When Travis Frederick announced his retirement a couple of weeks ago, I was saddened but not shocked. Not only has he been great on the field, but he has also shown to be a man whose values guide his decisions.
He probably could have played at a pretty high level in 2020, but I believe he was concerned about his long term health, and wanted to be remembered as consistent in great performance rather than be seen as someone in decline. I admire that very much. (I wish more players had that attitude) Travis Frederick has been one of the most underrated Cowboys players in recent memory.
So here are some indicators of just how great TF was that some of us may have missed:
- He was extremely durable. Until his bout with Gillian-Barre, he never missed a game due to injury. He played over 1,000 snaps in every season he played.
- He was brilliant at reading defensive fronts and at calling the blocking and pass protection schemes needed. His teammates often said he was THE best in the NFL at this.
- When the OL trio of TF, Tyron Smith and Zack Martin all played together, we averaged only allowing 29 sacks per season.
- In 2018, the year T-Fred was out, the Cowboys allowed 56 sacks! That’s not a coincidence. Last year, upon his return, the OL only allowed 23 sacks!
- T-Fred was a 5 time Pro Bowler and 1st or 2nd team ALL PRO 3 times.
- He was seen as a respected leader and friend in the locker room. (Ty Smith paid great tribute to TF)
When a truly great player retires, it’s worth stopping down from our offseason discussions and tip the cap to a guy that will be very difficult to replace. I think he’s ROH quality.