Former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tony Hutson has died. He was 49.

The 6'3", 315-pound guard played 20 games throughout his six years with the NFL, which also included a short time at the Washington Red Skins.

The cause of death was not shared.

Former Cowboys lineman dies

In 1996, Hutson had a medical scare that nearly ended his pro career before it began.

The Oakland Raiders had discovered a benign tumor the size of a golf ball on his lung, and the rookie went undrafted.

"My first thought was I would never get to play football anymore," Hutson said at the time. "But then I thought there's more to life than football. I just wanted to live my life. I talked to my mom about it and prayed about it."

He eventually signed with Dallas as a free agent after the tumor was removed.

"A lot of teams thought it was cancer, so that scared them off, but it all turned out fine," Hutson said. "While I was lying in my hospital bed, recovering from surgery, I got a call from my agent who had talked to Dallas, so we decided to sign with the Cowboys. It's great to be with a winning team."

Hutson was sidelined on the practice squad during his first year with Dallas before finally making his first start during the 1997 season in a 17-14 win over the Redskins.

“I was nervous at first and made a mistake early but after that I just took care of business," he said at the time.

Gone too soon...

After four seasons with Dallas, he joined the Washington Redskins in 2000, where he played three games. He was signed by the Oakland Raiders in 2001 but released before the season started over a triceps injury.

Hutson played offensive tackle at MacArthur High School in Texas, and later played college football at Kilgore College and Northeastern Oklahoma State University, where he was recognized as an all-American.

A former Cowboys teammate paid tribute to Hutson on Facebook.

"Our 1996 Dallas Cowboys rookies had a special bond,” teammate Randall Godfrey wrote. “He made several trips to Valdosta to help with my annual football camps. I cherished every moment that he had me crying after laughing so hard.”

Godfrey added, “You caught us off guard with this one. Take your rest my brother. Gone too soon.”