KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Ron Widby, one of the most versatile and gifted all-around athletes to ever put on a Vols uniform, has died at age 75.
The Knoxville native and Fulton High School graduate died Wednesday, according to the Dallas Cowboys, for whom he was a punter for four years including its first two Super Bowl teams. The 6-foot, 4-inch Widby also punted for the Green Bay Packers.
Widby lettered three years while playing football for UT, three years on the basketball team, one year on the baseball team and one year on the golf team, according to UT.
He is one of only seven Vols ever to earn eight varsity letters, according to the university.
His senior year on the football team Widby punted 38 times, recording a 43.8-yard average, making him the NCAA statistical leader. During his UT career, he distinguished himself on the team with a punting average mark of 42.3 yards.
Widby also was the 1967 SEC Player of the Year while playing for basketball coach Ray Mears. When his basketball career ended in Knoxville, he ranked second on UT's all-time scoring list with 1,432 career points, according to UT.
"Tennessee famously arranged a special flight for Widby so he could display his versatility for both the football team — at the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston — and the basketball team—at the Gulf South Classic event in Shreveport, Louisiana—on Dec. 18, 1965. The Vols won both games, against Tulsa and Centenary, respectively," UT's announcement Thursday states.
Widby played one year in the ABA with the New Orleans Buccaneers.
He played a total of six years in the NFL, four for the Cowboys and two for the Packers.
He remained a standout in the pro game, once kicking an 84-yard punt for Dallas against the New Orleans Saints. It's still the longest ever kicked by a Cowboy in a game, according to the Cowboys.
Widby also was the first punter in team history to make the Pro Bowl.
The native Tennessean also was a gentleman.
He started out wearing the No. 12 jersey for the Cowboys, but switched to No. 10 in 1969 to make way for rookie quarterback -- and future Hall of Famer -- Roger Staubach, who had worn No. 12 while playing for the U.S. Naval Academy.
After playing 1968-71 for the Cowboys, he was traded to the Packers, for whom he played his final two years.
After his retirement, Widby worked as a golf club pro in Texas, according to UT.
He's been honored by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, and the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame.