Tom Rafferty, the Cowboys' starting center for nearly the entire decade of the 80's, has passed away at the age of 70.
Rafferty, who has battled numerous medical issues over the past few years, reportedly suffered a stroke earlier this week.
The Cowboys issued a statement on Friday on the passing of Rafferty:
The Dallas Cowboys mourn the passing of Tom Rafferty, who was a fixture on the Cowboys offensive line for 14 seasons. His work ethic, durability and versatility shined through as he was at the core of a line that brought Dallas a Super Bowl XII championship over the Denver Broncos. He was a shining example of being a great, trusted teammate and champion, always approaching the game and his role by doing the right thing. Among the many memorable moments of his career, one stands out, as he helped clear the way for Tony Dorsett's 99-yard run in 1983. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. He will be missed.
Drafted by the Cowboys in 1977, Rafferty was a starting guard on Dallas' Super Bowl XII winning team and played the position for four seasons before injuries to other players led him to play center, which was supposed to be temporarily.
Rafferty once said "three weeks turned into nine years" as he was the Cowboys' starting center all the way until the middle of the 1989 season when Mark Stepnoski replaced him.
Rafferty retired after the 1989 season, finishing his 14-year career. He's one of the few players that blocked for both Roger Staubach, Danny White and Troy Aikman.
He ranks sixth in team history with 203 career games played and his 182 starts are fourth-most in Cowboys history, behind only Jason Witten, Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Emmitt Smith.
