Cowboys Top 50 BTB version
by Terry on May 29, 2009 7:31 AM CDT
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PrintAs many of you already know DC.com is posting the 50 greatest players in franchise history and a few weeks ago BTB regular TCBinNYC posted a fanpost in which he attempted to generate interest in having the BTB community give their input where anyone interested could send TCBinNYC a list of their 50 greatest Cowboys and he would input those into a spreadsheet and tabulate the results. TBCinNYC's e-mail address is tye_basham@yahoo.com so feel free to pick your top 50 and send it to him.
To generate interest and maybe some debate below is my top 50 Cowboys of all time. I personally based my selections on the players career and impact on the franchise. not necessarily who I thought was more talented, but of course anyone is free to base their top 50 on any type of criteria they want. So here is my list.
Message 1 Troy Aikman 2 Emmitt Smith 3 Roger Staubach 4 Randy White 5 Bob Lilly 6 Tony Dorsett 7 Michael Irvin 8 Bob Hayes 9 Lee Roy Jordan 10 Mel Renfro 11 Rayfield Wright 12 Drew Pearson 13 Chuck Howley 14 Harvey Martin 15 Darren Woddson 16 Don Perkins 17 Cliff Harris 18 Ed Jones 19 Don Meredith 20 Larry Allen 21 Cornell Green 22 Chalie Waters 23 Everson Walls 24 John Fitzgerald 25 Jay Novacek 26 Bob Breuning 27 Herb Scott 28 Pat Donovan 29 Tony Hill 30 Duane Thomas 31 D.D. Lewis 32 Danny White 33 John Niland 34 Charles Haley 35 Hollywood Henderson 36 Jethro Pugh 37 Robert Newhouse 38 Jim Jeffcoat 39 Dave Edwards 40 Jason Witten 41 Mark Stepnoski 42 Darryl Johnston 43 Tom Rafferty 44 Erik Williams 45 Michael Downs 46 Deion Sanders 47 Calvin Hill 48 Rafeal Septien 49 Bill Bates 50 Tony Romo
Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.
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"I personally based my selections on the players career and impact on the franchise"
And you still put Romo in?
…I guess that was a joke on your part
Other than that though I cant really comment, as al the other guys are before my time.
absolutely not
Actually TCBinNYC had him much higher than I did. Ten years from now he’ll be in the top 10 of everyone’s list, maybe top 5. Right now, he’s clearly done enough to warrant coming in at 50.
In Romo we Trust
So his 0 playoff wins had a major impact on the franchise?
And since your a proponent of the theory that qbs recieve too much credit for winning and too much criticism for losing, why is Romo the only current cowboy on your list when others (Ware, Witten) are much firther along the path of HOF careers?
by aussie_cowboy on May 29, 2009 8:07 AM CDT up reply actions
QBs don't win playoff games, teams do
Fact is Romo holds some Cowboys passing records already and has helped turn this franchise around when it was struggling with the likes of Bledsoe, Testeverde and Carter.
Romo gives the Cowboys a legitimate shot at the playoffs and SB every year, without him, you’d keep seeing 8-8 and 7-9 records at best.
In Romo we Trust
Don't get me wrong. . .
I believe Romo will end up being one of the top 50. But QBs in Dallas are judged by playoff wins more than stats. And right now, if you asked me who I thought had a better chance to make it into the HOF, I’d go with Ware over Romo. Fair or unfair, Romo has a national image as a choke artist when it comes to playoff games. If he could just win one, I’d be more inclined to move him ahead of Ware on my list. As it stands right now, if I were starting a team, I would take Ware before Romo and settle for a bus driver who didn’t turn the ball over.
Believe me, I hope I'm wrong. . .
There is nothing I would like more than to see Tony shut up all the ESPN haters. He’s an incredible talent and a genuinely nice guy. Unfortunately for him, he plays the most important position in football, and is therefore held to a higher standard of accountability (both things within his control and things that are not). You hardly ever hear someone say that game turned because of the blocking by that lineman, or that punter was the MVP of that game. QBs are the defacto leaders of a football team who are seen as being responsible for the outcome of big games. I will gladly come on here and eat my words as soon as Romo does what I expect him to do and wins us a playoff game.
We just need to give Romo some time
He’s bound to lead the team to a playoff victory some time!
