Former Dallas Cowboys running back Robert Newhouse died Tuesday at the age of 64, his son, Rodd, confirmed to FOX 4.

Heart disease caused his death.

Newhouse�s wife, two sons and two daughters were surrounding him when he died at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

�He fought to the very end, no quit,� said Rodd.

Newhouse was born in Longview, TX and went on to play football at the University of Houston before being drafted by the Cowboys in the 1972 NFL Draft.

He was nicknamed �The House� and �The Human Bowling Ball� because he was smaller than most running backs, but had massive thighs.

Newhouse played in three Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos.

He retired in 1983 and suffered a stroke in 2010.

"House was a great football player,� NFL Hall of Famer and former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach told FOX 4 on Tuesday. �Off the field, he was a great man, kind and caring, solid as a rock. He played fullback, tailback, you name it when we needed it."

�I got to the Cowboys in 1991,� former Cowboy Russell Maryland told FOX 4. �Us young guys, when we got to the Cowboys, looked up to House. He always gave sage advice; he wasn't too animated, but he was wise. Guys didn't always follow his advice, but he gave good advice."

R.I.P.

Quite a ball player.

Sorry to hear.

RIP House. He was a classy guy.

Yep. Classy guy and hard to bring down. Really enjoyed watching him with my dad.

RIP.

I liked his description of being introduced into the league.

RIP. He was a horse.

Ditto... IIRC, didn't the team have to buy something like 3X pants to fit the thighs and then have 'em tailored down at the butt and waist in order to fit him? I remember that player quite well and how so many broadcasters and players marveled at his physique at the time.

LMAO.. I just realized the pic shows him running rampant over the hapless Queens... Oh, bwahahahahahahahahaha

I have never liked the Cowgirls, but my dad loved them. Newhouse was one of dad's favorites.

He was a stud, RIP House.

He made most of Tony Dorsett's yards possible.

I always hated the Cowboys but liked watching Robert Newhouse.

RIP, Mr. Newhouse.

He was not fast or flashy, but he was very, very strong. Good all-around back, good blocker, and good receiver, too.

At one point I think Howard Cosell suggested he wasn't a very good back, and someone suggested Howard ought to try tackling him. HC dropped the subject at that point

Yep- he was a bad***! When I was a little kid in the late 70's we had many a full contact/full pads birthday football game in our backyards. I loved the Cowboys but old number 44 was my jersey of choice. Class act

30incher

I hated the Cowboy's when I was a kid but Newhouse was a beast of a ball player.


Prayers on the way for his family.

Whenever it was third and short he would come running in from the sidelines and everyone in that place would know who was getting the ball. Good luck stopping those legs. He would simply pick up the first and pick up his pay with no "winder-of-me" theatrics. That was back when the league built character more often than felons.

Da Rhino!