Blaine Nye
 Dr. Blaine Nye, Ph.D., December 2008. | |
| Date of birth: | March 29, 1946 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth: | Ogden, UT |
Career information | |
| Position(s): | Guard |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 252 lb (114 kg) |
| College: | Stanford |
| NFL Draft: | 1968 / Round: 5 / Pick: 130 |
Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1968-1976 | Dallas Cowboys |
Career highlights and awards | |
| Pro Bowls: | 1974, 1976 |
Career stats | |
| Playing stats at NFL.com | |
Blaine Francis Nye (born March 29, 1946 in Ogden, Utah) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League and founder and president of Stanford Consulting Group, Inc. , a firm specializing in economic research and providing expert opinions in business litigation.
Early years
Nye played high school football at Servite High School in Anaheim, CA, and college football at Stanford University.
In 1967 he was a First-Team All-Pac-8 selection and made All-AAWU Athletic Association of Western Universities Honorable Mention, while earning a B.A in physics.
He was inducted into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame and was also named to the Stanford's All-Century football team and to Orange County Sports Hall Of Fame.
NFL career
Nye was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 1968 NFL Draft as a defensive tackle. During the 1970, the Cowboys needing help at the offensive line, he was switched to offensive guard. He played right guard between Hall of Famer offensive tackle Rayfield Wright (1970–1976) and Dave Manders (1970–1972) or John Fitzgerald (1973–1976) at center and helped anchor a dominant offensive line that led the Cowboys to three Super Bowls in that time. He played in 125 games during his nine-year career with the Cowboys, including the three Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls. Nye retired at the end of the 1976 season after the 1977 Pro Bowl and was replaced by Tom Rafferty.
Nye was widely considered one of the smartest players in the NFL. Amidst the time and pressures of the regular season play, he managed to earned two master's degrees. Inside the team, he founded the "Zero Club" which prided itself on performing behind the scenes. Their first rule, "Thou Shalt Not Seek Publicity", kept their members (Nye, Larry Cole and Pat Toomay) out of the limelight. Although he didn't seek publicity, he is also known for providing some of the team's famous quotes:
- "Offensive linemen are like salt. Nobody ever remembers the brand they buy".
- After Clint Longley's famous comeback win on Thanksgiving Day in 1974, a reporter asked him what the game meant, his answer was "This game represents the triumph of the uncluttered mind".
Life after Football
During the off-season Nye earned a M.S. in physics in 1970 from University of Washington and an M.B.A. from Stanford University in 1974. After retiring from football in 1976, he earned a Ph.D. in finance in 1981 from Stanford Business School. His dissertation was titled "Demand and Pricing for Health Care and Guaranteed Insurability."
Stanford Consulting Group
In 1981 Nye founded Stanford Consulting Group. Inc. . Dr. Nye performs numerous economic analysis and research and provides expert testimony in multiple areas including securities litigation, intellectual property, business litigation, damages and insurance economics.
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Notes
Dave Noland, November 19, 1990, "Physics And Football Were His Fortes Blaine Nye was always a standout student", Sports Illustrated