Jerry Tubbs Gerald J . Tubbs ( January 23 , 1935 – June 13 , 2012 ) was an American football linebacker who played for ten seasons in the National Football League from 1957 to 1966 , mainly for the Dallas Cowboys . He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft . After his retirement he stayed with the Cowboys as an assistant coach for 22 years . Tubbs played college football at the University of Oklahoma . In 1996 he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame . High school career . Tubbs was an honor graduate student and played center at Breckenridge High School . He was part of two Texas state championship football teams in 1951 and 1952 . He played in three high school All - Star games and was a unanimous Texas All - State selection in 1952 . The teams were coached by Cooper Robbins ( 1951 ) and Joe Kerbel ( 1952 ) , who would go on to the college ranks . Tubbs lost only three games during his high school career . In 1971 , he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame . Since 2008 , the Breckenridge Buckaroos open the football season playing the " Jerry Tubbs Kickoff Classic " . College career . Tubbs played three varsity years at the University of Oklahoma , and the Sooners won all 31 games in that period . In 1954 , when fullback Billy Pricer was injured , Tubbs had to replace him playing against University of Texas , the first time he had ever played in the backfield . In the remaining games of that season , he averaged 6 . 1 yards per carry . Head coach Bud Wilkinson moved him to center in 1955 , and this became his signature position . He also played linebacker and in a victory over Texas in 1955 , he intercepted three passes . In 1956 he was unanimous All - America center and was named Lineman of the Year by three agencies . During his three varsity years , Oklahoma ' s record was 10 - 0 , 11 - 0 , 10 - 0 . His 31 wins were part of that legendary 47 - game winning streak and two national titles from 1954 - 56 . The 1954 team was ranked third nationally in the Associated Press and United Press polls . The 1955 and 1956 teams were national champions . In those years Oklahoma played in only one bowl game , where the 1955 team beat Maryland University 20 - 6 in the Orange Bowl . A consensus selection for 1955 and 1956 All - America n honors at center and linebacker , Tubbs was the first Sooner ever to win the Walter Camp Award as the outstanding player of the year . He was the leading vote - getter for All - America n in both UPI and AP polls and was voted the outstanding lineman in every poll he was eligible . Tubbs finished fourth in the 1956 Heisman Trophy voting ( very high for a lineman ) , behind his third place teammate , Tommy McDonald , and winner Paul Hornung of Notre Dame University . He graduated from Oklahoma with a degree in economics and was also a 1956 Academic All - America . In 1996 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and in 1999 he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame . Professional career . Chicago Cardinals . He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft — 10th overall . Suddenly , he found himself on a perennial loser , playing out of position as an outside linebacker . He was eventually benched , then traded to the San Francisco 49ers after the seventh game of the 1958 season . San Francisco 49ers . The following year ( 1959 ) , the San Francisco 49ers moved him into the middle linebacker position , where he became a starter . After the 1959 season , Tubbs planned to retire , so the 49ers left him off their list of players who were exempt from the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft . Dallas Cowboys . Tubbs was acquired by the Dallas Cowboys in 1960 NFL Expansion Draft . As it turned out , he would spend the next 29 years in Dallas — as a player , player - coach and full - time assistant coach . When Jack Patera fell to injury in the 4th game of the 1960 season , Tubbs became the first player in franchise history to start at the middle linebacker position on a regular basis . Tubbs was an impact player on those early Cowboys teams and also rated among the top middle linebacker s in the NFL . He had quickness , toughness and an unbeatable motor . In 1962 , he was one of the first Cowboys players voted to the Pro Bowl , along with : QB Eddie LeBaron ; DT Bob Lilly ; RB Don Perkins ; and CB Don Bishop . He became a player - coach in 1965 . In 1966 he retired and was working for the Dallas Federal Savings and Loan Association , but was lured back by Tom Landry to play behind Lee Roy Jordan for one more year . He played just the first three games of the season , until he suffered a back injury . The following year ( 1967 ) , Landry sensing that the Cowboys had a real chance at a championship , wanted to have Tubbs as insurance in the event Lee Roy Jordan should be injured . He came back again , but didn ' t play a single down while serving as a player - coach . Post - playing career . When he finally retired as a player at the end of the 1967 season , he became the linebacker s coach under Tom Landry for 21 years . He coached in five Super Bowl s , winning two of them . Tubbs died on June 13 , 2012 at the age of 77 . His family didn ' t issue a statement at the time , and some press reports are wrong .