He was born in 1925 in the tiny town of Mission, Texas. His was a star athlete and went on to play football for The University of Texas. Included in his early adult experiences were 30 combat missions during World War II.
Tom Landry played defensive back for the New York Giants, eventually becoming a player/coach. It was this experience that shaped his relationship with his players when he became coach of the expansion team in Dallas in 1960.
Those first years were tough. The team finally had their first winning season in 1966. This started a remarkable 20 year run of winning seasons. Landry believed in his system. Players would tell you it was complicated, but it worked.
The players called Landry “Stoneface” behind his back. He had a serious demeanor, and didn’t allow himself to develop relationships with his players. In an interview Landry said it was because it would be too hard to let a player go if you had a friendship with him.
Someone once asked running back Walt Garrison if he ever saw Landry smile. Garrison thought for a moment and said, “no. But I’ve only been here 7 years!”
Tom Landry had character. He was the same man every day, on or off the field. His players respected him, even if he wasn’t one of the boys…