I am trying to think of a successful regular season QB who never won a playoff game, and I can only remember a few: Y.A. Tittle…Bert Jones…Brian Sipe…Bobby Hebert.
I’d hate for Romo to join that group. Although Tittle is in the HOF, I believe.
hmmm...
Romo gives the Cowboys a legitimate shot at the playoffs and SB every year, without him, you’d keep seeing 8-8 and 7-9 records at best.
Try seeing what this team would look like without Ware.
0 = The number of Super Bowls the Eagles have won.
I'm not saying Ware doesn't deserve to be on that list
but everyone has to keep in mind that there have been many really good players in the history of this franchise and not all of them can be included.
IMO, Romo has had more of an impact on the Cowboys success than Ware since they’ve both been a Cowboy. If you disagree, thats fine, create your own list and include Ware.
In Romo we Trust
It's true, I had Romo higher than 50
And my reasoning was this: he plays the most important position in football, and so far, he’s played it really, really well. How well? He ranks as #2 ALL-TIME in passer rating. Now I’m not saying passer rating is the be-all, end-all (it has a lot of flaws) and I’m not basing this all on stats (although I will admit I am a bit more of a stat whore than most.) All that being said, stats do tell part of the story. And part of the story says only Steve Young has performed better statistically than Tony Romo.
I also ranked all QBs a little higher just because of the position they play and the impact they have on a game. A 27-12 record (27-14 including playoffs) is excellent as well.
The only area in which make me think I have him a little high is that he’s only started 3 years. But, I think his impact in the 3 years warrants a high ranking in Dallas history.
Whatever point you're grasping at......
T.O. only played with Young as his QB for three seasons and didn’t have his breakout season until his 3rd year.
Hershal Walker?
He should be in the top 50 over Romo. Not just because he was good, but also because of the trade and what it did for this franchise. Plus, having Walker was like having 8 players taking up only one roster spot. Also, I’d rank Emmitt #1 due to the all-time rushing record and both him and Irvin ahead of Aikman since I think both of them made Aikman as good as he was, but of course that is open to debate.
Herschel
Was in my list the first time I took a pass at it, primarily for the impact his trade had on the franchise. He had one really great year for Dallas, but that was it. However, I was trying to squeeze the last 3 players into 2 spots and I went back and decided he didnt have an impact on the field so Herschel got removed.
Don't put in Herschel
put in JJohnson for working that trade.
Thank goodness for the Vikings and Seahawks (Dorsett) !
by Realist Larry on May 30, 2009 1:14 AM CDT up reply actions
If you guys dont like his list, make your own!
Seriously, let’s have some more lists. You can put these guys wherever you want. Keep Romo out, add Herschel Walker, whatever. Send me your list and I will come up with a consensus we can debate and compare to the list at dc.com.
It’s the offseason, what else do you have to do?
Here's mine...it gets boring after about the first 15
1) Roger Staubach – "Captain Comeback"; at the helm when the Dallas Cowboys became "America’s Team"; 6 Pro Bowls; 1971 Player of Year; Super Bowl VI Most Valuable Player; NFL passing leader ’71,’73,’78-’79; NFC passing leader ’77; 85-29 regular season starter (74.5%); 11-6 playoff starter, including all-time classic wins against San Francisco (’72) and Minnesota (’75); rushed for 2264 yards and 20 touchdowns; led team to 23 4th quarter comebacks, including 14 in the last 2:00; Ring of Honor; NFL Hall of Fame 1985
2) Bob Lilly – "Mr. Cowboy"; 7 All-Pro, 11 Pro Bowls; 94.5 sacks; tied for team record with 5 sacks in one game (vs. Pitt ’66); 18 fumbles recovered; scored four defensive touchdowns; NFL 1960s All Decade Team; NFL 1970s All Decade Team; Ring of Honor; NFL Hall of Fame 1980
