Robert Henry Dee (May 18, 1933 – April 18, 1979) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

and the American Football League. He was a three-sport letterman at the College of the Holy Cross who was one of the first players signed by the Boston Patriots of the American Football League in 1960. After two years with the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

in 1957–58, Dee returned to Holy Cross to tutor the team's linemen. He became an ironman of the American Football League who never missed a game during his career, starting 112 consecutive games. Despite equipment improvements over the years, Dee was a superstitious player who chose to wear the same helmet throughout his career (105 of 112 games). Dee etched his name in the history books by scoring the first points in American Football League history, scoring a

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...

when he dove onto a fumble by Bills QB Tommy O'Connell (father of former Boston Bruins GM Mike O'Connell) the end zone in the second quarter of the league's first-ever exhibition game, a contest between the Patriots and the Bills on July 30, 1960. He was voted to four American Football League All-Star teams (1961, 1963–65) and is a member of the Patriots All-1960s (AFL) Team. Dee recorded 33 QB sacks (not including his strip sack of Tommy O'Connell in the AFL's first Exhibition Game). Dee sacked Frank Tripucka, Al Dorow, Hunter Enis, Jacky Lee, MC Reynolds, Randy Duncan, Cotton Davidson, George Blanda, Jack Kemp, Johnny Green, John Hadl, Tobin Rote, Len Dawson, Eddie Wilson, Dick Wood, Joe Namath, Tom Flores, Rick Norton and Bob Griese and recovered fumbles by Al Carmichael, Art Baker, Wayne Crow, Jacky Lee, Paul Lowe, Bill Tobin, Wray Carlton & Max Chobian. He had two interceptions in the Patriots 26-8 Eastern Divisional Playoff Game win over the Buffalo Bills. In that game, he wore one sneaker and one football shoe with spikes, which made him maneuver better in the snow in the game played at War Memorial Stadium on December 28, 1963. On July 22, 1968, Dee announced his retirement from professional football, citing a business opportunity that was "too good to resist." Dee died of a heart attack in 1979 while on a business trip. He was awarded a game ball for his outstanding performance in the Patriots 34–17 win over the Houston Oilers on November 29, 1964. He was inducted in the Patriots Hall of Fame on August 18, 1993. In recognition of his accomplishments on the field, the Patriots

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

his number (89).

References

External links

New England Patriots bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dee, Bob 1933 births 1979 deaths American Football League All-Star players American football defensive linemen Boston Patriots players Holy Cross Crusaders football players College of the Holy Cross alumni Sportspeople from Quincy, Massachusetts Washington Redskins players American Football League players Braintree High School alumni National Football League players with retired numbers