"Dandy" Don as he was known, was more than an amazing Dallas quarterback. Back in his 9 seasons with the Cowboys, he set the stage for what would become 'America's Team' and had Dallas won the two championship games in 1966 & 1967 he arguably would have been nominated to the NFL Hall of Fame. Even so, he was inducted in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1976. But by that time he left the Cowboys and began his famous broadcasting career as an announcer on Monday Night Football. He also was an accomplished actor, was in over a dozen films and several TV series, one in which he starred as Bert Jameson in Police Story. 

When Dallas acquired Meredith from Chicago through a trade in 1960 he was noted to be a tough, dependable player who ended up starting as the team's leading QB until his somewhat unexpected retirement in 1969. After several broken bones, punctured lungs and even seen coughing up blood after obtaining a first down, Don was the kind of player who fought his way to winning. Indeed, after 3 Pro Bowl nominations. named the 1966 NFL Player of the Year, over 17,000 passing yards, 135 TDs and a Passer Rating of 74.8, this guy was not your average little fuzz ball, but instead a serious football hero to many, like myself. Granted, his picture wasn't placed on the cover of Time Magazine (like Y A Tittle's)  kneeling in the end zone, helmet off, blood running down his head, but he wasn't afraid to get that way if needed. A tough guy with a soft heart.  

Known for his quirky sense of humor, always jabbing with Howard Cosell about his attire on Monday Night Football, he would always start singing "Turn out the lights, the party's over" when the game was in garbage play mode. In contrast to his stoic coach Tom Landry, Meredith once said "Tom Landry is a perfectionist. If he was married to Raquel Welch, he'd expect her to cook" Another time he said to Cosell "I've missed you" and kissed Howard Cosell on the cheek, to which Cosell said "I didn't know you cared"..."Ich!" Meredith winced. 

Just another great name in the Dallas Cowboys list of many, Don Meredith lives on - even to this day, a pioneer in what eventually turned out Staubach, Aikman and yes, even Prescott into America's Team. How 'Bout Them Cowboys!