Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941) is a former American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he played 14 years in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys from 1963 to 1976. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983. Early years Born and raised in Excel, Alabama, Jordan was the fifth of seven children of Walter Sr. and Cleo Jordan. He has three older brothers Walter Jr., Carl and Bennie Ray and three sisters Lottie, Agnes and Darlene (who died at age 2 of leukemia). He was a standout at fullback at Excel High School and graduated in 1959. He played college football for the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Jordan excelled as both a linebacker and center for the Crimson Tide. In his sophomore season of 1960, he helped the Crimson Tide finish with an 8–1–2 record. In the Bluebonnet Bowl, versus the Texas Longhorns, he was named the game's MVP in a 3–3 tie. The following year, Jordan was again an important part of the team as Alabama finished with an 11–0 record, a SEC Championship, and the 1961 national championship. The season included six shutouts, which included a 34–0 win over rival Auburn. Led by senior quarterback Pat Trammell (1940–1968), Alabama wrapped up the season with a 10–3 victory over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. In his senior season in 1962, the Crimson Tide fell short of another national championship with a 10–1 record with sophomore quarterback Joe Namath. The loss was by one point at Georgia Tech in mid-November, their first defeat in over two years. In his final game for the Tide, Jordan recorded 31 tackles in a 17–0 victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, attended by President Kennedy. For his performance, he received his second MVP award in a bowl game. At the end of his senior year, he received unanimous All-American status and the Lineman of the Year award. During his career for Alabama, Jordan received high praise from Bryant, who stated, "He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen. If runners stayed between the sidelines, he tackled them. He never had a bad day, he was 100 percent every day in practice and in the games." In early August 1963 in Chicago, he