Former Cowboys All-Pro guard John Niland passes away at 82

John Niland, an 82-year-old former guard for the Dallas Cowboys, died Saturday morning in the Dallas suburb of McKinney, his family said. A Massachusetts native who starred at Iowa, Niland was selected fifth overall in the 1966 draft and went on to start 111 of 124 games across nine seasons with Dallas. He earned Pro Bowl honors for six straight years and was named first-team All-Pro in 1969, 1971 and 1972.

Niland helped protect quarterback Roger Staubach as the Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins 24-3 in the Super Bowl on Jan. 16, 1972. After a brief stint with Philadelphia in 1975, he retired and was later inducted into the Hawkeyes' Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. He is survived by his wife Shaughn and daughters Jordan and Haven.