Former NFL head coach Dan Reeves dies at age of 77

Dan Reeves (Jeffrey Beall, Wikimedia Commons)

According to Wayne Sterling of CNN on Saturday, former Dallas Cowboys running back and NFL head coach Dan Reeves of Rome, Georgia, died at the age of 77 after complications due to a long illness. Reeves played with the Cowboys from 1965 to 1972, before coaching the Denver Broncos from 1981 to 1992, the New York Giants from 1993 to 1996, and the Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2003.

As a player, Reeves played in 100 NFL games as either a halfback or running back. He had 535 rushes for 1990 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns. Reeves also had 129 catches for 1693 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches. In 1966, Reeves had 16 rushing and receiving touchdowns, which led the NFL in the RRTD category. That season he had career highs in rushing touchdowns (eight) and receiving touchdowns (eight).

Reeves began his coaching career as an assistant in Dallas. While with the Cowboys as a player and coach, he learned from Hall of Famer Tom Landry. Reeves won two Super Bowls with Dallas. The first came as a player as the Cowboys beat the Miami Dolphins 24-3 on January 16, 1972. The second came as an assistant coach as the Cowboys beat the Denver Broncos 27-10 on January 15, 1978.

As a head coach, Reeves had an overall record of 190 wins, 165 losses and two ties. He is ninth all-time in coaching wins. Four times Reeves guided his team to the Super Bowl, but each time came on the losing end (1987 and 1988, and 1990 with the Broncos in losses to the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and San Francisco 49ers respectively, and 1999 with the Falcons in a loss to the Broncos). Reeves will be forever linked to Broncos quarterback John Elway, who won two Super Bowls with Denver after playing in three Super Bowls as a quarterback with the Broncos while Reeves was the Denver head coach.

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