Men of Honor

Recent Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor inductees Cliff Harris and Rayfield Wright find honor in giving back

Interview by Scott Murray

 
Dallas Cowboys greats Cliff Harris and Rayfield Wright were the latest members of America’s Team to be inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor during ceremonies at Texas Stadium in October. The two were part of the great Cowboys teams of the seventies that saw Dallas win championship titles in Super Bowl XI and XII. Now they are the latest to join the likes of Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Randy White, Mel Renfro, Tom Landry, and Tex Schramm.

Rayfield Wright joined the Cowboys in 1967. His involvement with young people resulted in his appointment to the Juvenile Supreme Court in Arizona. He also served as president of the NFL Alumni Chapter, “Caring for Kids” program in the mid-nineties.

Cliff Harris came to Dallas in 1970. Cliff is one of the namesakes of the Cliff Harris/Charlie Waters Music & Art Celebration and Celebrity Golf Classic, benefiting the Dallas American Diabetes Association. The tournament netted over $100,000 in 2004. Earlier this year, Cliff received the J. Denis McGary Award, presented annually by the American Diabetes Association to an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to improving lives of people affected by diabetes through community service, research, or healthcare.

We were fortunate to spend some time with Cliff and Rayfield discussing what this honor means to them, and how they have chosen to give back.

Induction into the Ring of Honor must mean a great deal to you.
Cliff Harris: Means a whole lot. The other players in it are the core of the Cowboys, and considering the team is recognized worldwide, it’s a privilege to be included with such an elite group. The other members are the leaders, the playmakers of the team, the guys that turned games around, and made things happen. To be up there with Tom Landry and the others is what I’m most proud of.

You’ve used your celebrity status to help a number of charities over the years. I’m sure that’s most rewarding.
CH: There are so many opportunities with being associated as a Dallas Cowboy. And with that comes a certain responsibility. Coach Landry always impressed that on us. I’ve tried to do that since I’ve been with the team, just as many other players have done. It’s the attitude of giving back. It’s not been a chore, it’s been a blessing. The thing that really started my real interest in charity work is when Kent Waldrep (TCU athlete who broke his neck and founded the National Paralysis Foundation) came to Cowboys training camp in Thousand Oaks and gave a compelling speech. He said there was hope out there, and since I felt there was a real void, I thought I could help because of my exposure in the media. I eventually became a part of Kent’s board of directors.

Besides National Paralysis, what other groups have you worked with over the years?
CH: American Diabetes, and CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. We started a golf tournament in 1991, then Charlie Waters joined me in 1996. The tournament now benefits ADA, and we have a lot of our former teammates join us as celebrities to play. It’s sort of a brotherhood that we feel within the team. I also have a golf tournament in my home state of Arkansas. We hold it in beautiful Hot Springs, and it benefits Fellowship of Christian Athletes. So, it doesn’t really matter what the cause is, I’m just happy to help those who need some help.

This honor is certainly long overdue. You must be proud to now be a member of the Ring.
Rayfield Wright: I am most honored to be a part of such an elite group. I’m the first offensive lineman to be inducted into the Ring, but as you look back, we had a tremendous line with lots of talent. So to be the first to be picked is simply overwhelming, because I carry all of these players with me, and that’s a great feeling. It’s something to be out of the game twenty-five years and the young players don’t have a clue who you are, but due to the Ring, now they will, and that’s great.

Like Cliff, giving back and helping others is something you learned at a very young age.
RW: My mother and grandmother raised me. Back in the forties and fifties, that was difficult for two women to do! In those days, the old saying was, “It takes a village to raise a child.” That’s the way I grew up. Everybody had their eyes on the children. I had a lot of daddies – my scoutmaster, my coaches, my teachers, ministers...that was the spirit I developed early in life. My grandfather would say, “It’s more blessed to give than receive.”

And now you continue to make a difference by giving.
RW: There is a disability resource in Abilene. We work with and house adults and children with Down syndrome, and teach them how to work and get paid for it. We’re giving them a chance to live a normal life. We’re also busy with our Kids for Tomorrow program. As athletes, we get to spend a lot of time in schools, motivating students to make good choices, and do the right things in life. We sign a couple of autographs, but then we disappear and never come back, so if there’s no follow-up program to reinforce what we said, the kids could revert back to their bad behavior. It took us five years to complete our pilot program with two other former NFL players, who paid out of their own pocket. We go to schools and churches at least three times a week to give encouragement to confused young people. If they don’t get the support or encouragement from parents and adults, we’ll lose them.