Hall of Fame
Position: Tight End
Years: 1982-1984
Place of Birth: Martin, SD
Date of Birth: Oct 24, 1962
Jersey Number: 84
Height: 6-4
Weight: 211
High School: Gothenberg HS (Gothenberg, NE)
One of Wyoming's greatest athletes and a national record-setter, Jay Novacek becomes the second Cowboy inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. A consensus First Team All-America selection, Novacek amassed 83 receptions for 1,536 yards and 10 touchdowns in his three-year career. As captain of the 1984 UW team, he set an NCAA record for average yards per reception by a tight end (22.6). Revered for his tremendous blocking ability, the Martin, S.D., native was a First Team All-WAC pick in 1984. The two-sport standout also broke school decathlon records in track and field. Selected in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, Novacek played 12 seasons in the NFL. He helped the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins in four years and made five Pro Bowl appearances. Novacek was a member of Wyoming's inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class in 1993. He owns and operates the Upper 84 Ranch, a 3,500-acre private hunting ranch he created in 1997 in Brady, Neb.