3) Emmitt Smith – 4 All-Pro, 8 Pro Bowls; 1993 NFL Most Valuable Player; Super Bowl XXVIII Most Valuable Player; 1990 AP Rookie of the Year; NFL All-Time Rushing Leader; NFL rushing leader ’91-93,’95; 17,162 regular season rushing yards; 164 total touchdowns; NFL-best playoff rushing yards (1586) and rushing touchdowns (19); 76-100 yard regular season games; 7 100-yard games in playoffs; team record 237 rushing yards (’93); Ring of Honor; NFL Hall of Fame 2010
4) Randy White – 7 All-Pro, 9 Pro Bowls; 1104 tackles, 111 sacks; 1978 NFC Defensive Player of the Year; Super Bowl XII Co-Most Valuable Player; Ring of Honor; NFL Hall of Fame 1994
5) Tony Dorsett – 1 All-Pro, 4 Pro Bowls; 1977 AP Rookie of the Year; led NFC in rushing (’82); NFL record 99-yard touchdown run (’82); 43-100 yard games; Ring of Honor, NFL Hall of Fame 1994
6) Michael Irvin – 1 All Pro, 5 Pro Bowls; led NFL in receiving yards in ’91; 750 receptions for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns; 47 100-yard games; 87-1365-7 in playoffs; NFL 1990s All Decade Team, Ring of Honor, NFL Hall of Fame 2007
7) Bob Hayes – 2 All-Pro, 3 Pro Bowls, led NFL in receiving touchdowns twice (’65 and ’66) and yards per catch twice (’70 and ’71), averaged 20 yards per reception for career, holds team record for most receiving touchdowns (71), has longest reception in Cowboys history (95 yard TD in ’66); widely thought to have changed the way NFL teams play pass defense, led NFL in punt returns in 1968, NFL Hall of Fame 2009
8) Lee Roy Jordan – 1 All Pro, 5 Pro Bowls; 743 solo tackles; 32 interceptions, 18 fumbles recovered, three defensive touchdowns, Ring of Honor
9) Larry Allen – 6 All Pro, 10 Pro Bowls; NFL 1990s All Decade Team; NFL Hall of Fame 2013
10) Drew Pearson – Signed as undrafted free agent; 3 All Pro, 3 Pro Bowl; led NFC in receptions (’76), led NFL in receiving yards (’77) and NFC in receiving yards (’74); NFL 1970s All Decade Team; caught "Hail Mary" pass, starred in 1973 and 1980 NFC divisional playoffs
11) Troy Aikman – 1st overall pick, 6 Pro Bowls; Super Bowl XXVII Most Valuable Player; 94-71 (56.9%) regular season starter; 11-4 playoff starter; team record 4-300 yard playoff games; Ring of Honor; NFL Hall of Fame 2006
12) Don Meredith – 3 Pro Bowls; 1966 Player of the Year; 48-33-4 (59.3%) regular season starter; 1-3 playoff starter; team record 460 passing yards (‘63); Ring of Honor
13) Mel Renfro – 1 All Pro, 10 Pro Bowls; 52 interceptions and 3 touchdowns; led NFL in interceptions in ‘69; 13 fumbles recovered; led NFL in combined kickoff and punt return yards (’64), returned a punt and two kickoffs for touchdowns in career; played safety ’64-’69, played corner ’70-‘77; Ring of Honor; NFL Hall of Fame 1996
14) Chuck Howley – 5 All Pro, 6 Pro Bowls; 24 interceptions, 17 fumble recoveries, 25 sacks and three defensive touchdowns; recorded 3 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries in Super Bowls V and VI; Super Bowl V Most Valuable Player; Ring of Honor
15) Harvey Martin – 4 All Pro, 4 Pro Bowls; NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1977; Super Bowl XII Co-Most Valuable Player; NFL 1970s All Decade Team; 114 sacks; unofficial team record 23 sacks (’77)
16) Charles Haley – acquired via trade with San Francisco; 1 All Pro, 2 Pro Bowls; 34 career sacks, 12.5 sacks in ‘94
17) Rayfield Wright – 3 All Pro, 6 Pro Bowls; NFL 1970s All Decade Team; Ring of Honor; NFL Hall of Fame 2006
18) Cliff Harris – Signed as undrafted free agent, 3 All Pro, 5 Pro Bowls; 29 interceptions, 10 fumbles recovered; NFL 1970s All Decade Team; Ring of Honor
19) Don Perkins – 1 All Pro, 6 Pro Bowls; 6,217 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per carry; Ring of Honor
20) Ed Jones – 1st Overall Pick; 1 All Pro, 3 Pro Bowls; 106 career sacks; 19 fumbles recovered; 70+ passes tipped
21) Ralph Neely – 3 All Pro, 2 Pro Bowls; NFL 1960’s All Decade Team
22) Danny White – 1 Pro Bowl, career passer rating of 81.7, 62-30 regular season record (67%), 5-6 in playoffs, held single season team records for completions, yards and touchdowns for 24 seasons
