Ron Widby, the 1967 Southeastern Conference player of the year in basketball and punter for the Dallas Cowboys' first Super Bowl championship has died. He was 75.
Widby, who was living in Allen, Texas, died Tuesday. He had been in poor health in recent years.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Widby played six seasons in the NFL starting his career with the Dallas Cowboys after originally being drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1967. He played 81 games in the NFL, and his 84-yard punt in 1968 remains the Dallas record for longest punt.
Widby averaged 42 yards a punt for his career and finished his NFL career with two seasons in Green Bay. In his first season with the Packers, Widby completed the only two passes of his career, including one for a touchdown.
He was selected in three different professional drafts in two sports. In addition to New Orleans drafting him in 1967, Widby also was drafted by the New Orleans Buccaneers in the 1967 ABA draft and by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA draft that same year.
Widby played a season with the Bucs in the ABA before turning back to football.
At the University of Tennessee, Widby became the only athlete to earn varsity letters in four different sports. He played three seasons on the football team, three on the basketball team, one on the baseball team and a year playing golf.
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He led the NCAA with a punting average of 43.8 yards in 1966. In basketball, Widby was the 1967 SEC player of the year after leading Tennessee to the SEC championship that season.
