game against the New England Patriots, which eventually required offseason surgery. Despite the injury, he contributed to the offensive line leading the league in allowing the fewest sacks with 19. He missed playing time against the Atlanta Falcons after re-aggravating his injury in the first quarter. He only sat out the season finale against the Washington Redskins and returned for the playoffs. Knee problems ended his career after the 1997 season, when Larry Allen took over for him at left tackle. "We just all loved the guy," said former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach. "He was just a gentle giant. He was just one of those unsung players that goes out and does their job. He was one of those kind of players every team needs. He was a role model for the NFL." He suffered knee injuries most of his career, yet he would play a total of 195 games, more than any other Cowboys offensive player ever. He also helped to protect Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman and pave the way for Hall of Fame running back Smith to become the NFL all-time leading rusher. Tuinei was a key member of the Cowboys offensive line, helping the team win Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX, along with the NFC East Division in 1985 and from 1992 to 1996. His role in some of the greatest offensive lines in NFL history was detailed in the 2013 NFL Network's film A Football Life: "the Great Wall of Dallas". On April 14, 1998, he was released in a salary-cap move, finishing tied with Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Bill Bates for the most seasons in a Cowboy uniform—with 15. He is considered to be one of the greatest offensive tackles in Cowboys franchise history. Death In May 1999, Tuinei was found unconscious in his antique Ford car, and he was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital in the Dallas suburb of Plano. He had been planning to return to Punahou School to serve as the offensive line coach. The autopsy revealed that Tuinei died of a combination of heroin and a form of the drug ecstasy. His death was ruled an accidental overdose. Upon the release of the autopsy results, Plano police chief Bruce Glasscock was quoted alleging that it was Tuinei's first experience with heroin. "What you had was a 39-year-old male, 6'5", in excess of 300 pounds, a