23) Tony Hill – 3 Pro Bowls, led team in receiving 5 times (’79-’82, ’85), 26 100-yard receiving games
24) Daryl Johnston – 2 Pro Bowls, 294 career receptions, lead blocker for Emmitt Smith
25) Darren Woodson – 3 All Pro, 5 Pro Bowls; 23 interceptions, 12 forced fumbles, 11 fumbles recovered; 941 total tackles
26) Everson Walls – Signed as undrafted free agent, 1 All Pro, 4 Pro Bowls; 44 interceptions; led NFL in interceptions in ‘81,’82 and ’85, intercepted Joe Montana twice in 1981 NFC Championship game
27) Duane Thomas – Took the team to the Super Bowl in his two seasons, led the NFL in rushing yards per attempt in ’70 (5.3), led NFL in total touchdowns in ’71 (13), rushed for 530 yards in just six playoff games
28) Jethro Pugh – 95.5 career sacks; led team in sacks ’68-’72; 14 fumbles recovered
29) Calvin Hill – 1 All-Pro, 4 Pro Bowls; 1969 AP Rookie of the Year; first Cowboy to rush for over 1000 yards (’72 and ’73)
30) Charlie Waters – 3 Pro Bowls, 41 career interceptions, NFL playoff record 9 interceptions
31) DeMarcus Ware – 2 All Pro, 3 Pro Bowls; 65.5 sacks; scored two defensive touchdowns; 19 forced fumbles; official team-record 20 sacks in 2008
32) Jay Novacek – 1 All-Pro, 5 Pro Bowls, caught 339 passes in just six seasons and 62 receptions in just 13 playoff games
33) Herschel Walker – 2 Pro Bowls, led NFC in rushing yards ’88, led NFL in combined yards from scrimmage ’87, 2019 yards from scrimmage in ’88, averaged over 25 yards on 77 kickoff retruns
34) George Andrie – 1 All Pro, 5 Pro Bowls; 97 career sacks; led team in sacks ’64-’67, high of 18.5 in ’66; 12 fumbles recovered
35) Jason Witten – 1 All-Pro, 5 Pro Bowls, all-time team leader for tight end receptions, yards and
36) Pat Donovan – 4 Pro Bowls
37) Tony Romo – Signed as undrafted free agent, 2 Pro Bowls, holds team record for single season yards (4212) and touchdown passes (36)
38) Preston Pearson – Signed as free agent; 189 receptions for 2274 yards (12.0 yards per reception) and 11 touchdowns; led team in receptions in 1978, caught 3 touchdown passes in 1975 NFC Championship Game; rushed for 1207 yards and 5 touchdowns
39) Nate Newton – Signed as undrafted free agent, 2 All Pro, 6 Pro Bowls
40) Walt Garrison – 1 Pro Bowl, busted broncos and apparently wrote funny poems in his off-season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVB2bK-ioRw
41) Franke Clarke – 1 All Pro, first Cowboy to have over 1000 yards receiving (’62), held single season touchdown reception mark (14) for 45 years, led NFL in yards per catch in ’62 and ‘63
42) Deion Sanders – 3 All Pro, 4 Pro Bowls, scored touchdowns on interceptions (2), punt returns (4), fumble returns (1) and receptions (1); in 1995 postseason he had 3 receptions for 95 yards, a 21 yard rushing touchdown, and an interception. In 1998 Monday Night Football game against the N.Y. Giants, he caught a 55 yard pass and scored on a 59 yard punt return and a 71 yard interception return.
43) Jim Jeffcoat – 94.5 career sacks, single game record 5 in ’85, 4 career defensive touchdowns
44) Terrell Owens – 1 All Pro, 1 Pro Bowl, led NFL in receiving touchdowns (’06), tied single game team record with 4 touchdown receptions (vs. Wash ’07), holds single season record for most touchdown receptions with 15 (’07)
45) Michael Downs – 34 interceptions, 14 fumbles recovered, 8 sacks and 2 defensive touchdowns
46) Herb Scott – 2 All Pro, 3 Pro Bowls
47) Billy Joe Dupree – 3 Pro Bowls, single season (9 in ’78) and career (41) team leader for tight end touchdowns
48) Dexter Coakley – 3 Pro Bowls, 5 defensive touchdowns, 544 tackles
49) Mark Stepnoski – 3 Pro Bowls
50) Marion Barber – 1 Pro Bowl, 42 touchdowns in 4 seasons
by DavidH22 on May 29, 2009 1:44 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
that is a nice list
I wanted to get Preston Pearson in their so bad and I would have if he would have started his career as a Cowboy. Definitely one of my all time favorite players.
