack of size . Head coach Tom Landry said of Jordan , " He was a great competitor . He was not big for a middle linebacker , but because of his competitiveness , he was able to play the game and play it well . His leadership was there and he demanded a lot out of the people around him as he did of himself . " He ran Landry ' s " Flex " defense on the field with unmatched intensity and efficiency . He watched game film endlessly ; his contract included a projector for his home . He became the franchise ' s all - time leader in solo tackles ( 743 ) in his 14 seasons with the Cowboys . He was a two - time All - Pro and a five - time Pro Bowl er . He also helped the Cowboys to three Super Bowl s and five NFC Championship games . Jordan was an able defender against the run and pass , and had a penchant for recovering loose footballs . He remains tied for second in club history with 16 career fumble recoveries . More than 25 years after his retirement , Jordan still ranks second in Cowboys ' history in career solo tackles with 743 , second in career assisted tackles with 493 and second in combined total tackles with 1 , 236 . He also holds the third and fourth highest totals of solo tackles in a single season with 100 in 1975 and 97 in 1968 . In his 14 NFL seasons , he intercepted 32 passes ( seventh in club history ) , returning them for 472 yards and three touchdown s . He was selected to Cowboys Silver Season All - Time Team . In 1989 , he became the seventh member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor . He was the first member inducted by Jerry Jones . Personal life . Jordan currently heads the Lee Roy Jordan Lumber Company , headquartered in Dallas , Texas . He had three sons , David , Patrick , and Chris Jordan . David married and had three daughters , Bradford , Meredith , and Dabney . Patrick ( who goes by the name Lee ) married and had three daughters , Julia , MaryBeth , and Kathryn . Chris married and had two sons , Thomas and Bryant . He now resides in Point Clear , Alabama .