Tom Gipson
Tom's fandom began at a young age, when he began attending Dallas Cowboys games with his father, a season-ticketholder at the time. Tom credits this special father-son tradition as the spark for his love of football. Starting in 1970, Tom began keeping a thorough record of his home game attendance, in which he recalls having only missed two home games, with the last being a preseason game in 1978. Since then, Tom claims to have maintained a home attendance streak that still exists today, with various collections of ticket stubs, game day brochures, and photographs to back it up.
Through the years, his fandom deepened through iconic moments: the first game at Texas Stadium, the 1974 Thanksgiving comeback with Drew Pearson and Clint Longley,
Staubach's clutch performances in 1979, the 1975 "Dirty Dozen" season, and Emmitt Smith's rushing-record setting game in 2002; Tom has been to 5 Super Bowls (XII, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX, XXXIV), 5 NFC championship games, and Cowboys home playoff games every season since 1970. He has even attended two Pro Bowls and has travel to Canton, OH to attend the Hall of Fam inductions for Troy Aikman, Rayfield Wright, Drew Pearson, Cliff Harris and Jimmy Johnson.
His devotion to his team is displayed through the "Cowboys Room" he created in his home, which is outfitted with 70 autographed footballs, 15 autographed jerseys, a treasure trove of ticket stubs, and an additional 40 items of other autographed memorabilia. The room also features a helmet wall, which represents the 37 stadiums Tom and friends have visited to watch the Dallas Cowboys play.
For Tom, game-day is ritual— holding pre-game tailgates at home games and hosting open- house watch parties when the Cowboys are on the road. His favorite player is Bob Lilly, whose signed photograph from a childhood birthday gift still hangs on the wall. Beyond fandom, Tom is active in his church and supports local charities including the Salvation Army and the Red Cross, making their Cowboys devotion part of a wider life of community and family.