Former Cowboys defensive lineman Don Smerek dead at 66 after cancer battle: ‘A great teammate’

Following a battle with cancer, former Dallas Cowboys defensive great Don Smerek passed away last week. He was sixty-six.

Smerek attended Nevada to play collegiate football. Smerek eventually signed with the Cowboys in 1981 after going undrafted. After that, the defensive lineman played in 69 games over the course of seven seasons with the team.

At the end of his career, he had 14.5 sacks in Dallas.

Randy White, a former Cowboys star and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said of the man, “He was a great teammate, a great person.” “As a football player, he was simply reliable and dependable.” Don was an absolute perfectionist when it came to football; he would rush the passer on third downs.”

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White also remembered going fishing with Smerek on a regular basis.

“A fantastic football teammate, and we grew close friends off the field. He used to go fishing with me, and we would do all the usual activities that go along with it.”

Originally from Nevada, Smerek relocated to Texas following his NFL retirement. Debbie Nye, Smerek’s sister, said about her brother’s “magnetic personality.”

According to Nye, via The Dallas Morning News, “His teammates are lifelong friends, even going back to high school, college, and NFL.” “Those folks are still there, and they were essentially on his side. He had a fascinating charisma and was a larger-than-life character.”

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A private memorial service honoring Smerek’s life will be held later this month in Henderson, Nevada, at the family’s request. Along with his wife Tandi, three brothers, sister, and numerous nieces and nephews, Smerek leaves behind a large family.