Don Meredith
"Dandy Don", the Cowboys' first franchise quarterback.
Don Meredith, known as "Dandy Don", quarterbacked the Dallas Cowboys for nine seasons and is regarded as the club's first major franchise quarterback, succeeding Eddie LeBaron as starter. He later became a broadcaster and actor. He died in 2010.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Quarterback
- Number
- 17
- Born
- 10 April 1938
- Birthplace
- Mount Vernon, Texas, U.S.
- Died
- 5 December 2010
- Place of death
- Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.
- Draft year
- 1960
- Draft pick
- 32
Lore & Background
Meredith grew up in Mount Vernon, Texas, about 100 miles east of Dallas. He chose SMU over Bear Bryant's Texas A&M, led the Southwest Conference in completion percentage in all three years as a starter (1957-59) and was an All-American in 1958 and 1959; students nicknamed the school "Southern Meredith University". The Chicago Bears drafted him in 1960 because Dallas joined the league too late for that draft, and the Cowboys obtained his rights by trade.
Did You Know?
- Meredith signed a personal-services contract two days before the 1960 NFL draft, because the Cowboys could not yet draft players.
- SMU retired his number 17 in 2008.
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