Lee Roy Jordan, a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker for 14 seasons, passed away at the age of 84 on August 30, 2025.
He was married to Mary “Biddie” Banks of Eutaw and had three sons.
Jordan was a standout at fullback at Excel High School and joined the University of Alabama, where he excelled as a linebacker and center.
He was an essential part of the Crimson Tide and led his team to a Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship and the national championship.
He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1980 and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
He was one of the finest football players the world has ever seen. If runners stayed between the sidelines, he tackled them. He never had a bad day, he was 100 percent every day in practice and in the games.
Bear Bryant
The Dallas Cowboys selected Jordan with the sixth overall pick in the 1963 NFL draft, and the Boston Patriots selected him with the 14th overall pick in the AFL draft.
However, he chose the NFL and became the Cowboys’ first rookie linebacker in franchise history to start a season opener.
He led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl against the Miami Dolphins on January 16, 1972.
Jordan still ranks first in Cowboys’ history with 154 consecutive starts and second in career solo tackles with 743, even over 25 years after his retirement.
Mary “Biddie” Banks is the Woman Besides The Legend
Lee Roy Jordan’s wife, Mary “Biddie” Banks, had been a supportive presence in the legend’s life since his college days.
Their story began at the University of Alabama, where a determined football player met his match in a sharp and worldly young woman from Utah, Alabama.
Biddie, the third Mary in her family, after her mother and grandmother, jokingly called her city a “metropolis” for its four stop-and-go lights.
She was a junior and a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at the University of Alabama.
Others saw her as almost too sophisticated for the focused Lee Roy, who was known for his serious demeanor rather than the typical fraternity scene.
Lee Roy always seemed to know where he was going. He wasn’t one of those flit-flit fraternity types, boozing on their father’s money and getting as many girls as possible on a string.
Mary “Biddie” Banks
Despite any doubts, their connection was undeniable.
Biddie became Jordan’s bride in a ceremony made even more special by the veil she wore, which was lovingly knit for her by Coach Bear Bryant’s wife, also named Mary.
Together, they built a family, raising three sons and eventually welcoming many grandchildren. A unique and touching symbol of devotion marked their lifelong partnership.
Jordan wore his Super Bowl Ring daily, but because of an injury in his right hand, he used it instead of a wedding ring. He mentioned that his wife was awfully nice to let him do that.
Lee Roy Jordan’s Family Mourns the Tragic Loss
Lee Roy Jordan, the son of Walter Sr. and Cleo Jordan, was born on April 27, 1941, in Excel, Alabama.
His parents raised him in a close-knit family alongside his six siblings: three brothers, Walter Jr., Carl, and Bennie Ray, and three sisters, Lottie, Agnes, and Darlene.
Jordan died early Saturday morning in Dallas at the age of 84.
His death, at Faith Presbyterian Hospice, followed a recent sharp decline in health after diagnoses of multiple myeloma and renal failure.
In his final years, Jordan battled dementia, a condition his family believed was chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) resulting from his long and punishing football career.
Yet, even as the disease progressed, he continued to travel with his wife of 62 years back to Alabama to see their friends and family.
Upon returning from one such trip this summer, his family noticed a significant decline in his health. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and renal failure in the last six weeks.
His family checked him into Faith Presbyterian Hospice and remained a constant, loving presence throughout all.
Despite what dementia took from him, he never lost his capacity for affection, retaining the ability always to say, “Love you.”
I’m very saddened to learn of the passing of Lee Roy Jordan. When we first moved to the Richardson area when I was in grade school, I went to elementary with his son, David. They lived a few streets over from us and were some of the nicest people I’ve ever known.
Keith Mitchell
Jordan is survived by his beloved wife, Bettye; their three sons, David, Paul, and Scott; and eight grandchildren.
The Jordan family will soon announce the Hall of Famer’s celebration of life. He was a feared competitor to opponents, a revered leader to his teammates, and a devoted husband, father, and grandfather to his family.
He will be remembered for all he gave to the game and for the love he gave to those who knew him best. Rest In Peace, Lee Roy Jordan.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Lee Roy Jordan stood 1.85 meters tall and weighed approximately 100 kilograms.
- The Professional Football Researchers Association named him to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2018.
- After retiring from his football career, he managed the Lee Roy Jordan Lumber Company.
