WINDSOR, Colo. (AP) \u2014 Tom Rafferty, an offensive lineman who won a Super Bowl and played with two Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman over 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, has died. He was 70.<\/p>\n
Rafferty died Thursday in Windsor, Colorado, where he had been hospitalized since early May following a stroke, his daughter, Rachel Powers, told The Dallas Morning News.<\/p>\n
Advertisement<\/p>\n
A year after getting drafted out of Penn State, Rafferty’s first season as a starter was at right guard in 1977, which ended with the Cowboys’ 27-10 victory over Denver in Super Bowl 12. He played the same position a year later when the Cowboys lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-31 in the title game.<\/p>\n
After a move to center, Rafferty threw one of the key blocks on Tony Dorsett’s record 99-yard touchdown run in a 31-27 loss at Minnesota on Jan. 3, 1983. Dallas had 10 men on the field for that famous play.<\/p>\n
Rafferty’s final season was Aikman’s rookie year in 1989, when he started eight games at center for a 1-15 team.<\/p>\n
Rafferty is one of 12 Dallas players to spend at least 14 seasons with the franchise. He was teammates with seven players on that list.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n