Tom Landry

Tom Landry

Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry (September 11, 1924–February 12, 2000) was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League (NFL) history, creating many new formations and methods. He invented the now popular 4–3 defense, and the "flex defense" system made famous by the "Doomsday Defense" squads he created during his 29 year tenure with the Dallas Cowboys.

Landry won two Super Bowl titles (VI, XII), 5 NFC titles, 13 Divisional titles, and compiled a 270-178-6 record, the 3rd most wins of all time for an NFL coach. His 20 career playoff victories are the most of any coach in NFL history. He was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 1966 and the NFC Coach of the Year in 1975. His most impressive professional accomplishment is his 20 consecutive winning seasons (1966–1985), an NFL record that remains unbroken and unchallenged. Also from 1965 to 1981 the Cowboys won 17 consecutive regular season openers, also an NFL record that remains unbroken and unchallenged. Under Landry the Cowboys had a record of 41-11 in regular season games in the month of Dec. from 1965 to 1982, and 24-4 from 1970 to 1979 to either clinch a playoff spot or build momentum to go deep on many championship runs, from 1966 to 1982 Dallas played in 12 NFL/NFC Championship games, a span of 17 years. More impressive is the Cowboys appearance in 10 NFC Championship games in the 13-year span from 1970 to 1982. Leading the Cowboys to 3 Super Bowl appearances in four years between 1975 and 1978,and 5 in 9 years between 1970 and 1978, and being on T.V. more than any other NFL Franchise is what spawned the title of "America's Team", a title Landry did not appreciate because he felt it would bring on extra motivation from the rest of the league to compete with the Cowboys. The Cowboys also won 10+ games 17 out of 20 years from 1966 to 1985 including playoff wins, for an overall record of 226-95-2 in that span of 20 consecutive winning seasons.