View source for Bob Dee

{{Short description|American football player (1933–1979)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name         = Bob Dee
| image        = Bob Dee (13561458823).jpg
| number       = 89
| position     = [[Defensive end]]<br />[[Defensive tackle]]
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1933|5|18}}
| birth_place  = [[Quincy, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| death_date   = {{death date and age|1979|4|18|1933|5|18}}
| death_place  = [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]], U.S.
| height_ft    = 6
| height_in    = 3
| weight_lb    = 248
| high_school  = [[Braintree High School|Braintree]] <br> ([[Braintree, Massachusetts]])
| college      = [[Holy Cross Crusaders football|Holy Cross]]
| draftyear    = 1955
| draftround   = 19
| draftpick    = 220
| pastteams    =
* [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] ({{NFL Year|1957|1958}})
* [[History of the New England Patriots|Boston Patriots]] ([[1960 American Football League season|1960]]-[[1967 American Football League season|1967]])
| pastcoaching =
* [[Holy Cross Crusaders football|Holy Cross]] (1959) <br> Assistant
* [[Lowell Giants|Lowell / Quincy Giants]] (1968-1969) <br> Assistant
| highlights   =
* 4× [[American Football League All-Star game|AFL All-Star]] (1961, [[1964 American Football League All-Star game|1963]]–1965)
* 4× Second-team All-AFL ([[1960 All-AFL Team|1960]]–[[1962 All-AFL Team|1962]], [[1964 All-AFL Team|1964]])
* [[New England Patriots|Boston Patriots All-1960s Team]]
* [[New England Patriots Hall of Fame]]
* [[New England Patriots#Retired numbers|New England Patriots No. 89]] retired
| statleague   = NFL/AFL
| statlabel1   = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue1   = 6
| statlabel2   = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue2   = 1
| statlabel3   = [[Quarterback sack|Sack]]s
| statvalue3   = 17.5
| pfr          = D/DeexBo00
}}

'''Robert Henry Dee''' (May 18, 1933 – April 18, 1979) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[defensive end]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) and the [[American Football League]] (AFL).

== Biography ==
Dee was a three-sport [[Letterman (sports)|letterman]] at the [[College of the Holy Cross]]. After graduating, he joined the [[United States Marine Corps]] and played for the [[Quantico Marines Devil Dogs football]] team during the 1956 season. After two years with the [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] in 1957–58, Dee returned to Holy Cross to tutor the team's linemen. In 1960, he was one of the first players signed by the [[History of the New England Patriots|Boston Patriots]] of the AFL. He became an ironman of the American Football League who never missed a game during his career, starting 112 consecutive games.<ref>{{cite news |title=Holy Cross Coach Signs With Pats As Player |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eKsrAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA9&dq |access-date=3 October 2025 |work=The Telegraph |date=April 15, 1960}}</ref>

Despite equipment improvements over the years, Dee was a superstitious player who chose to wear the same helmet throughout his career (105 of 112 games).{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}  Dee etched his name in the history books by scoring the first points in American Football League history, scoring a [[touchdown]] when he dove onto a [[fumble]] by Bills QB Tommy O'Connell (father of former Boston Bruins GM Mike O'Connell) the end zone in the second quarter of the league's first-ever exhibition game, a contest between the Patriots and the [[Buffalo Bills|Bills]] on July 30, 1960.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=History |title=Official New England Patriots - History - Team History |access-date=August 4, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519121830/http://www.patriots.com/history/index.cfm?ac=History |archive-date=May 19, 2011 }}</ref>  He was voted to four [[American Football League All-Star games|American Football League All-Star teams]] (1961, 1963–65) and is a member of the Patriots All-1960s (AFL) Team. Dee recorded 33 QB sacks (not including his strip sack of Tommy O'Connell in the AFL's first Exhibition Game).

Dee sacked Frank Tripucka, Al Dorow, Hunter Enis, Jacky Lee, MC Reynolds, Randy Duncan, Cotton Davidson, George Blanda, Jack Kemp, Johnny Green, John Hadl, Tobin Rote, Len Dawson, Eddie Wilson, Dick Wood, Joe Namath, Tom Flores, Rick Norton and Bob Griese and recovered fumbles by Al Carmichael, Art Baker, Wayne Crow, Jacky Lee, Paul Lowe, Bill Tobin, Wray Carlton & Max Chobian.

He had two interceptions in the Patriots 26-8 Eastern Divisional Playoff Game win over the Buffalo Bills.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Boston Patriots at Buffalo Bills - December 28th, 1963 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196312280buf.htm |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In that game, he wore one sneaker and one football shoe with spikes, which made him maneuver better in the snow in the game played at War Memorial Stadium on December 28, 1963.

On July 22, 1968, Dee announced his retirement from professional football, citing a business opportunity that was "too good to resist." Dee died of a heart attack in 1979 while on a business trip. He was awarded a game ball for his outstanding performance in the Patriots 34–17 win over the Houston Oilers on November 29, 1964. He was inducted in the Patriots Hall of Fame on August 18, 1993. In recognition of his accomplishments on the field, the Patriots [[retirement|retired]] his number (89).<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2007/05/watson_on_84.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110522144901/http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2007/05/watson_on_84.html| archive-date = 2011-05-22| title = Watson on 84 - Reiss' Pieces}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.patriotshalloffame.com/hall_of_famer/bob-dee/ New England Patriots bio]

{{Redskins1955DraftPicks}}
{{1960 Boston Patriots}}
{{Patriots1960s}}
{{New England Patriots retired numbers}}
{{PatriotsHOF}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dee, Bob}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:1979 deaths]]
[[Category:American Football League All-Star players]]
[[Category:American football defensive linemen]]
[[Category:Boston Patriots players]]
[[Category:Holy Cross Crusaders football players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Quincy, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Norfolk County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Washington Redskins players]]
[[Category:American Football League players]]
[[Category:Braintree High School alumni]]
[[Category:NFL players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Quantico Marines Devil Dogs football players]]