One of Tom Rafferty’s final triumphs was as quiet as it was profound. After being sidelined by a neurological disorder that robbed him of feeling below the waist, Rafferty had managed to climb a single step in his swimming pool. When friends gathered at his Dallas-area home, he smiled and said, “Hey fellas, this is new. I haven’t done this before.” It was a small victory, but one that spoke volumes about the man who had refused to surrender, even in the face of relentless adversity. Rafferty, a former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman whose career spanned more than a decade, was forced late in life to relearn the most basic movement. Yet he never allowed himself to ask “why me?” or to dwell on self-pity. “Those words will not come out of my mouth,” he once said. “I will just get better. I will walk again because there’s no choice.”
Listed at 6-foot-3 and just over 250 pounds, Raff was never the most physically imposing lineman—not then, and certainly not by today’s standards. But what he lacked in bulk he compensated for with intelligence, quickness, and an innate feel for leverage and space. “If you look at his dimensions, he wouldn’t be playing in the offensive line today,” longtime Cowboys radio voice Brad Sham had once said. “But that’s what Tom Landry wanted—pulling linemen, guys who could get downfield in front of Dorsett on a screen pass. Rafferty was perfect for that.”
A product of Penn State, Rafferty was picked in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft. He began his tenure in Dallas playing guard before shifting to center after five seasons—a position he held for the final nine years of his career. Transitioning between positions on the offensive line is often seen as a major challenge, but Rafferty was one of the few who made it look effortless. A rare treasure, Rafferty died Thursday at 70 in Windsor, Colorado, after a stroke. His daughter, Rachel Powers, said her father had been hospitalized since early May.
Sham was one of the first ones to pay tribute to his friend. “Crushed at the passing of 13-year Dallas Cowboys Tom Rafferty at 70,” Sham penned on his social media. “Perfect Landry c-g: quick, smart, tough, and reliable. Better person. Funny, sharp, great teammate. Great human. You win with men like Raff. Rest now, friend.”
Crushed at the passing of 13 yr @dallascowboys Tom Rafferty at 70. Perfect Landry c-g: quick, smart, tough and reliable. Better person. Funny, sharp, great teammate. Great human. You win with men like Raff. Rest now, friend. pic.twitter.com/MEWo4Dq202
— Brad Sham (@Boys_Vox) June 6, 2025
Sham knew Rafferty as well as anyone outside the Cowboys locker room. Their time in Dallas began almost in parallel. Rafferty was a rookie fourth-round pick out of Penn State in 1976, and Sham was a young broadcaster joining the Cowboys’ radio team that same year. One of Sham’s favorite Rafferty stories came in the closing minutes of the 1978 NFC Championship Game in Los Angeles. With the Cowboys leading the Rams 28-0, Sham had left the broadcast booth to get into position for postgame interviews. Earlier that week, on a radio show, Sham had picked the Rams to win by three. As kicker Rafael Septién lined up for a meaningless kickoff in the final minutes, Rafferty, still lined up on special teams, spotted Sham on the sideline. Just before the ball was booted, Rafferty turned and shouted at him. “Hey Brad! #@$&!” Sham would later laugh about it for decades.
Born and raised in New York, Rafferty brought a winning pedigree from Penn State, where the Nittany Lions compiled a 19-5 record during his final two seasons. Drafted by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft, he arrived in Dallas at a moment when the franchise was a powerhouse, and expectations were high. Rafferty’s entry was humble but steady. He inherited Blaine Nye’s spot at right guard, quickly establishing himself as a fixture in Tom Landry’s offensive line.
Rafferty’s most remarkable feat was his ironman durability. From his second season until 1989, he started 167 straight games, a Cowboys record at the time. Over 14 seasons, he played 203 regular-season games, missing just one in his final year. The move from guard to center became a defining chapter of his career. Rafferty adjusted to evolving defensive schemes, including the rise of the 3-4 alignment and the challenges posed by powerful nose guards. “It got tougher playing against the prototypical nose tackle who was 5-foot-10 and 400 pounds,” he had said. “They were just fireplugs.”
After retiring following the 1989 season, Rafferty and his wife Donna settled in the Dallas suburb of Keller. He transitioned to a career in sports equipment sales with BSN Sports, leveraging his football ties and personable nature. But he remained connected to the game and its people.
Cowboys Nation will never forget their favourite #64
December ’83, and the Dallas Cowboys were locked in a war with Washington, 12-2 each. Everything was on the line. Tom Landry wanted fake snap on fourth-and-inches: draw ’em outside or punt, nothing else. In the huddle, Danny White made it crystal clear. After all, he was leading the offense. But once under center, he saw chaos on the other side—wrong personnel, blown formation. White saw a touchdown. So he barked, “Green 36!” Except Tom Rafferty, cool as ever, growled back from center, “Noooooo!”
“Yes.” White went again. But Rafferty refused to snap the ball on the second count. On the TV call, John Madden said it felt like 22 seconds. So Danny “goosed” him to force the snap. Raff snapped, and the play got crushed. Coach Landry went red, yelling, “No, Danny, no!” and Washington ran away with the division.
Years later, White still defended the call. But Raff? He stayed mad. “That was Raff,” White said. “He was dead set on doing the right thing.” Always was. That was indeed Raff—part of the legendary Cowboys’ offensive line. They called themselves the “Four Irishmen and a Scott”—Pat Donovan, Jim Cooper, John Fitzgerald, Herb Scott…and Tom Rafferty. Fitzgerald coined the nickname to honor their gritty unity, and Rafferty was a steady heartbeat of that O-line.
But aside from his fierce love for football, he also loved to play practical jokes, which actually came to light when his teammates were fed up with him consuming all the snack food. They came up with a plan, a prank, to be precise.
They put out a bowl of dog food, and Rafferty? Well, either he didn’t realize it or he was just playing along—grabbed a handful and started eating it like it was nothing. His teammates started calling him “Ruff” instead of “Raff.” That was Tom Rafferty. Gritty and known for doing the right thing on the field, and humorous off the field. But it’s sad to see now that he tragically passed away at the age of 70.
“Very sad to see,” Manager & Editor-In-Chief of Blogging TheBoys shared on his social media. “Prayers for Tom Rafferty’s family and friends.” And it’s not just a kind thought—it’s how deeply this man was rooted in people’s hearts. Another echoed the sentiment, “So sad. He had been hospitalized for a month after a stroke. RIP. May God comfort his family and bring him home to Him on the wings of angels.”
Tom Rafferty wasn’t just a Cowboy. He was the kind of person who is remembered for with a strong memory. And then there’s that memory. The one that still echoes. “Cowboy fans remember his work ethic, no one played harder. Who can forget that block and Dorsett taking off for a 99-yard TD on MNF? RIP Raff.” It’s a moment etched in NFL history, sure—but for fans, it’s pure Rafferty.
And the rest simply put it, “R.I.P. Tom Rafferty.” Three words, spoken over and over, because no more needed to be said.
Rafferty is survived by his wife, his daughter, two grandchildren, and his son Michael, who lives in San Antonio. Even in his later years, his allegiance never wavered from the Cowboys. “He wasn’t what you’d call a diehard fan,” Michael, his son, said, “but he always kept tabs on the team.”
The post “Rest Now”: Dallas Nation Shaken as Long-Term Cowboys Voice & Fans Mourn Loss of Beloved Legend appeared first on EssentiallySports.
