The man in the fedora who stayed with his plan, Dallas coach Thomas Wade Landry (1924–2000) was born on this day in Mission, Texas, deep in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley.

"My family, my church, and the small-town environment of Mission served as filters for the basic values I learned as a boy," Landry explained in his autobiography.

No stranger to challenges, he flew 30 missions over Europe in World War II as a B-17 bomber pilot. "I knew what it meant to look my own fear in the face and go on to do my duty because the lives of my crew and the destiny of my country depended on it," he said.

Landry brought this dedication to the football field, first as a player, then as coach of the new Dallas franchise in 1960. He was a coaching pioneer who designed the innovative multiple offense sets. His team became known as "America’s Team" and dominated football with 20 consecutive winning seasons, 13 division titles, and two Super Bowl wins.

"If you are prepared, you will be confident, and will do the job," he said.

Stoic, visionary, and deeply principled, he built not just plays, but people. His fedora became a symbol—not of ego, but of calm and consistency under pressure. A mentor through and through, his story is one of enduring grace. Coach Landry was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.