Dallas Cowboys Iron Man Icon Tom Rafferty Dead at 70
FRISCO - Legendary Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tom Raffery has passed away.
Rafferty was 70.
Rafferty's daughter, Rachel Powers, informs the Dallas News that her father had been hospitalized in Colorado since early May.
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The Cowboys selected Rafferty in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft, and he spent his entire 14-year playing career as a prominent member of "America's Team.''
How long was he an institution with the Cowboys?
Long enough that played with quarterback Roger Staubach ... and he played with quarterback Troy Aikman in his final NFL season in 1979.
Rafferty, a Penn State product, took over for Blaine Nye at right guard in his second season and started there for four years before making the move to center.
He played in two Super Bowls and was an iron man as he started 167 consecutive games, the longest streak in the franchise's history at the time.
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Under the supervision of new coach Jimmy Johnson, then-rookie Mark Stepnoski replaced Rafferty midway through the 1989 season, and Rafferty retired after the season.
At his peak - and at a Dallas peak - center John Fitzgerald nicknamed the Cowboys offensive line as the "Four Irishmen and a Scott'' when it was made up by him, Rafferty, Pat Donovan, Jim Cooper and Herb Scott.
In total, the 6-4, 256-pound Rafferty won one Super Bowl ring as he appeared in 203 games and started 182 of those.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
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