Monday Night Football’s Don Meredith dims the lights one last time

[HMG Celebrity News] – Don Meredith, one of the most influential players in the Dallas Cowboys’ lustrous history and a founding member of ABC’s ‘Monday Night Football’ has died of a brain hemorrhage. He was 72.

Don’s wife of 38-years, Susan Meredith told Fox reporters her husband died in Santa Fe yesterday after suffering a hemorrhage which then induced a deep coma.

“He was the best there was,” she said, describing the Cowboy’s star QB as ‘kind, warm and funny.’ “We lost a good one.”

Born and raised in Mount Vernon, Texas, Don joined the Cowboys in 1960, achieving the coveted role of starting quarterback in just five years. And although he never led the team to a Super Bowl Don is considered one of the NFL’s first superstars.

His career found its peak in 1966 when he lead the Cowboys to their first winning season, and was named ‘NFL Player of the Year.’ They then savored three division titles and two Championship games, and Don played in the Pro Bowl – Twice.

In his eight years with Dallas Don threw a very respectable 17,199 yards, and scored 111 touchdowns. But at a 1968 playoff against the Cleveland Browns he was replaced by Craig Morton, and Don decided to make the substitution official; He retired.

“I tried to talk him out of it,” head coach Tom Landry said at the time. “But when you lose your desire in this game, that’s it.”

Two years later, along with Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell, the man fans now called ‘Dandy Don’ found a new passion as one of the founding fathers on ‘Monday Night Football.’

He stayed for five years. Then came a brief tryst with NBC, but he returned in 1977 and his signature call of ‘Turn Out the Lights’ decided several more games. But Howard Cosell’s retirement in ’83 left Don at a loss, and he bowed out a year later.

Aside from his TV career, Don also landed roles in several TV shows, scoring eighteen appearances in a twenty-year span.

Family members are currently en-route to Santa Fe to say their farewells at a private, graveside ceremony which is now being planned…