Rayfield Wright

Rayfield Wright

In Hall of Fame jacket in 2006
No. 85, 67, 70
Position:	Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1945-08-23) August 23, 1945 (age 71)
Place of birth:	Griffin, Georgia
Height:	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:	270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school:	Griffin (GA) Fairmont
College:	Fort Valley State
NFL Draft:	1967 / Round: 7 / Pick: 182
Career history
Dallas Cowboys (1967–1979) Philadelphia Eagles (1980)*
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
6× Pro Bowl (1971–1976) 4× First-team All-Pro (1971–1973, 1975) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1974, 1976) 2× Super Bowl champion (VI, XII) NFL 1970s All-Decade Team NFLPA NFC Offensive-lineman of the Year (1972) Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 166 Fumble recoveries: 4 Player stats at NFL.com
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Larry Rayfield Wright (born August 23, 1945) is a former American football player, an offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League for thirteen seasons and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Nicknamed the "Big Cat" for his nimble feet, Wright played on five NFC Championship teams that advanced to the Super Bowl (1970, 1971, 1975, 1977, and 1978 seasons), winning twice. He also participated in the Ice Bowl against the Green Bay Packers for the NFL championship in his rookie season in 1967.

Born and raised in Griffin, Georgia, Wright attended Fairmont High School, which was merged with Griffin High School. He was a letterman in basketball, but he was unable to make the high school football team.

Wright went to nearby Fort Valley State College to play college basketball, where he was a standout player. The following summer, head coach Stan Lomax made him quit his summer job at a mill to get ready to join the Wildcats' football team. Lomax tried Wright at free safety, then used him as a punter, defensive end and tight end. The coach also became a father figure to Wright.