Offensive lineman John Niland, who made six Pro Bowls in a 10-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, died Saturday, Aug. 15. His death was announced in a post to his Facebook page, and on the social media accounts of his family.
“On August 15, 2026 at 7:20am, John Niland of Amityville, New York passed away in his home in McKinney, Texas with his family,” the post read.
Niland’s brain will be donated to the Boston University CTE Center to be studied and shed light on the effects of professional sports on the human body, according to the post.
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A native of Quincy, Mass., Niland was chosen fifth overall by the Cowboys out of Iowa in the 1966 NFL Draft. In college, he started out as a fullback before switching to guard during his junior campaign.
Niland became the starter at left guard in his second year in Dallas. By his third year in the league, he was a Pro Bowler, and was selected to the Pro Bowl every season from 1968-73.
Niland was an anchor on the offensive line that helped the Cowboys beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI on Jan. 16, 1972.
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Niland competed in 15 playoff games with the Cowboys, starting all but one. He protected quarterbacks from Don Meredith to Roger Staubach, and opened lanes for Duane Thomas and Calvin Hill.
Along with Rayfield Wright, Nate Newton and Larry Allen, Niland is one of only four offensive lineman in Cowboys history with at least six Pro Bowl selections.
On September 14, 1975, Niland was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He played 13 games for the Eagles that season, the final year of his NFL career.
In 1989, Niland was selected to the Iowa All-time Football Team. He was inducted into the Suffolk (N.Y.) County Hall of Fame eight years later. In 2006, he was inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame.
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