Tyler football great Ronnie “Bo” Lee passes away

Published 3:25 pm Friday, March 31, 2023

Ronnie “Bo” Lee Sr., who was one of the best players to don a John Tyler jersey and one of a select group of players in the NFL to start at three different positions, has passed away, family and friends said.

Graveside services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Evergreen Memorial Park. It will be under the direction of John R. Harmon Undertaking Co. Apostle Jacob McKenzie will perform the service.

“His death was a shock to many of us …,” Walter Abercrombie, Baylor Associate Athletics Director, said via email. “This is heartbreaking news for those who knew Ronnie and were familiar with his health struggles post-football. Please keep his family in your prayers.”

“Ronnie Lee was a big gentle bear,” said David Smoak, host of 365 Sports Youtube.

Grant Knight, whose father Dr. Roger Knight was the sideline physician for the Lions, wrote via email, “I went to Lee and we both graduated in 1975 but first knew of him when he went to Dogan and I was at Hogg. He was one of two kids in the ninth grade (still junior high at the time) that could dunk a basketball, which was quite impressive at the time. Also, my father was the team physician for JT at the time and he used to talk about how great those players at JT were the year Earl led them to a state championship. Anyway, I just found it sad to hear of his passing because I always thought of him as a decent guy who went on to have a solid NFL career.”

Lee, 66, was born on Dec. 24, 1956 to the late Ernest and Dell Lee in Little Rock, Arkansas. He passed away on March 26 in Fort Worth.

Lee was a 1975 graduate of John Tyler High School. He received his Bachelors Degree from Baylor University. He was a three-sport athlete (football, basketball, track) at JT.

He played tight end for John Tyler’s 1973 Class 4A state championship team, which defeated Austin Reagan in the title game at the Astrodome in Houston. In the semifinal game with Arlington Sam Houston, Lee caught the tie-breaking 80-yard touchdown pass late in the game. The Lions went on to win 22-7 at Baylor Stadium, where he would later star. JT was 15-0 that season.

His senior season, he helped the Lions to a 9-1 district championship, tying with Longview and Lufkin. At that time, only one team went to the playoffs and Longview won the coin toss. Lee was also part of the Lions’ 27-game winning streak. Lee was all-district, all-East Texas and all-state as well as Blue Chip All-America.

Lee played in the 1975 Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game.

During basketball season, as a senior he helped JT to the regional finals.

Lee was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. In 2014, he was inducted into the Tyler ISD Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2018, Lee was inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame.

At his THS Football Hall of Fame ceremony in 2004, Lee said of the 1973 team, “You sit down and you think and you look at all the talent we had. That’s a team that could have given some college teams a run for their money. We had some studs, some tough guys on that team.”

Included on that team with Lee were future Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Earl Campbell, defensive standout and future Baylor Athletics Hall of Famer Gary Don Johnson, the Campbell twins — Steve and Tim, and a host of other standouts.

At Baylor, he had 53 catches for 694 yards and five touchdowns.

Lee blocked for Campbell on his high school team and in the NFL he blocked for quarterback Dan Marino and fellow East Texan, running back David Overstreet.

Grant Teaff recruited Lee out of JT and he became a four-year starter at tight end for the Bears. He picked the Bears over Texas, Oklahoma, UCLA and Texas A&M.

Lee was Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year in 1975. He was All-SWC in 1975 and 1976.

After playing for the Bears, Lee was in the Hula Bowl and Senior Bowl.

In the 1979 NFL Draft, he was selected in the third round (65th overall) as a tight end by the Miami Dolphins. He played for the Dolphins from 1979 to 1982 and again from 1984 to 1989. He played for the Atlanta Falcons in 1983 and the Seattle Seahawks from 1990 to 1992.

Lee participated in Super Bowl XIX with the Dolphins (a 38-16 loss to San Francisco at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California).

As a Dolphin, Falcon and Seahawk, Lee played tight end, tackle and guard. He played in 186 NFL games, starting 120. Early in his career he was a tight end, making 25 receptions for 167 yards and three touchdowns.

He was preceded in death by brother, Anthony Lee and sister, Ada Lee Smith.

He is survived by his wife Denise Lee of Fort Worth; sons: Ronnie Lee Jr. of Fort Worth, LaWhalen (wife Rosie) Lee of Dallas; daughters: Danika Lee of Fort Worth, Rhonnie Lee (husband Benjamin) of Missouri, Shenna Lee of Florida and Tameka Jones of Tyler; brothers: Ernest (wife Carol) Lee Jr. of Longview; sisters: Marva Young and Phyllis (Sherman) Johnson both of Tyler, and Cynthia Wright of Irving; six grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.