John Dutton (defensive lineman)

John Dutton

No. 78

Position:

Defensive end / Defensive tackle

Personal information

Date of birth:

February 6, 1951

Place of birth:

Rapid City, South Dakota

Height:

6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)

Weight:

266 lb (121 kg)

Career information

High school:

Central (SD)

College:

Nebraska

NFL Draft:

1974 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5

Career history

Baltimore Colts (1974–1978)
Dallas Cowboys (1979–1987)

Career highlights and awards

All-Big Eight (1973)
All-American (1973)
NFL All-rookie team (1974)
3× Pro Bowl (1975, 1976, 1977)
Second-team All-Pro (1975)
All-Pro (1976)

Career NFL statistics

Games played:	185
Player stats at NFL.com

Player stats at PFR

John Owen Dutton (born February 6, 1951) is a former professional football defensive lineman in the National Football League with the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the University of Nebraska.

Early years

Dutton began his high school career at Cathedral High School, where his football team was undefeated in his junior year. After the school closed in the fall of 1968, he transferred to Central High School in Rapid City, where he led the Cobblers to the state Class A basketball title in his senior year (1969).

He was a two-time All-state selection in basketball and football. He received high school All-American recognition in both sports as a senior and was also an accomplished Discus thrower. He was inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.

College career

Although he received more scholarship offers for basketball, he signed with Nebraska to play college football for head coach Bob Devaney.

In 1971, as an alternate starter, he was part of the 1971 national championship team. Dutton participated in the 1971 Nebraska-Oklahoma game, also called the "Game of the Century", generally considered as one of the greatest college football games ever played.^[1] The next year he was named the starter at defensive end, registering 67 tackles (second on the team).

As a senior in 1973 under new head coach Tom Osborne, he earned All-America and All-Big 8 honors, finishing fourth on the team with 63 tackles. In the 1974 Cotton Bowl in Dallas against the University of Texas Longhorns, Dutton and the Blackshirts held the Longhorns to one field goal and 196 total yards. It was the Huskers' fifth bowl victory in as many seasons.

In 1981, he was inducted into the University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame.

Professional career

Baltimore Colts

Dutton was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the first round (5th overall) of the 1974 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-7, 266-pound defensive end was ahead of his time and became an immediate starter at right defensive end, receiving NFL all-rookie honors at the end of the season.^[2]

In 1975, as a member of the "Sack Pack",^[3] he led the Colts in sacks with a career-high 17 and was named to the first of three straight Pro Bowls 1975–77, becoming one of the most dominant defensive lineman in the NFL.

Dallas Cowboys

On October 9, 1979, a contract dispute forced the Colts to trade him to the Dallas Cowboys. Because of the retirement of Jethro Pugh and the desire of Ed "Too Tall" Jones to become a professional boxer, the Cowboys traded the first (#24-Derrick Hatchett) and second round pick (#51-Tim J. Foley) in the 1980 NFL Draft.^[4]

When Jones returned in 1980, Dutton moved to left defensive tackle alongside Randy White, establishing a formidable defensive line that also included Harvey Martin.^[5] He was part of the 1985 defensive unit that holds the Cowboys' single-season sack record (62). He was released on November 13, 1987.^[6]

During his 9 years in Dallas, he helped the Cowboys reach the NFC title game three straight years (1980, 1981 and 1982). He may have been the best Cowboys defensive lineman to have never won a Super Bowl ring.^[7]

Dutton retired in 1987, after 14 seasons and 185 games in the NFL. He recorded only 18 official sacks, because the NFL didn't recognize quarterback sacks as an official statistic until 1982.

Personal life

After his career in the NFL, former Husker Dutton retired to Lincoln, Nebraska. He became involved in businesses and for a short time owned and operated Dutton's Den, an off-sale liquor store and restaurant. He also founded a signs company.^[8] Dutton now lives in Dallas, Texas.

References

External links

1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football—consensus national champions

Joe Blahak Maury Damkroger Doug Dumler John Dutton Rich Glover Willie Harper David Humm Larry Jacobson Monte Johnson Jeff Kinney Bill Olds Tom Pate Johnny Rodgers Jerry Tagge Don Westbrook Keith Wortman Head coach: Bob Devaney Assistant coaches: Monte Kiffin Tom Osborne Warren Powers Carl Selmer Jim Walden

1973 College Football All-America Team consensus selections

Offense	QB David Jaynes RB John Cappelletti RB Woody Green RB Kermit Johnson WR Lynn Swann TE Bennie Cunningham OT John Hicks OT Booker Brown G Buddy Brown G Bill Yoest C Bill Wyman

Defense	DL Tony Cristiani DL John Dutton DL Dave Gallagher DL Lucious Selmon LB Randy Gradishar LB Rod Shoate LB Richard Wood DB Dave Brown DB Artimus Parker DB Randy Rhino DB Mike Townsend

Baltimore Colts 1974 NFL draft selections

John Dutton Roger Carr Fred Cook Ed Shuttlesworth Glenn Robinson Robert Pratt Tony Bell Doug Nettles Danny Rhodes Noah Jackson Dan Dickel Freddie Scott Greg Latta Paul Miles Bob Van Duyne Glenn Ellis Tim Rudnick Dave Simonson

Baltimore / Indianapolis Colts first-round draft picks

1974 NFL draft first-round selections

Ed "Too Tall" Jones Bo Matthews John Hicks Waymond Bryant John Dutton Carl Barzilauskas J. V. Cain Ed O'Neil Wilbur Jackson Bill Sandifer John Cappelletti Barty Smith Rick Middleton Randy Gradishar Don Goode Woody Green Fred McNeill Reuben Gant Henry Lawrence Dave Gallagher Lynn Swann Charley Young Bill Kollar Roger Carr Steve Riley Donald Reese

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