# Bob Lilly
**Bob Lilly** (Robert Lewis Lilly, born July 26, 1939, in Olney, Texas) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the [Dallas Cowboys](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-cowboys) from 1961 to 1974, known by the nickname "Mr. Cowboy." Dallas chose Lilly with the first draft pick in franchise history, placed his name at the top of the [Ring of Honor](https://www.edgepedia.org/ring-of-honor), and saw him become the first Cowboys career-long player enshrined in the [Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-hall-of-fame).[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly) • [2](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-bob-lilly)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | July 26, 1939, Olney, Texas; 6 ft 5 in, 260 lb[3](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LillBo00.htm) |
| College | Texas Christian University; two-time All-American and two-time All-Southwest Conference selection[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly) |
| Draft | Dallas Cowboys, 1st round (13th overall), 1961 NFL Draft; also drafted by the Dallas Texans in the 2nd round (14th overall) of the 1961 AFL Draft[3](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LillBo00.htm) |
| Career | 14 seasons (1961–74), all with Dallas; 196 games, all consecutive[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly) |
| Honors | 11 Pro Bowls (10 consecutive, 1964–74); 7 first-team All-Pro selections; Super Bowl VI champion[2](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-bob-lilly) • [4](https://www.dallascowboys.org/bob-lilly/) |
| Firsts | First player drafted by the Cowboys (1961); first in the Ring of Honor (1975); first Cowboy in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1980)[2](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-bob-lilly) |
| Signature play | 29-yard sack of Miami quarterback Bob Griese in Super Bowl VI, a 24–3 Dallas win[2](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-bob-lilly) |
| Sacks | 95.5 career sacks as credited by Pro Football Reference, though sacks were not an official statistic during his career[5](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/pfr-blog/2024/03/10-best-defensive-tackles-of-all-time/) |
## College career at TCU
Lilly played college football at [Texas Christian University](https://www.edgepedia.org/texas-christian-university), where he was a two-time All-[Southwest Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/southwest-conference) pick and a consensus [All-America](https://www.edgepedia.org/all-america) choice as a defensive end.[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly) In the spring of 1961 he became the Dallas Cowboys' first-ever draft choice, selected in the first round, 13th overall, of the 1961 NFL Draft; the Dallas Texans of the rival AFL also chose him, in the second round.[6](https://tcufrogclub.com/honors/tcu-athletics-hall-of-fame/bob-lilly/236) • [3](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LillBo00.htm) He was inducted into the TCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1976 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.[6](https://tcufrogclub.com/honors/tcu-athletics-hall-of-fame/bob-lilly/236) • [7](https://www.cfbhall.com/inductees/bob-lilly-1981/)
## Dallas Cowboys career
**From end to tackle.** Lilly starred as a defensive end as a 1961 rookie, was named rookie of the year, and then moved to defensive tackle midway through his third season, 1963, on the decision of coach [Tom Landry](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-landry), with even more sensational results at the new position.[8](https://www.dallascowboys.com/team/hall-of-fame) • [1](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly) • [4](https://www.dallascowboys.org/bob-lilly/) As a tackle he was a first-team AP All-Pro choice every year from 1964 through 1969 and again in 1971, with second-team selections in two other seasons.[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly) He made 11 Pro Bowls in total, a club record, including 10 consecutive selections from 1964 to 1974.[2](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-bob-lilly)
**Durability and production.** Lilly played in 196 consecutive regular-season games, a franchise record; his only career miss came in the 1973 [NFC Championship Game](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfc-championship-game) against Minnesota, when a leg injury put him on the bench.[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly) Equally effective as a pass rusher and a run defender, he regularly drew double-team and even triple-team blocking but was rarely delayed in pursuit of the ball carrier. He returned 18 fumbles for 109 yards and scored four touchdowns: one on a 17-yard interception return in 1964 and three on fumble recoveries.