Rayfield Wright
- 6x All-Pro (1 2 team)
- 6x Pro Bowl ( 1971-1976 )
- 2x Super Bowl won Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII
- NFL 1970s All- Decade Team
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (2006)
- Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor ( 2004)
- Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Larry Rayfield Wright ( born August 23, 1945 in Griffin, Georgia), nicknamed Big Cat is a former American professional American football player. He played for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League ( NFL) and won them the Super Bowl twice (VI and XII).
Playing career
Youth / College
Wright comes from a modest background and grew up without a father. His education was conducted mainly by his grandmother. In his native city he attended the High School where he played basketball, however, and not, as desired by him, American football. Therefore at his college he first played for the basketball team. To be able to afford to study in college, he was forced to work during the holidays in a flour mill. The football coach at his university, Stan Lomax, then persuaded him to give up his summer job and join the football team. Lomax later became a father figure for Wright. In the football team he first played as a free safety, and later, as a punter, as a defensive end and as a tight end.
Professional
Wright was hired by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round as 182 players in the NFL Draft in 1967 as a tight end. The late commitment first made him no hope of a longer lasting career in the NFL. In the first three years, he has also received very little use time by his coach Tom Landry. Only two catches with a touchdown pass he could notch up. 1969, before a game of Cowboys against the Los Angeles Rams, Wright succeeded to secure the position of a right offensive tackle, after the starter had at this position, Ralph Neely, injured. His opponent in the following game was none other than the dreaded later a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Deacon Jones. Wright broke his job brilliantly, even before the 1970 season he was used as a starter in the preseason on this position and held it up to his end of runway.
With his help, succeeded the Cowboys to establish the running game, from 1970 to 1979 is one of the team of the top ten teams at the points yield. Calvin Hill in 1972, with Wright as a blocker, the first running back the Cowboys, who could Walk more than 1,000 yards in a season.
Wright won with the Cowboys twice the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl VI, the Miami Dolphins were beaten with 24:3, Super Bowl XII managed a 27:10 victory over the Denver Broncos. Wright pulled a with the cowboys in three more Super Bowls, but these were all lost. He is one of 13 players so far, the aufliefen in five Super Bowls.
The career of Wright was not trouble-free. In 1977, he suffered a knee injury and was sidelined most of the season. In 1979, he ended his career.
Coaching career
Wright worked in 1992 in the short term as assistant coach with the Arizona Rattlers - a team in the Arena Football League.
Honors selection
Wright is a member of the NFL 1970s All- Decade Team. He was six times elected to the All-Pro and played in six Pro Bowls. Since 2006 he is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and was immortalized in 2004 in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.
Off the pitch
Since the end of his career, Wright has been involved in youth work and church work. It supports numerous charitable organizations. Wright is co-owner of an oil company. He is married, has four children and lives near Fort Worth, Texas.