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April 8 (UPI) — Rayfield Wright, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who spent his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, died after he sustained a severe seizure, his family announced. He was 76.
Wright’s family confirmed his death through a statement released Thursday by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Wright’s wife, Di Wright, said he spent his last few days hospitalized due to the seizure.
“Over the past few weeks, it has become abundantly clear the love that so many Hall of Famers and others around the NFL felt toward Rayfield, his wife, Di, and the extended Wright family,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said.
“His gentle nature away from the game belied his commanding presence on the field. All fans, especially those of the Cowboys, will remember fondly his dominance on the offensive line in the 1970s and how he took protecting Dallas quarterbacks as his personal mission.
“We will guard his legacy in Canton with equal tenacity.”
Wright, 76, was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro. The seventh-round pick in the 1967 NFL Draft won Super Bowls with the Cowboys in 1972 and 1978. He appeared in 166 games over his 13-year tenure with the Cowboys.
Write was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
“His grit, his agility, his passion, his charism and his love for football, the community and his family always shined through,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement.
“Rayfield was champion on and off the field. He remained an important part of the Cowboys family long after his playing days ended, and he will be deeply missed.”
