Jay Novacek Jay McKinley Novacek ( born October 24 , 1962 ) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St . Louis / Phoenix Cardinals ( 1985 – 1989 ) and the Dallas Cowboys ( 1990 – 1995 ) . Novacek was a five - time Pro Bowl er , who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995 . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 . Early life . Novacek played high school football in Gothenburg , Nebraska , where he was an all - state quarterback . In 1980 he set the state record in the pole vault with 15 - 1 . He won the state championship in the hurdles . He was also an all - state basketball player . In 1996 he was inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame . College career . He started his college career playing at split end and eventually moved to tight end . In 1984 he was selected to the Kodak All - America n football team and to the Western Athletic Conference first team , after setting a NCAA record for receiving yards per receptions ( 22 . 6 ) by a tight end . He finished with 83 career receptions for 1 , 536 yards and ten touchdown s , while playing in head coach Al Kincaid ' s wishbone offense . Novacek also competed in track and field for the University of Wyoming . He won the Western Athletic Conference decathlon championship , earning All - America n honors . He also set UW records for decathlon points ( 7 , 615 ) , and in the pole vault jump ( 16 ' 4 " ) . He is arguably the greatest athlete in the history of the University of Wyoming . In 1993 he was inducted into the University of Wyoming Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame . In 2008 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame . Professional career . Arizona Cardinals . Novacek was drafted in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Saint Louis Cardinals , where he played for five seasons . During his time with the team he saw little action , his best season came in 1988 when he caught 38 passes for 569 yards and 4 touchdown s . Dallas Cowboys . After spending five seasons with the Cardinals , he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a Plan B free agent , arguably the best signing in the history of this program . He was a key contributor for the Cowboys offense in the early 1990s , especially on third downs . Starting in 1991 , he played in five straight Pro Bowl s , while helping the Cowboys make the playoffs each year and winning the Super Bowl three times in four seasons . Novacek ' s last game was Super Bowl XXX in January , 1996 . He officially retired from the NFL on July 15 , 1997 after a lingering back injury cut short his career . In his 11 seasons , Novacek recorded 422 receptions for 4 , 630 yards and 30 touchdown s . Post - NFL Career . Novacek currently serves as spokesperson for the Alltel Wireless " Yards 4 Youth Football " program in West Texas . For every yard gained by 11 high school football teams in the region , Alltel will donate $ 1 to each school ’ s corresponding youth football organization . Each week , an additional $ 500 will be donated to youth football programs across West Texas on behalf of the " Yards 4 Youth Football Player of the Week " and " Team of the Week . " Jay is in his second year as spokesperson for the National Dairy Council ' s NFL Nationwide School Program " Fuel Up to Play 60 " campaign through Agent , PPI Marketing , Dallas TX . Novacek also co - stars in commercials for friend Bob Lovell of Home Marketing Services www . blessyourheart . com in Dallas , Texas . Novacek was commemorated for his 2008 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame , at half - time of the Wyoming Cowboys game , on 9 / 13 / 08 . Novacek conducts a youth football camp at the University of North Texas , in Denton , Texas , every summer . Jay appeared as a coach on the Spike TV reality series 4th and Long , as an instructor , in 2009 . On February 1 , 2010 , Novacek ' s wife , LeAnne , was found dead in her mother ' s home in Burleson , Texas , in an apparent suicide . Police say she evidently died from a self - inflicted gunshot wound . He remarried to Amy ( née ) Bradley of Burleson .