Former Dallas Cowboy Dies Suddenly At 49

Tony Hutson, a former guard for the Dallas Cowboys who struggled with a series of injuries over five seasons in the NFL, died earlier this month at the age of 49, according to an obituary obtained by the Daily Caller.

While the cause of Hutson’s death is unknown, he was beloved and remembered by family members who added their condolences online.

“Tony, was very humble, had the kindest heart and the most beautiful soul. Tony loved his family with every ounce of his soul. My cousin Tony will be missed dearly!! will cherish our memories and keep you in my heart forever. I’m going to miss our talks and will never forget that smile! I Love You Cousin Buck Buck…,” a cousin wrote.

“Lost one of my favorite teammates and great friends in Tony Hutson last night,” wrote former fellow Dallas Cowboys rookie Randall Godfrey in a now-deleted post via People. “Please keep the Hutson family in prayer. Our 1996 Dallas Cowboys rookies had a special bond. He made several trips to Valdosta to help with my annual football camps. I cherished every moment that he had me crying after laughing so hard. One of my fishing buddies and much more. I just knew we would be connecting soon. You caught us off guard with this one. Take your rest my bother. Gone too soon.”

Born Antonio Hutson in 1974, he was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and attended MacArthur High School, where he took to football as an offensive tackle and was named an All-State player by his senior year. He went on to play at Kilgore College (1992–93) and Northeastern Oklahoma State University where he was voted into the school’s All-Century team of 1999.

Hutson’s career in the NFL was troubled from the start. After signing as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1996, he was dropped after a benign tumor was found in his right lung. Following surgery, Dallas kept him as a member of its practice squad, and by 1997 he was promoted to the team’s active roster. Sadly, he suffered a torn wrist ligament later that year, leaving him resigned to the practice squad or limited playing through 1998. Despite later signing with the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins, he was sidelined by several knee injuries, and a tricep tear with the Oakland Raiders saw him released before the start of the 2001 season.