Obert Logan
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Obert Clark "Butch" Logan (December 6, 1941 – January 21, 2003) was an
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
who played in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
and
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at Trinity (TX). Logan, whose nickname was "The Little O", was the last player in the NFL to wear the single-0 jersey until 2023.


Early years

Obert attended Gonzales High School, where he competed in football, basketball, baseball and track. Originally recruited to Trinity University as a
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
, he was the best athlete on the team, so his coaches persuaded him to play both ways. logan was a four-year starter, playing
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
, flanker and halfback. In his first two seasons, he led the team in rushing and in his last two years he led them in receiving. As a senior, Logan set a school and
Southland Conference The Southland Conference (SLC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in ...
record with 11 receiving
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s. He set a school mark with an 81-yard run against Southwest Texas State College. Logan set a school record with a 79-yard reception against
McMurry University McMurry University is a Private university, private United Methodist Church, Methodist university in Abilene, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1923 and named after William Fletcher McMurry. The university offers forty-five majors in the ...
. He also set school marks with 23 kickoff returns for 465 yards. Logan finished his college career with 33 kickoff returns (school record) for 690 kickoff return yards (school record). Logan received honorable-mention Little
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
honors as a senior, was a three-time member of the All-Texas team and a three-time All-Southland Conference selection. He also practiced
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
,
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
and track. In 1999, Logan was inducted into the Trinity University Hall of Fame.


Professional career


Dallas Cowboys (first stint)

Logan was signed as an
undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
after the 1965 NFL draft. The team tried him first at flanker, before moving him to
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
, where he would end up surprising observers by making the Cowboys opening day roster for the 1965 season. As a rookie, Logan was a reserve playing behind Mel Renfro, until the fifth game, when he was named the starter at free safety. Early in his first season, he forced a kickoff fumble that resulted in a
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
. One of his three interceptions came against the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
, when he picked off a Norm Snead goal-line pass with two minutes left to secure a 21–19 win. Against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, Larry Stephens blocked a field goal that Logan returned to the Cowboys' 47-yard line, helping the Cowboys set up a last minute
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
to end a five-game losing streak. In the last game of the season against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, he returned a blocked field goal by Cornell Green 60 yards for a key
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
, helping his team win the game, complete the first non-losing season in franchise history and advance to the Playoff Bowl. In
1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
, he was a key member of the special teams unit which blocked nine field goals (three times as many as other team in the NFL and Logan blocked two of those), five extra points and 1 punt, totaling 15 kicks blocked. In
1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
, between Renfro being switched to the offense and experiencing some injuries, Logan was able to start in six games and finished with two interceptions. He also played in the 1967 NFL Championship Game (commonly known as the Ice Bowl). Logan was small for an NFL player, being and while listed at 182 pounds, appeared to weigh closer to 160. He also possessed good but not overwhelming speed. What set him apart was tremendous courage and a full out style of play that gave evidence of his knowledge and love for the game.


New Orleans Saints

Logan was selected by the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
in the 1967 NFL expansion draft, becoming the franchise's first starting free safety. He was released on August 25,
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
.


Dallas Cowboys (second stint)

On August 28,
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
, Logan was claimed by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. On September 4, he was released and later signed to the taxi squad, where he spent the rest of the season. On August 30, 1969, he was released after being tried out as a flanker. Logan would spend his last two years of professional football in the Texas Football League.


Personal life

Logan was well liked and respected by his teammates for his courage and attitude toward the game. After the NFL, Logan spent one season as an assistant player-coach for the San Antonio Toros of the
Continental Football League The Continental Football League (COFL) was a professional American football Minor league football (gridiron), minor league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Fo ...
. He then held the same position for one year the Fort Worth Braves of the Texas Football League, which was serving as a farm club for the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
. Logan was trying his hand in the rodeo business as a rancher, when he accepted the athletic director and his last coaching job for the St. Paul Cardinals of Shiner, Texas. He contracted colon cancer and died in Luling, Texas at his home at the age of 61 on January 21, 2003. He would often tell friends that the most memorable thing about playing
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
for the Cowboys was Coach Tom Landry. Logan remembered that the first thing Landry told the rookies at training camp was that his priorities were "God, family and the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
". He recalled being surprised that football was not Landry's first priority. At his funeral many of Logan's Cowboys teammates served as his pallbearers; among them were
Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide ...
, Walt Garrison, Bob Lilly, Don Meredith and Tex Schramm. Logan had maintained lifelong friendships with all of these men. After his death, Jordan said of him, "Obert was just a nice guy. I loved being around him. He was undersized and under-everything else but he proved right away that he was a great competitor. He represented the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
well."San Antonio Express-News, January 24, 2003. Logan was survived by his mother Fannie Mae Logan, wife Patricia, and brother James.


References


External links


Former Cowboys Logan remembered for more than footballCardinal making major changes under Logan
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Logan, Obert 1941 births 2003 deaths People from Yoakum, Texas Gonzales High School (Texas) alumni Players of American football from Lavaca County, Texas American football safeties Continental Football League players Dallas Cowboys players New Orleans Saints players Texas Football League players Players of American football from DeWitt County, Texas