Plenty of things contributed to the Cowboys’ rise to national prominence, including a big blue star in the middle of their field and on the side of their helmets.
Jack Eskridge, the man responsible for that logo, died this week at the age of 89. Eskride joined the Cowboys as their first equipment manager in 1959, a year before they started playing games, and came up with the blue star outlined in white that became synonymous with the team.
The team’s website has a remembrance of Eskridge, who served at Iwo Jima and played professional basketball before becoming an assistant coach and equipment manager for legendary Kansas basketball coach Phog Allen. He left the Cowboys in 1973, but his family has another connection to the team. His grandson Zack was a quarterback with the team for a brief period as an undrafted rookie in the 2011 offseason.
Eskridge’s name isn’t a familiar one to even diehard football fans, but his work has certainly resonated over the years.