[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly) Because sacks were not an official statistic during his career, Pro Football Reference's research totals credit him with 95.5 career sacks.[5](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/pfr-blog/2024/03/10-best-defensive-tackles-of-all-time/)
## Doomsday Defense and the Super Bowls
Lilly anchored the defensive unit known as the "Doomsday Defense" on a team that rose from expansion-era struggles to the top of the NFL. [The Cowboys](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cowboys) played in six NFL/NFC title games in an eight-year span from 1966 through 1973 and appeared in Super Bowls V and VI.[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly) After the [Super Bowl V](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-v) loss to the Baltimore Colts, Lilly was part of an infamous scene in which he ripped off his helmet and hurled it into the air.[2](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-bob-lilly) The following year, in [Super Bowl VI](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-vi), the Lilly-led defense held Miami to only a field goal in a 24–3 victory, the fewest points ever given up in Super Bowl history to that time, and Lilly's 29-yard sack of quarterback Bob Griese remains one of the most memorable defensive plays in Super Bowl history.[2](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-bob-lilly)
## Honors and legacy
Lilly accumulated a series of franchise firsts. Dallas made him its inaugural draft pick, an All-Pro and [Pro Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-bowl) honoree, and in 1975 put his name first on the Cowboys' Ring of Honor; in 1980 he became the first Cowboy to play his whole career with the team and enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[9](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/mr-cowboy) • [2](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-bob-lilly) • [13](https://www.profootballhof.com/teams/dallas-cowboys/team-facts) He was named to the NFL's 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Teams and the NFL 75th Anniversary All-[Time Team](https://www.edgepedia.org/time-team).[4](https://www.dallascowboys.org/bob-lilly/) Landry called him "the greatest Cowboy player ever."
[10](https://tshof.org/inductee/bob-lilly/)
His number 74 became so associated with him that he is the only Dallas Cowboy to have worn it, and the number is unofficially retired by the team.[11](https://www.sctexas.org/flipbook/sunrays/2014/01-Jan/files/assets/common/downloads/42612_SunCity_Flip.pdf) • [4](https://www.dallascowboys.org/bob-lilly/) Unlike many teammates of his era, Lilly did not move into sports television after retiring; he developed a love of photography and habitually carried a camera while traveling with the team.[4](https://www.dallascowboys.org/bob-lilly/) He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.[10](https://tshof.org/inductee/bob-lilly/) Later rankings of the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history consistently place him among the leading candidates, and Pro Football Reference's career-value measure ranks his weighted career approximate value 67th among all players since 1960.[12](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/who-10-greatest-interior-defensive-linemen-all-time) • [3](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LillBo00.htm)
## References
1. [Bob Lilly, Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/bob-lilly)
2. [Ring of Honor: Bob Lilly, Dallas Cowboys](https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ring-of-honor-bob-lilly)
3. [Bob Lilly Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LillBo00.htm)
4. [Bob Lilly, Dallas Cowboys](https://www.dallascowboys.org/bob-lilly/)
5. [Top NFL Defensive Tackles of All Time, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/pfr-blog/2024/03/10-best-defensive-tackles-of-all-time/)
6. [Bob Lilly (1976), TCU Athletics Hall of Fame](https://tcufrogclub.com/honors/tcu-athletics-hall-of-fame/bob-lilly/236)
7. [Robert Lewis Lilly 1981, College Football Hall of Fame](https://www.cfbhall.com/inductees/bob-lilly-1981/)
8. [Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame](https://www.dallascowboys.com/team/hall-of-fame)
9. ["Mr. Cowboy", Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/mr-cowboy)
10. [Lilly, Bob, Texas Sports Hall of Fame](https://tshof.org/inductee/bob-lilly/)
11. [Sun City Texas Sunrays, January 2014](https://www.sctexas.org/flipbook/sunrays/2014/01-Jan/files/assets/common/downloads/42612_SunCity_Flip.pdf)
12. [Who are the 10 best defensive tackles of all-time?, FOX Sports](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/who-10-greatest-interior-defensive-linemen-all-time)
13. [Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/teams/dallas-cowboys/team-facts)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Defensive tackles › Retired defensive tackles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license