Tom Landry wasn't exactly known for his praise. A game-winning catch or pass might have inspired a "nice job." Or might not have. A successful career might have inspired a "you're a pro." Or might not have. He was from another time, a decorated fighter pilot from World War II, an engineer, and just wasn't easily impressed.

But it's hard to imagine a football coach more impressed by a player than Landry was with Bob Lilly, once saying, "A man like that comes along once in a lifetime. He is something a little more than great. Nobody is better than Bob Lilly."

Landry famously made his team run a mile the first day of every training camp. There were certain times for certain positions, and if not met, they would run the mile every day of camp until meeting the mark. Lilly never once in 14 seasons completed the goal. He also never ran that mile more than once each camp. Another player once challenged Landry on this, to which the coach replied, "You want to be treated like Lilly, play like him."

No one ever did. In his era, no one really came close among defensive tackles. Someone with the Cowboys went back and viewed the game film for his career, from 1961-74, and there are a bunch of sacks and forced fumbles that weren't official statistics at the time, but to associate those numbers with Lilly would be to take away from his overall sheer dominance.

Lilly grew up farming and ranching in Throckmorton, Texas, never lifting a weight or even knowing that was an option. His strength and physical dominance were natural, 6-5 and 260 pounds of brute force when many linemen were either 200 pounds and quick or 250 pounds and slow. Lilly was explosive, freakishly strong and at least on the field, nasty as a tornado.

A two-time All-American at TCU, Lilly didn't have a weakness. He was just as dominant against the run as he was rushing the quarterback. And this despite double- and triple-team blocking becoming the norm for him even as a rookie in 1961.

Amazing in retrospect, Lilly was the first player ever drafted by Dallas, which in part led to his nickname "Mr. Cowboy." He was also the first player inducted into the team's Ring of Honor and the first Cowboys star enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For the record, Lilly has always been uncomfortable with the moniker, having said, "Roger Staubach was first responsible for it. I didn't like that tag for the longest time; always thought there were a lot of guys more deserving. I certainly don't have any plaques at my house with Mr. Cowboy on it."

If anyone deserves the title, however, it's Lilly. He played in 196 consecutive regular-season games and led the Cowboys to six league or conference title tilts in eight years from 1966-73. When any player negotiated with team president Tex Schramm for more money, he'd reply, "Well, I can't pay you more than Lilly." No one ever argued the point.

When the Cowboys lost Super Bowl V to the Baltimore Colts, perhaps the ugliest championship game ever played, Lilly famously threw his helmet 50 yards down the field. A quiet, soft-spoken, generally kind man away from the game, a renowned photographer, he's always been embarrassed by that moment of frustration: "One of Baltimore's players, young kid, hands me my helmet and says, 'Here Mr. Lilly.' I thanked him. I never felt so small in my life."

The following year, the Cowboys dominated the Miami Dolphins, 24-3, to win the Super Bowl, the franchise's first. The signature play of the game was Lilly's 29-yard sack of quarterback Bob Griese. There's a photo of Lilly smoking a Cuban cigar afterward. One given to him a season earlier. One that "erased the memories of the year before."

It's only fitting that Staubach was responsible for the Mr. Cowboy nickname. The deserving gravitas just means that much more. A man like that comes along once in a lifetime. Nobody is better than Bob Lilly.