Remembering Tom Landry

[Actual Pats Fan]

I hated the Cowboys growing up, but Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry (September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was one of the guys who is responsible for a ton of things we are still able to enjoy and appreciate today in the game of football. Born in Mission, Texas, Tom went to UT-Austin and played for the Yankees and Giants from '49-'55, playing cornerback, punter, quarterback, and running back, the last two seasons as both a player and assistant coach.

Unlike his counterpart in South Florida, Tom always commanded respect, for himself and his team, and while he introduced several innovations, he demonstrated a healthy respect for the game itself. Bill Belichick's been able to reach or surpass some of Landry's all-time coaching records, something that we all should be very proud of.

Along the way, both have experienced heartbreaking losses to go along with historic victories. When thinking of Tom and his greatest QB Roger Staubach, it's important for us to remember that nothing can ever tarnish the legacies of Belichick and Tom Brady. We've seen them succeed in a century where thus far, ownership and administration in the NFL is corrupt and totally lacking in integrity.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

So ironic how a man who had a reputation for being so rigid and so stoic was so innovative and creative with his coaching. Tom Landry is the one who really introduced the shotgun formation as a regular feature in his offense. Now that formation is standard operating procedure in the NFL. The Cowboys were so much fun to watch and that's why they became so popular nationally. Landry was one of the all-time greats.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

So ironic how a man who had a reputation for being so rigid and so stoic was so innovative and creative with his coaching. Tom Landry is the one who really introduced the shotgun formation as a regular feature in his offense. Now that formation is standard operating procedure in the NFL. The Cowboys were so much fun to watch and that's why they became so popular nationally. Landry was one of the all-time greats.

Yeah, and he introduced the 4-3 and the Flex Defense. I don't know what his success rate was, but it seemed like whenever they ran a fake, it worked.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Absolutely! He was very innovative on both sides of the ball. Also not afraid to take chances with trick plays, fakes etc. They were a blast to watch.

 

[XLIX]

The man represents a day and age when the NFL was a classy organization. Nowadays coaches are expected to dress in a bespectacled manner with gaudy league and team logos plastered over them like the walking billboards they are.

 

[RobertWeathers]

As a kid and teenager I hated Tom Landy, his stupid hat and his stupid team. I thought he was just fortunate b/c he had all these great players.

How wrong I was...

As time goes on I've gained a ton of appreciation and respect for TL as a coach, a leader, an innovator and a human being.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

@RhodyPatriot and @Actual Pats Fan

Thanks for much needed reminders. When we think of the play of the Modern Era of play the NFL, we all too often jump from the introduction of the Forward Pass (ca. 1910) to Paul Brown (1940's+) to Bill Walsh in the 1980's and overlook how innovative Landry was 20 years before Walsh.

In fact, in thinking about it, it's interesting that a landmark, innovative Head Coach seems to come along in (roughly) 20 year cycles: Lambeau in the 1920's, Brown in the 1940's, Landry in the 1960's, Walsh in the 1980's and Belichick in the 2000's.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

@RhodyPatriot and @Actual Pats Fan

Thanks for much needed reminders. When we think of the play of the Modern Era of play the NFL, we all too often jump from the introduction of the Forward Pass (ca. 1910) to Paul Brown (1940's+) to Bill Walsh in the 1980's and overlook how innovative Landry was 20 years before Walsh.

In fact, in thinking about it, it's interesting that a landmark, innovative Head Coach seems to come along in (roughly) 20 year cycles: Lambeau in the 1920's, Brown in the 1940's, Landry in the 1960's, Walsh in the 1980's and Belichick in the 2000's.

Let's not leave out Vince Lombardi, whose innovations were intellectual as they were strategic. I still think he's the best coach ever, and people today, in or outside of football, can always benefit from his lessons and leadership.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I find it somewhat interesting how prior to becoming HCs, they were both DCs for the Giants.

Landry's first 6 years...25-53-4 .320 W %
BB's first 6 years....41-55-0 .430 W%

 

[Tony2046]

The Cowboys were my NFC team for most of the 70's and 80's.

Jerry Jones unceremoniously fired Tom Landry shortly after he bought the Cowboys. Due to the backlash of how he had handled the Iconic HOF coach the Cowboys threw a Tom Landry day party at the old Irving stadium. They had a bunch of the old time greats from both the Redskins and Cowboys play a friendly two hand touch game on the field. Tony Hill, Staubach, Dorsett, Ed Too Tall Jones etc... were all there. It was a neat gig. They gave Landry a fancy new golf cart.

Anyways I was stationed at Ft. Hood at the time and went to the Landry day game and met this hot Texan chick. Couldn't close the deal though because I sucked at the two step.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The Cowboys were my NFC team for most of the 70's and 80's.

