Don Meredith in a photo with his Mt. Vernon Tiger letter jacket,
on one of his return trips to his boyhood home.

 

Native East Texan,
Football Legend, Don Meredith
Dead at Age 72

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

 

Hopkins County, along with scores of others around the globe, were saddened by the passing of Mt. Vernon native, Football Legend, and former Dallas Cowboy Star, "Dandy Don" Meredith, on Sunday night, in a Santa Fe Hospital, from a brain hemorrhage. Meredith was 72 years old, and had been in failing health for some time.

Born in Mt. Vernon, Texas, on April 10th, 1938, Joseph Don Meredith, grew-up in Mt. Vernon and was an All-Star member of the Mt. Vernon Tigers, playing in Sulphur Springs, many times throughout his high school career.  Meredith then played college football at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he started at quarterback for three years, leading the Southwest Conference in passing completion percentage, each year and selected as All-American in 1958 and 1959. His popularity at SMU was so great that many jokingly called it "Southern MEREDITH University!"

 

 

 

Meredith was "picked-up" in the third round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, but was traded to the young Dallas Cowboys franchise for future draft picks, making the Texan extremely happy to be staying in his home area of Texas. Meredith spent two years as the Cowboy back-up quarterback to Eddie LeBaron, and received the full-time starting position in 1963 from legendary coach, Tom Landry.

 

 

In 1966, Meredith led the "fledgling" Cowboys to the post season and continued to advance them in the play-offs, until his retirement in 1969. He was one of the first "stars" from the Dallas Cowboys Football Team.

Meredith claimed his worst defeats in the NFL were in the 1967 Greenbay Packers Championship game in Green Bay, known as "The Ice Bowl," when Dallas lost 21-17, in bitter cold, and the 1966 Championship loss to Green Bay, 34-27, in Dallas.

After retirement from the Dallas Cowboys, Meredith continued his love for football as the host for ABC's Monday Nigh Football, beginning in 1970. He first hosted the show with Curt Gowdy (1970-73), then returned to host the show with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell in 1974 and continued through 1984. He made fame as he would sing "Turn out the lights, the party's over!" at the point in games, when the game would be decided.

Meredith also starred in a Lipton Tea commercial and once made a guest appearance on King of the Hill, as he made other television appearances.

Meredith's NFL Career included: 3X Pro Bowl selections in 1966, 1967, & 1969; a one time appearance in the Second-Team All-Pro, in 1966; a NEA Second-Team All-Pro selection in 1968, and the 1966 Bert Bell Award.

He was inducted into the Dallas Cowboy Ring of Honor.

"Don Meredith was just a funny, great guy!" expressed a childhood friend from Mt. Vernon. "He was a great friend and loved his hometown of Mt. Vernon.

A permanent "Don Meredith Exhibit" is included in the Mt. Vernon Museum and highlights the great career of their most noteable "home-town" boy.

Born the son of Jeff and Hazel Meredith, in 1938, his father owned the Meredith Dry Goods Store in Mt. Vernon and his mother was one of the first young ladies to win a basketball scholarship from Northeast Texas. It was reported that Don's personality and love for people was developed in the store, when his father told him at age 6, "Sit here on this counter and son, when someone comes in that door, you greet 'em by their name. Even a dog likes to hear his name called!"

The affectionate personality developed and Don Meredith used these early people skills to span a career that took him all over the world, but he always remembered the hometown values, he learned in Mt. Vernon.

Meredith and his wife, Susan, lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is the father of four children, including actor and screen writer, Michael Meredith.

 

 

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