1. Ralph Eugene Neely was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League.
27 Facts About Ralph Neely
1. 2.
Ralph Neely played 13 seasons and 172 games for the Cowboys from 1965 to 1977.
3.
Ralph Neely's family moved to New Mexico for the sake of his brother, who suffered from asthma.
4.
Ralph Neely attended Farmington High School in New Mexico, where he was an All-State tackle for two years in football, and a standout All-State center for the basketball team.
5.
Ralph Neely went to the state AA football championship game in 1960.
6.
Ralph Neely was on the school's baseball team and was a shot putter in track and field.
7.
Ralph Neely was inducted into Farmington's sports Hall of Fame in 1987.
8.
Ralph Neely was honored by Farmington during a ceremony in 2016 for his career and time at Farmington.
9.
Ralph Neely presented Farmington with a golden football as part of the NFL's Super Bowl High School Honor Roll, Neely having played in four Super Bowls.
10.
Ralph Neely was recruited by the University of Oklahoma, where he played college football under coaches Bud Wilkinson and Gomer Jones.
11.
Ralph Neely was a 261-pound tackle who played both ways, as a dominant performer on defense and an excellent blocker on offense.
12.
Ralph Neely was named the Big Eight sophomore lineman of the year and was a two-time All-American and an all-conference selection in both 1963 and '64.
13.
Ralph Neely earned his degree with a double major in accounting and finance.
14.
Ralph Neely was one of three Sooners stars who missed the 1965 Gator Bowl game against Florida State University.
15.
Ralph Neely accepted the Oilers contract offer, but requested it be kept secret to remain eligible to play in the Gator Bowl.
16.
Ralph Neely was a four-time All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowler in 1967 and 1969.
17.
In 1970, Ralph Neely was moved to right guard during training camp, because of the improved play of Rayfield Wright at right tackle, in order for the team to have the best player combination possible in the offensive line.
18.
Ralph Neely originally moved to right guard to replace an injured teammate.
19.
Ralph Neely later replaced Tony Liscio who had a back injury at left offensive tackle during the fifth game of that season.
20.
The move became permanent and Ralph Neely manned the position until 1977, while continuing to be one of the NFL's premier offensive linemen.
21.
Ralph Neely was injured halfway into the Cowboys victorious 1971 Super Bowl season, when he fractured his left leg in an off-road motorcycle accident; forcing him to miss the last 7 games, the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
22.
The Cowboys president and general manager Tex Shramm observed that Ralph Neely's move to left tackle hampered his effectiveness, but he did it for the sake of the team.
23.
In 1977, Ralph Neely retired after the Cowboys won Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos.
24.
Ralph Neely was selected to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, though Neely has yet to join his bookend partner Wright, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame or in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.
25.
Ralph Neely suffered a series of serious health problems during and after his playing career.
26.
Ralph Neely joined a lawsuit against the NFL for the consequences of head trauma and concussions suffered as a player, which settled in 2016.
27.
Ralph Neely was living with dementia and the effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy prior to his death.