ALEDO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Texans across the state are remembering the life of Cowboys legend Rayfield Wright.
The former offensive lineman was 76. Aledo Bearcats head coach Tim Buchanan says Wright gave young athletes advice on how to be a great athlete and a good person.
“The unique thing about him was how he would come talk to our kids. The first time he did it, I believe was around 2005 [or 2006], and he had that ability, even though he had been retired,” Buchanan said. “I mean, they didn’t remember the Dallas Cowboys from the 1970s and they had no idea, but he was able to connect with those kids. He would do it through talking about football or sports and the next thing you know he was talking about being a good person and being a productive member of society.”
Buchanan said Wright moved to Aledo nearly 20 years ago and had been helping the community since that time. When first hearing of his passing, Buchanan was shocked.
“My first reaction was, ‘Oh, no, not him. He’s a good guy,'” he said. “You never want to see a good man taken away from us. He had that ability to make everybody better and make everything better.”
Buchanan believes Wright’s legacy goes beyond the game of football.
“It’s about being a teammate and it’s about taking what you learn from playing football and turning yourself into a hard working person. At some point in your life, football is gonna be over and typically you’re gonna be a young man when it’s over. He talked about what you did after football and that was the most important thing that our kids got from from Rayfield.”
Dallas never had a losing record in Wright’s 13 seasons, a span that included eight NFC championship games and those five Super Bowl appearances. He was part of the NFL’s all-decade team for the 1970s.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame got word of his passing on April 7. Wright had been hospitalized for several days following a severe seizure.