Tony Hutson, a guard for the Dallas Cowboys in the late ’90s, passed away earlier in February at 49 years old, according to an online obituary.
It’s not currently known how Hutson died.
Playing for MacArthur High School (Texas) as an offensive tackle, he played college football at Kilgore College before transferring to Northeastern Oklahoma State University. In both 1994 and 1995, Hutson earned NAIA All-American honors, according to the New York Post (NYP).
During an NFL physical, the Raiders located on his right lung a benign tumor, resulting in him being undrafted in 1996. The rumor was removed in surgery, and Dallas brought him on as a free agent shortly afterward.
In 1996, Hutson was on the Cowboys‘ practice squad but missed most of training camp during the following season due to undergoing wrist surgery.
Former Dallas Cowboy Tony Hutson dead at 49 https://t.co/h7f8DKGtdB pic.twitter.com/7dmh0Soo5Z
— New York Post (@nypost) February 13, 2024
Later that year, however, he finally got to make his debut on the Cowboys offensive line due to injuries, starting a contest against the then-Washington Redskins in a 17-14 victory.
Through the 1999 season, Hutson suited up for Dallas, eventually leaving for the Redskins and appearing in three games in 2000.
In 2001, Hutson joined the then-Oakland Raiders but was cut before the regular season kicked off because of his tricep injury struggles. (RELATED: Indonesian Soccer Player Septain Raharja Dies After Being Struck By Lightning During Match)
“Our 1996 Dallas Cowboys rookies had a special bond,” former teammate Randall Godfrey wrote in a Facebook post. “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.”
“You caught us off guard with this one. Take your rest my brother. Gone too soon,” Godfrey added.