The legendary architect of a 29-year era

Those who have never delved deeper into the history of the NFL may still be familiar with its myth, for example from the world of cartoons.

From the cult series “King of the Hill,” for example, in which Tom Landry is the idol of the main character Hank Hill. Or from “You Only Move Twice,” one of the best episodes of The Simpsons, in which Homer starts a new job at Hank Scorpio’s nuclear power plant – a friendly, thoughtful, modern boss and supervillain who strives for world domination.

Homer, inspired by Scorpio to discover his own leadership qualities, buys himself a special accessory in the episode to underline his new self-confidence: one of the famous fedora hats that were Landry’s trademark.

Tom Landry, who would have turned 100 today, was one of the greatest coaches in NFL history and represents a legacy that is in many ways unmatched.

Thomas Wade Landry, born on September 11, 1924, the son of an auto mechanic in the town of Mission, Texas, fought as a bomber pilot in World War II at a young age – inspired by his brother Robert, who enlisted in the army after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and was killed on a transport flight across the Atlantic.

As an active player, Landry was a successful defensive back, punter and kick returner for the New York Giants, where he also began his coaching career.

Between 1954 and 1959 he was defensive coordinator, for several years in a dream team with Vince Lombardi as the man for the offense – Lombardi later led the Green Bay Packers to triumphs in the first two Super Bowls and, after his early death from cancer in 1970, became the namesake of the championship trophy.

Landry established his reputation as a “great innovator” while he was with the Giants. He pioneered the 4-3 defense, which is still the standard defensive system in the NFL today. When he became head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, he developed the idea of ​​the “flex defense,” in which each defender was assigned a specific part of the field – a revolution comparable to the change from man-to-man to zone coverage in football.

Landry also did not invent but popularized the “shotgun offense,” the pass in which the quarterback is placed a little behind the offensive line and thus has more time to read the opposing defense’s movements before taking action.

Landry’s inventiveness was also expressed in the fact that he scouted for individual athletes from other sports – the footballers Efren Herrera and Rafael Septién as kickers, 100-meter Olympic champion Bob Hayes as wide receiver.

Landry, who always attended the games wearing a hat and suit and usually with a stoic expression, founded an era in Dallas that is no exaggeration: He coached the Cowboys from 1960 to 1988 – 29 years!

Not only is Landry’s tenure the longest in NFL history to date, but his record of 20 consecutive seasons with more wins than losses is also a record.

In 1972 and 1978, Landry led the Cowboys to Super Bowl wins with quarterback “Captain America” ​​Roger Staubach. The Landry era established the Cowboys’ legend as “America’s Team” – which Landry did not like because it was a motivational boost for the opponents.

Landry’s unique NFL career came to an undignified end in 1988: Jerry Jones, the new boss of the Cowboys, fired the legend one day after he bought the franchise – he saw Landry, whose record had become weaker at the end, as a burden that he had to get rid of in order to make a fresh start. He installed Jimmy Johnson, who led the new Cowboys generation with Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin to two Super Bowl victories in the 1990s.

The relationship between Landry and Jones – who still owns the team today – remained strained for years. Landry never won a job in the NFL, but he lived to see his legacy duly honored: he was inducted into the Hall of Fame and the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, and was showered with honors by the city of Dallas.

“An inspiration to everyone who has ever played or seen football,” said then-US President George HW Bush.

Landry never got another coaching job; the father of three and devout Christian died of leukemia on February 12, 2000.

After his death, the Cowboys erected a bronze monument to Landry, and in Texas, stadiums, an elementary school, a university hall and even a highway were named after the football icon.

Landry and his wife Alicia, who died in 2021, are buried in the Texas State Cemetery. The grave is engraved with the Cowboys’ star, a Bible quote that expresses Landry’s self-image (“Well done, you are a good and faithful servant” – Matthew 25:21) – and Landry’s fedora hat.