Forrest Gregg was past his magnificent prime when he came to the Cowboys in 1971, the last season in a Pro Football Hall of Fame career. He'd been voted an All-Pro offensive tackle seven times. Played in nine Pro Bowls. Won five NFL titles with the Packers. Started an astounding 188 straight games. He would be named to the NFL's all-decade team of the '60s and the NFL's 75th anniversary All-Time team. On top of it all, Vince Lombardi, no less, christened the SMU alumnus "the finest player I ever coached."
And that's not the half of Gregg's story, the final chapter of which played out Friday with his death at 85 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.