In Romo we Trust
Aikman? Who cares?
Aren’t you wondering why Romo isn’t top 5?
lol
by Realist Larry on May 30, 2009 1:22 AM CDT up reply actions
pulling your leg
everyone gives you a hard time for supporting Romo
by Realist Larry on May 30, 2009 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions
I just think more players had bigger impact than Aikman
I love the guy, but I think he was about the 5th most important player on the 90s dynasty team.
no way
Simply put, without Aikman, we never win three SB titles, end of story. I know I never saw a better qb in my days of watching football, that’s for sure.
In Romo we Trust
Emmitt, Irvin and Haley were definitely more critical than Aikman
in winning those three Super Bowls. Just my opinion…
I strongly disagree, Aikman was THE man on those teams
and Emmitt and Irvin are already on record as saying so. Haley?? Now thats just down right funny. Great player, but no where near the impact Aikman made.
In Romo we Trust
I believe that Jerry Jones once said
that the Cowboys could not even spell “Super Bowl” before Charles Haley arrived. Ceratinly, the Cowboys never came close to sniffing the Super Bowl after Haley was rendered immobile by his back injuries after the 1995 season. But Aikman was there, right?
As I’ve written in these posts many times before, the Cowboys won several big games without Aikman, including a playoff game (at Chicago ’91). So far as I can recall, they never even won a single game without Emmitt, and struggled mightily without Irvin (first 5 games of ’96, the Carolina ’96 playoffs, after he was injured in ’99).
you think Steve Buerlein gets us 3 SB titles??
Thats simply ridiculous, he might have lead us to one post season victory but to say he could have done more is stretching it.
Haley arrived in 92 so it’s purely speculation to say he impacted us more than Aikman as it’s quite probable that we win 3 titles without Haley.
Bottom is that a franchise HOF qb obviously has more impact on a team’s success than a pass rushing DE. If not, Ware would be getting more heat than Romo for not having any playoff victories.
In Romo we Trust
Good list
Roger has to be #1, but I’d put Emmitt #2.
Good work putting Larry Allen up there-he’d actually be #3 or #4 for me.
I think you got Aikman about right, can’t put him too high……
Take out Owens
I loved Haley and that trade, but you may have him too high, his back really hurt him after just a year or two
And why isn’t Drew Pearson in the Ring of Honor?! Maybe as part of the opening of the new stadium, ……..
by Realist Larry on May 30, 2009 1:21 AM CDT up reply actions
Great List
Just missing Larry Allen in my opinion.
I'm glad you have T.O. on your list.
Whether people like it or not hes one of the best Cowboy Wr’s of all-time. Nobody caught more Td’s in the NFL in his 3 years with the Cowboys.
"If your good at something never do it for free." - The Joker
Also I don't think Romo and Witten should be ahead of Deion.
He was a major contributor to a championship while Romo and Witten have yet to win a playoff game. Of course I have to say Deion is probably my favorite football player of all-time.
"If your good at something never do it for free." - The Joker
He played 5 years for the Cowboys
and is one of the best corners and all around football players of all-time. Its silly to have Romo and Witten ahead of him in my opinion. I don’t have a problem with them being on the list I just think Deion is higher then 42 which he is a lot higher on 2 other people’s lists on here.
"If your good at something never do it for free." - The Joker
My list...
