Dallas Cowboys legendary offensive guard John Niland has died. He was 82.
Niland died on Saturday at his home in McKinney, Texas, his family announced in a post to his Facebook page. No cause of death was shared.
Niland played 10 seasons in the NFL from 1966-75, including his first nine with the Cowboys and his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He helped the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl title with a 24-3 win over the Miami Dolphins in January 1972. Niland also earned three First Team All-Pro honors and six consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 1968-73.
A 6-foot-3, 245-pound guard, Niland was drafted by Dallas with the fifth overall pick in the 1966 NFL Draft. He was also drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 13th round of the 1966 AFL Draft, but opted to sign with the Cowboys.
Prior to his NFL career, Niland lettered three seasons at Iowa from 1963-65 and was a two-time All-American. He was named to Iowa’s First Team All-Century Team at offensive guard in 1989. He was inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
Niland’s brain will be donated to the Boston University CTE Center “to be studied and to shed light on the effects of professional sports on the human body,” his family wrote in the Facebook post.
He is survived by his wife, Shaughn, and daughters, Jordan and Haven.
“Thank you to the millions of friends and fans that have supported, cheered on and loved our John just as much as we did,” Niland’s family wrote.
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