and delayed his surgery until the offseason, by taking shots of penicillin. Although he was widely regarded as an excellent player and received All-Pro honors, he was never voted to a Pro Bowl. Pugh's achievements as a professional athlete were largely overshadowed for most of his career by his defensive line teammates, who were Pro Bowl regulars. When Pugh started, he had to compete for attention with future Hall of Famer Bob Lilly and George Andrie; when they retired, Pugh played in the same defensive line with Randy White, Harvey Martin, and Ed "Too Tall" Jones. Even though he was a physical player against the run, his athleticism enabled him to become an excellent pass rusher for a defensive tackle. While quarterback sacks were not an official NFL statistic during his career, Pugh is unofficially credited with a career total of 95.5. He led the Cowboys in sacks each season from 1968 to 1972 with a high mark of 15.5 in 1968, a team record that stood until 2010 when DeMarcus Ware reached six straight seasons. He averaged 12½ sacks, during one amazing stretch of his career (1968–1972) and currently ranks sixth on the Cowboys all-time sacks list with 95.5. Following the 1978 season and Super Bowl XIII, Pugh retired on January 29, 1979, after helping the Cowboys win two Super Bowls, five NFC Championships, qualify for the NFL post-season in 12 out of 14 seasons, and played in a then league record 23 playoff games. Personal life Pugh owned a number of western-themed gift shops at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas. He also hosted an annual Jethro Pugh Celebrity Golf Tournament in Dallas to raise funds for the United Negro College Fund. On January 7, 2015, he died at the age of 70 in Dallas, Texas. References External links Top 10: Lilly-White Tough To Separate In Best DT Debate North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame bio Dallas Morning News – obituary – Jethro Pugh 1944 births 2015 deaths American football defensive tackles Dallas Cowboys players Elizabeth City State Vikings football players People from Windsor, North Carolina Players of American football from North Carolina