Former New England Patriots starting offensive tackle Bob McKay, a College Football Hall of Famer who helped anchor one of the franchise’s best early teams, died Thursday at age 78.
The University of Texas announced McKay’s death, remembering him as one of the greatest offensive linemen in program history. McKay became a centerpiece of the Longhorns’ famed wishbone offense before building a nine-year NFL career with the Cleveland Browns and Patriots.
NFL records show McKay started 16 games during his three seasons with the Patriots, including every game of the franchise’s breakthrough 1976 campaign.
McKay Started Every Game for Patriots’ 1976 Playoff Team
McKay arrived in New England in 1976 after six seasons with the Browns, who had selected him No. 21 overall in the 1970 NFL Draft.
He stepped into the lineup at right tackle.
McKay started all 14 regular-season games in 1976, per NFL.com’s official career statistics. The Patriots finished 11-3 and reached the postseason for the first time since the franchise’s AFL days, earning a wild-card berth before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders in the divisional round.
That New England team leaned heavily on its ground game. The Patriots rushed for 2,948 yards in 1976, a franchise mark surpassed only by the 1978 team, which ran for an NFL-record 3,165 yards in the league’s first 16-game season.
McKay was part of an offensive line that also featured Hall of Fame guard John Hannah, left tackle Leon Gray, center Bill Lenkaitis and right guard Sam Adams. New England’s retrospective on the team noted McKay, Lenkaitis and Adams did not miss a start that season.
The right tackle remained with the Patriots for two more seasons. He appeared in 12 games in 1977, starting two, and played another 12 games in 1978. In all, McKay appeared in 38 regular-season games for New England and made 16 starts.
His entire NFL career covered 106 games and 70 starts, according to NFL.com, giving him an extensive professional career to go with the honors he accumulated in college.
McKay Became Texas Legend Before NFL Career
McKay’s professional career came after he established himself as one of the defining offensive linemen of an era at Texas.
The 6-foot-6 tackle helped the Longhorns go 20-1-1 with him in the starting lineup across the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Texas won the Southwest Conference championship both years and captured the 1969 national championship after an 11-0 season.
McKay earned consensus first-team All-America honors in 1969. With him helping power the wishbone attack, Texas led the nation with 363 rushing yards per game and averaged 33.8 points.
The National Football Foundation inducted McKay into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017. He had previously entered the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in 1990 and the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
“Bob McKay was accomplished in everything he did, from his remarkable football career to his professional life, but nothing meant more to him than his family,” National Football Foundation president and CEO Steve Hatchell said in the organization’s announcement.
Hatchell also remembered McKay as a “gentle giant” and “a great person and a good friend.”
After football, McKay worked in commercial sales and involved himself in the NFL Children’s Benefit and CASH of Austin, according to the foundation.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Donna; their children, Jill and Josh; eight grandchildren; and his brothers, Don and Mike.
Patriots’ 16-Game Starter, College Football Hall of Famer Passes Away