Jerry Jones unceremoniously fired Tom Landry shortly after he bought the Cowboys. Due to the backlash of how he had handled the Iconic HOF coach the Cowboys threw a Tom Landry day party at the old Irving stadium. They had a bunch of the old time greats from both the Redskins and Cowboys play a friendly two hand touch game on the field. Tony Hill, Staubach, Dorsett, Ed Too Tall Jones etc... were all there. It was a neat gig. They gave Landry a fancy new golf cart.

Anyways I was stationed at Ft. Hood at the time and went to the Landry day game and met this hot Texan chick. Couldn't close the deal though because I sucked at the two step.

Bum Bright didn't do Landry any favors either....

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Let's not leave out Vince Lombardi, whose innovations were intellectual as they were strategic. I still think he's the best coach ever, and people today, in or outside of football, can always benefit from his lessons and leadership.

Questioning Vince Lombardi's greatness is like going to a Maple Sugar Festival in Vermont and asking for honey to pour on your pancakes. It just can't and shouldn't be done. He was a great leader of men, getting the best and the most out of everyone who played for him. Perhaps the greatest in that regard ever to coach anywhere in any sport at any time.

But, when I think of innovation, I think of Curly Lambeau envisioning that the professional game could be played and regarded with as much respect as the College Game...if we know anything about the history of Professional Football, we know that it was a poorly regarded second cousin to the college game early in the last century. I think of Paul Brown and his revolutionary focus on the Forward Pass, which had been around for a few decades but not used to a great degree until Brown; I think of Bill Walsh and the West Coast Offense. And, as other posters have reminded us, Tom Landry is overlooked despite his introduction of the Shotgun on Offense and other significant innovations on Defense. Bill Belichick has revolutionized how Head Coaches approach the game in general and on Defense in particular; he has taken things that used to be regarded as "random" and turned them into a process and a discipline. We now think of focusing on the minutiae of each position down to foot placement and his conception of Defense as taking away "what the other team does best" as commonplace, but it was Belichick who turned them into a science.

So, that's why I left Lombardi off of my "innovators" list. But if I'm making a list of the top five HC's of all time he's right there on it...right behind Bill Belichick and Paul Brown.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

I find it somewhat interesting how prior to becoming HCs, they were both DCs for the Giants.

Landry's first 6 years...25-53-4 .320 W %
BB's first 6 years....41-55-0 .430 W%

Giants have been a solid winning organization for decades. Not surprising their coaching tree would be pretty impressive.

 

[mosslost]

I hated the Cowboys growing up, but Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry (September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was one of the guys who is responsible for a ton of things we are still able to enjoy and appreciate today in the game of football. Born in Mission, Texas, Tom went to UT-Austin and played for the Yankees and Giants from '49-'55, playing cornerback, punter, quarterback, and running back, the last two seasons as both a player and assistant coach.

Unlike his counterpart in South Florida, Tom always commanded respect, for himself and his team, and while he introduced several innovations, he demonstrated a healthy respect for the game itself. Bill Belichick's been able to reach or surpass some of Landry's all-time coaching records, something that we all should be very proud of.

Along the way, both have experienced heartbreaking losses to go along with historic victories. When thinking of Tom and his greatest QB Roger Staubach, it's important for us to remember that nothing can ever tarnish the legacies of Belichick and Tom Brady. We've seen them succeed in a century where thus far, ownership and administration in the NFL is corrupt and totally lacking in integrity.

why now? from out of left field?

 

[RobertWeathers]

Giants have been a solid winning organization for decades. Not surprising their coaching tree would be pretty impressive.

HC of the NYG Jim Lee Howell did ok with his OC as well - Vince Lombardi

 

[jimnance]

3 of the consensus 5 greatest coaches of all time were all coaching in the early- mid 60's. Brown, Lombardi, Landry.
That was my intro to football.(along with the Boston Patriots,of course).
My top 5:

1. BB
2. Paul Brown
3. Lombardi
4. Walsh
5. Landry
Walsh-Landry almost a tossup, but the other 3 are in stone imo.

 

[jmt57]

why now? from out of left field?

Note the date of birth.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Cowboys were never a favorite of mine but even as a young kid I sensed something amazing with Landry.

I loved watching the Cowboys whenever we got them as the 4:00 game.

I also was a huge Bob Hayes fan - I was him when playing football - good times.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Cowboys were never a favorite of mine but even as a young kid I sensed something amazing with Landry.

I loved watching the Cowboys whenever we got them as the 4:00 game.

I also was a huge Bob Hayes fan - I was him when playing football - good times.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

why now? from out of left field?

Why not? Maybe he was going through one of those lists of "Notable People Born Today" on September 11.