Ralph Neely
- 2x Pro Bowl selection (1967, 1969)
- 5x All Pro selection ( 1967-1969, 1975) 1 2 team
- NFL 1960s All- Decade Team
- 2x Super Bowl winner VI, XII
Ralph Eugene Neely ( born September 12, 1943 in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States ) is a former American football player in the National Football League ( NFL). He played as an offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys.
Playing career
College career
Ralph Neely studied for his degree at the University of Oklahoma, for their football team, the Oklahoma Sooners, he played American football. In 1963 he won with his team in the Orange Bowl against the University of Alabama with 17:0. The Gator Bowl 1964 against Florida State University with 36:19.
In his last two years of study, he was elected because of his athletic achievements in each case to the All- American.
Playing career
Neely was drafted in 1965 by the Baltimore Colts in the second round to 28th. At the same time pulled him the Houston Oilers of the American Football League - a competition league in the NFL. Neely signed with the Oilers, as this in addition to his salary promised him to set up a gas station. Since the Colts had passed its contractual rights to Neely to the Cowboys, Neely was not ready for the less popular in Texas Oilers aground. The two teams agreed to Neely to enable use in Dallas, as compensation undertook the Cowboys to play three friendly games against the Oilers in Dallas, among other things. This game has tradition to this day, even after the Oilers were renamed the Tennessee Titans. It is always played when both teams did not have to compete against each other in the regular season.
The Cowboys were coached by Tom Landry, who managed to shape the once- worst team in the league a top team. Neely was responsible as a player of the offensive line to protect quarterback Don Meredith, but also had the task freizublocken own running backs the way into the opponent's end zone. 1966 were able to move into the play -offs the Cowboys for the first time, the following year they failed on their way into the NFL playoff in the so-called Ice Bowl to the Green Bay Packers at 21:17. 1967 Tex Schramm succeeded, the general manager of the Cowboys, the obligation of Rayfield Wright, who henceforth played together with Neely on the offensive line the team from Texas should.
In 1970, Neely could then move in with the Cowboys for the first time in the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl V Baltimore Colts but could prevail with 16:13. The following year, Roger Staubach took over the role of starting quarterback for the team from Dallas. The Cowboys won this year's Super Bowl VI against the Miami Dolphins, coached by Don Shula with 24:3. Neely had missed part of the season due to an injury and could not play in the Super Bowl VI.
In the season 1975, Neely was able to move into the Super Bowl for the third time. However, his team could not prevail against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were supervised by Chuck Noll, and lost in the Super Bowl X with just under 21:17. Neely and the Cowboys moved in 1977 in the Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos one. The Cowboys won with 27:10 and Neely won his second Super Bowl.
After the 1977 season Neely ended with a knee injury his career with the Cowboys.
Honors
Neely played twice in the Pro Bowl, the final game of the best players of the season. He was five times elected to the All Pro and is a member of the NFL 1960s All- Decade Team.