NFL Nation is mourning the loss of former Dallas Cowboys tight end and Super Bowl champion Billy Truax, who passed away Wednesday at the age of 82.
A Louisiana native with a legacy rooted deep in college and pro football history, Truax was a force on the field for a full decade, grinding through injuries and racking up career stats that made him a fan favorite from Baton Rouge to Los Angeles to Dallas.
Before hitting the big leagues, Truax made waves as a first-team All-American at LSU. His gritty, no-nonsense style of play earned him a spot in the Sugar Bowl’s Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 2020 — just one of many honors in a career that spanned eras of the game.
Drafted in the second round by the Cleveland Browns in 1964, Truax’s rookie season was wiped out by injury. But that setback led to a fateful trade to the Los Angeles Rams, where he found his rhythm.
Under head coach George Allen, Truax became a starter by 1967, posting career-highs with 487 yards and 4 touchdowns that season. Though the Rams fell short in the playoffs to Vince Lombardi’s legendary Packers, Truax had carved out his place as a reliable offensive weapon.
Even through setbacks — including a broken wrist in 1968 — Truax kept grinding. In 1969, he notched 5 touchdowns and 37 receptions, tying his career best. That season ended in a heartbreakingly close playoff loss to the Vikings, but Truax’s toughness shone through.
In 1971, Truax was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, where he would reach the sport’s highest stage: Super Bowl VI. Though he only caught 15 passes that season, one of them was a touchdown — and all of them were earned through pain.
“Super Bowl VI meant even more to me because it was in Tulane Stadium in New Orleans in front of friends and family,” Truax once said. “I had played every game that season with the injury and I wasn’t going to miss the Super Bowl in my New Orleans.”
The Cowboys crushed the Dolphins 24-3. Truax, battered but unbroken, finally had his ring.
After a 10-year career — including seven seasons with the Rams and three with the Cowboys — Truax retired in 1973 with 199 receptions, 2,458 yards, and 17 touchdowns. But his impact went far beyond the stat sheet.
Truax is also enshrined in the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame and the Holy Cross School Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as a hometown hero who made it big — and never forgot where he came from.
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