D.D. Lewis, former Mississippi State All-SEC defender, dies at 79
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
Legendary Mississippi State linebacker D.D. Lewis has died at the age of 79, the university confirmed. Lewis was the 1967 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and went on to win 2 Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys.
Hall of Fame head coach Bear Bryant dubbed Lewis as the “best linebacker in the country”, an impressive compliment while the Bulldogs were 7-23 during the defender’s tenure.
The Tennessee native earned First-team All-SEC in 1966 and 1967. Lewis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021 and is also in the Davis Wade Stadium Ring of Honor. Lewis is also in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Tennessee Hall of Fame.
Lewis was selected by the Cowboys in the sixth round of the 1968 NFL Draft. Lewis spent his entire pro career until retirement in 1981 with the Cowboys and amassed 14 fumble recoveries along with 8 interceptions.
Lewis made 135 straight starts, which ranks third in Cowboys history. Perhaps his most significant NFL performance came in the 1975 NFC Championship Game when he had 2 interceptions in a 37-7 win vs. the Los Angeles Rams. Lewis also holds the mark for most playoff game appearances with the Cowboys (27).
