Nate Newton Nathaniel Newton ( born December 20 , 1961 in Orlando , Florida ) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys ( 1986 – 1998 ) and the Carolina Panthers ( 1999 ) . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League , in 1984 and 1985 . Newton played college football at Florida A & M University . Early years . Newton attended Jones High School where he played football , basketball , wrestling and shot put . In football he played as a fullback until his junior year , when he outgrew the position and was moved to the defensive line . Although he had Division I colleges recruiting him , he chose to remain close to home and signed with Florida A & M University . As a sophomore he played in both the offensive and defensive line . At the start of his junior season he was moved to the offense full time , where he would earn All - MEAC honors playing right tackle as a senior . Professional career . Washington Redskins . In 1983 he signed as a rookie undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins but was cut during training camp . He was injured in a serious car accident the night he was cut . Tampa Bay Bandits . After his release , he signed with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the now defunct United States Football League , who drafted him in 1983 , in what the USFL called a Territorial Draft . He played there for two years ( 1984 and 1985 ) as an offensive tackle . Dallas Cowboys . When the USFL folded , Newton signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1986 . He started out as a reserve offensive line man , and was nicknamed " the Kitchen " because he was bigger than William " The Refrigerator " Perry , of Chicago Bears fame . Although he became a starter at left guard in 1987 , Newton ' s breakout came with the arrival of Jimmy Johnson as the Cowboys coach in 1989 , who eventually moved him to the starting right tackle position . In 1992 because of the improved play of Erik Williams , he was moved back to left guard , in order to have the best players available in the offensive line . From 1992 to 1995 , together with Erik Williams , Mark Tuinei , Mark Stepnoski and Larry Allen , he was part of some of the best offensive line s to play in NFL history . Newton was one of the best guards in the NFL for over a decade . He was a very powerful player and was known from some great confrontations against Reggie White among other great players . Newton was a six - time Pro Bowl er , attending the game from 1992 through 1996 and once again in 1998 . Only Larry Allen ( 10 ) has been to more Pro Bowl s with the Cowboys on the offensive line . He is tied with Rayfield Wright and John Niland for six appearances each . His ability to protect quarterback Troy Aikman and to run - block for running back Emmitt Smith helped the Cowboys win 3 Super Bowl s in 1992 , 1993 , and 1995 . Despite playing in the trenches , Newton was one of the more colorful players in Cowboys history . Carolina Panthers . His last NFL season was in 1999 with the Carolina Panthers . Post - Football life . On November 4 , 2001 police in St . Martin Parish , Louisiana , arrested Newton after he was found to have 213 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop of Newton ' s white van . Five weeks later , on December 12 , 2001 , Newton was again stopped in Texas and was arrested after a search of his vehicle revealed he possessed 175 pounds of marijuana . He was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for drug trafficking , and has since reportedly gone straight , renouncing his past and turning his life around and he now speaks to children involved in athletics about his past . He is now a member of the North Dallas Community of God . In April 2010 , Newton , who once weighed as much as 400 pounds , underwent " vertical gastrectomy , " a surgical operation , by Dr . David Kim , that removes up to 75 percent of a patient ' s stomach and staples the remainder . He has lost 175 pounds and as of November 2010 weighed 220 — his lightest weight since high school . Newton ' s son Tré was a running back at Carroll High School in Southlake , Texas and was a key contributor for the Dragons ' two consecutive 5A football state championship teams in 2005 and 2006 . On November 15 , 2010 , the AP reported Tre ' Newton would no longer play running back for the University of Texas due to re - occurring injuries .