Tom Landry
Coach — born 1924
Tom Landry was an American football player and a coach who was known for bringing in new techniques and formations in football.
Tom Landry was an American football coach and player remembered as the founding head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, where his stoic sideline presence and trademark fedora made him one of the most recognizable figures in the National Football League. Born Thomas Wade Landry on September 11, 1924, in Mission, Texas, he served the Cowboys for 29 consecutive seasons before his death on February 12, 2000.
Landry enrolled at the University of Texas, then interrupted his studies to serve as a U.S. Army Air Forces B-17 co-pilot in Europe during World War II, flying 30 combat missions. He returned to Texas, played fullback and defensive back for the Longhorns, and graduated with a degree in business administration in 1949.
He played professionally for the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference and the New York Giants of the NFL from 1949 to 1955, leading the league with 10 interceptions in 1954. As Giants defensive coordinator under Jim Lee Howell from 1956 to 1959, alongside offensive coordinator Vince Lombardi, he helped develop the 4-3 defense.
He was hired as the first head coach of the expansion Dallas Cowboys in 1960 and turned them into "America's Team," winning Super Bowl VI in January 1972 and Super Bowl XII in January 1978. He posted a 250-162-6 regular-season record, reached five Super Bowls, and produced 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966 to 1985 before being dismissed in 1989. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
The name Tom is a short form of Thomas, originating from the Aramaic Ta'oma meaning "twin."
About the name Tom
Gender: Male · Origin: English
Derives From Thomas Twin.