Leon Lett

Leon Lett Jr. (born October 12, 1968) is an American football coach and former defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys.

As a junior in 1989, he helped the team win the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) title and reach their first NAIA Football National Championship game.

After leading the team in pass deflections (10) and blocked kicks (two) and finishing second in tackles (83) and sacks (5), he received honorable mention NAIA All-America, All-NAIA District 10 and All-CSIC honors.

During his two years at Emporia State, the defense held opponents to 4.1 yards-per-play and 3.1 yards-per-carry.

He earned All-NAIA District 10 recognition as a senior and finished second in the team in sacks (4), but pro scouts lost interest when he missed his first three games with a right knee injury and wasn't invited to any senior All-Star games or the NFL Scouting Combine.

A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Lett was a member of the Cowboys teams that won three Super Bowls during the 1990s.

He is also remembered for two botched plays – a fumble before scoring a touchdown in Super Bowl XXVII and a failed recovery after a blocked field goal in a Thanksgiving game – although he would help his team win the Super Bowl in both seasons.

Lett played college football at Emporia State University and was selected in the seventh round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Cowboys, where he spent 10 seasons.

Lett was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (173rd overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft.

As a rookie, he was placed on the injured reserve list with a lower back problem on August 27.

He was re-activated on November 21 and played as a reserve defensive tackle during the last five games of the season and in the playoffs.

After entering the league at 6'6" and 260 pounds, by the end of his rookie year, he had put on 16 more pounds.

In his second season, he blossomed into a key player in the Cowboys' defensive line rotation and his teammates nicknamed him "Big Cat" in reference to his agility.

Playing mainly as a defensive right tackle in passing situations, he finished the regular season with 19 quarterback pressures (tied for second on the team) and four passes deflected (led the team).

In the postseason, he was one of the defense's best players, tying for the team lead with two tackles for losses and leading the team with three forced fumbles.

In Super Bowl XXVII, he nearly set the record for the longest fumble return in Super Bowl history (64 yards).

However, Lett prematurely began to celebrate and the ball was knocked out of his hand by Bills receiver Don Beebe which resulted in a touchback.

He also sacked Frank Reich on the game's final play.

In 1993, he fractured his right ankle in the third game of the season, re-injuring a fracture suffered during offseason workouts.

Upon his return after missing 5 games, he played the four positions along the defensive line at different times.

After playing in 11 contests, he led all defensive linemen in passes deflected (4)

for the second straight season.

In the divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, he registered 6 tackles (1 for loss), 2 passes deflected (one was intercepted), 3 quarterback pressures and recovered a fumble.

In Super Bowl XXVIII, besides having 6 tackles, he forced Thurman Thomas to fumble in the third quarter, leading to a James Washington 46 yards return for a touchdown, which tied the score at 13–13 and changed the momentum of the game.

In 1994, he started all 16 contests and was named to his first Pro Bowl after finishing with 68 tackles, 4 sacks and 26 quarterback pressures (second on the team).

In 1995, he served a four-game suspension in the middle of the season, before returning strong during the team drive to Super Bowl XXX, registering in the last four regular season games 22 tackles, 2 sacks, 12 quarterback pressures, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble.

Lett would be suspended at different times for violating the NFL substance abuse policy, missing a total of 28 games during his career.

He served an additional full 16-game suspension (3 games in 1996 and 13 contests of 1997) and an eight-game suspension at the start of the 1999 season.

In 1998, he earned his second Pro Bowl selection after starting 15 games, recording 51 tackles, 20 quarterback pressures (second on the team), 7 tackles for loss (led the team) and 4 sacks (third on the team).

His last season in Dallas was 2000, when he played in 9 games (7 starts), registered 35 tackles (14 solo), 2.5 sacks, 4 passes deflected and one forced fumble.

He sprained his left medial collateral ligament during a November practice and was inactive for five games, before being placed on the injured reserve list on December 14.

When Lett was playing, he was one of the most feared defensive players in the game.

Even though he was constantly double teamed, he dominated at the point of attack affecting both the running and the passing game of teams.

During his final season in 2001, he played for the Denver Broncos.

In 2010, he was inducted into the Emporia State University Athletics Hall of Honor.

After retiring, Lett began a career in coaching and served as the assistant defensive line coach for the Cowboys from 2011 to 2022.

Lett attended Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama where he lettered in football and basketball.

He received a scholarship from Auburn University, but after a low score on the ACT, he had to play two seasons at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi, compiling 141 tackles, 10 sacks, nine pass deflections and three fumble recoveries.

He was set to move to New Mexico State University, but after having problems with his transfer credits, he accepted a partial scholarship offer from Emporia State University in Kansas.

In 2013, he was inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.