“Charles Haley and Troy Aikman and all those guys don’t have anybody. “I was like, it should be over now, and then Super Bowl media day and I’ve got 30 microphones in my face,” Lett said. But when the Cowboys got back to Super Bowl XXVIII, a crowd surrounded him. Teammates consoled him and then protected him.įor the rest of the season, Nate Newton filled in for the shy Lett during interviews. Buffalo's Don Beebe had never stopped hustling and stripped the ball from Lett.Īfter the Thanksgiving game, Lett remained in the training room, crying, wondering if Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson would cut him. Lett recovered a fumble in Super Bowl XXVII and was returning it for a touchdown, but he slowed down and stretched his arm out while holding the ball near the goal line. It didn't help that it came 10 months after another miscue at a bad time. It was just a big mistake and at the wrong time.” I know I was coached, so I never wanted to put it on the coach himself. “I just made a mistake,” Lett said recently, sitting on a couch outside the Cowboys’ training table at The Star. Jeff Dellenbach recovered the loose ball and Stoyanovich made a 19-yard field goal with three seconds left to give the Dolphins a 16-14 victory. Except for Lett, who ran toward the ball, past a few Dolphins players, slipped and kicked the ball forward. As the ball spun like a top on the frozen turf, Cowboys defenders ran away from it, knowing the game was over if they just didn't touch it. With 15 seconds to play, Pete Stoyanovich lined up for a winning 41-yard field goal attempt, but Jimmie Jones was able to block the kick. A sheet of ice and snow covered Texas Stadium that day 25 years ago, making it difficult for the Cowboys or Miami Dolphins to do much of anything. Nobody expected the weather to turn the way it did on Nov. I had a part in us winning that Super Bowl and one of the big plays in that game, so for me that was my redemption.” "You know, it was a bad play, happened at a bad time, but I think at the end of the day, at the end of the season I had the last laugh. “There’s still people that throw it out to me, but it’s fun,” Lett said. That’s one of the downsides of playing for the Dallas Cowboys. Twenty-five years later, Lett cannot run away from one of the most infamous plays in Thanksgiving Day history. “Hey,” one guy yelled, “don’t drop the ball.” Perhaps the team owner, Jerry Jones, should give the linemen trips to Europe.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĬowboys' Leon Lett defined by more than one play 25 years agoįRISCO, Texas - Leon Lett was running to the locker room at Lincoln Financial Field two weeks ago when he heard some fans calling his name. The Cowboys finished second in the league in rushing, had the National Football League's top ground gainer in Smith, did a great job of protecting Aikman by permitting the third-fewest sacks and had three offensive linemen make the Pro Bowl. Because without one of the biggest - and most talented - offensive lines in the game, who knows where Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin would be? Maybe instead of handing out Rolexes, Smith would be giving away Swatches.
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Actually, Troy, Michael, a lot of the offensive stars tell us all the time they appreciate the job we're doing." "I wouldn't pay 15 bucks for a watch, and here is Emmitt paying thousands for one for all of his linemen," said Gesek. He smiled, turned the watch over and pointed to the inscription on the back. He wasn't so enamored of the watch it was the idea of feeling appreciated.Īppreciation is something offensive linemen secretly crave but rarely receive. The Dallas Cowboys' center, John Gesek, took off a $5,000 Rolex watch, a gift from running back Emmitt Smith, and twirled it in his hands with pride.