1. Roger Staubach: Captain comeback and forever the face of "America’s Team"
2. Emmitt Smith: NFL’ all time leading rusher
3. Larry Allen: The best OG to ever play the game. Period.
4. Michael Irvin: Holds all of the Cowboys’ career receiving records.
5. Bob Lilly: The first name put into the Ring of Honor and probably the Cowboys best ever DT.
6. Troy Aikman: Was the most accurate thrower the game has ever seen
7. Tony Dorsett: 2nd best rushing totals in Cowboys’ history.
8. Chuck Howley: For now; the best LB in Cowboys’ history (Ware may change this).
9. Darren Woodson: The best SS in Cowboys’ history.
10. "Bullet" Bob Hayes: Revolutionized the receiver position; putting speed on the map as coveted skill
11. Darryl "Moose" Johnston: The best lead blocker in Cowboys’ history
12. Cliff Harris: The best FS in Cowboys’ history
13. Harvey Martin: One the predominate DE’s of the 70’s
14. Jay Novacek: At this point is tied with Jason Witten as the best "pass-receiving" TE in Cowboys’ history.
15. Charles Haley: One of the predominate DE’s of the 90’s; to this day remains the only player in league history to play for 5 super bowl champions (regrettably some of that history was made w/ the 49ers).
16. Randy White: One of the predominate DT’s of the 70’s & 80’s
17. Charlie Waters: 2nd best SS in Cowboys’ history
18. Rayfield Wright: The best OT in Cowboys’ history
19. Deion Sanders: Perhaps the best one on one cover man the game has ever seen
20. Lee Roy Jordan: still holds Cowboys records for career solo tackles with 743
21. Pat Donovan: One the predominate OT’s of the 70’s
22. Mel Renfro: Next to Deion he’s the best CB in team history
23. Ed "too tall" Jones: One of the predominate DE’s of the 70’s & 80’s
24. Leon Lett: One of the predominate DT’s of the 90’s
25. "Dandy" Don Meredith: NFL Player of the Year in 1966
26. Everson "Cubby" Walls: Led the NFL in interceptions in 3 of his first 4 years
27. Drew Pearson: 2nd best receiver in Cowboys’ history.
28. Doug Cosbie: Yet another great TE in the long line of great Cowboys to play this position.
29. Erik Williams: Would have been the best OT in team history were it not for an unfortunate car accident.
30. Tony Hill: The best "number 2" option at wide out in team history
31. Mark Stepnoski: Anchored one the best offensive lines in NFL history
32. Nate Newton: a six time Pro Bowler, from 1992 through 1996
33. Bob Breunig: the team’s leading tackler for six seasons, including 1981 when he broke the team’s single season tackling record
34. John Niland: was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls and was one of the top offensive lineman of his era
35. John Fitzgerald: Anchored the line for 4 super bowl teams in the 70’s
36. Bill Bates: The long time special teams master
37. Ken Norton Jr.: One the predominate MLB’s of the 90’s; to this day remains the only player in league history to play for 3 consecutive super bowl champions (regrettably some of that history was made w/ the 49ers).
38. Michael Downs: in 1984, he led the team with 7 interceptions and had 3.5 sacks, and was named All-Pro and All-NFC
39. Calvin Hill: the first Cowboy running back to have a 1,000 yard rushing season
40. Robert Newhouse: The 2nd best FB in team history
41. Ron Springs: one of the best pass catching RB’s the Cowboys have ever had.
42. Jim Jeffcoat: Had many consistent year on the D-line playing for both Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson
43. D. D. Lewis: started 135 consecutive games, which ties him for third place in team history.
44. Billy Joe Dupree: Did I mention how many great tide ends this franchise has had?
45. Cornell Green: Converted basketball star that made five Pro Bowls at two different positions — cornerback and strong safety.
46. Herb Scott: was a three-time Pro Bowler
47. Tom Rafferty: 13 solid seasons on the o-line and the only player to block for both Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman
48. Demarcus Ware: Arguably the best pass-rusher in the game today. Will most likely crack the top 5 of this list before he’s through
49. Jason Witten: Will most likely retire as arguably the game’s, best ever, all around TE (and subsequently move up to a top 5 to 10 spot on this list)
50. Terence Newman: still has a chance at being considered the greatest Cowboy’s cover man of all time
I purposely left present day players at the bottom of or off of this list because I feel like there story is still being written; and I’d prefer to wait until they’re done before I move them any higher.
Some other players I hope or expect to see on there include:
1. Tony Romo: I still believe in this guy and think he has the potential to be the 3rd hall of fame QB in team history and eventually be a top 10 player on this list
2. Jay Ratliff: I’m hoping last year was just the beginning and not an appertain.
3. Roy Williams: The second coming of Michal Irvin (I hope)
4. Felix Jones: This guy reminds me of Marshall Faulk and man I’d love to him used in the Cowboy offense that way.
5. Marion Barber: I still believe that he will be known as the greatest closer in the game over the next few years.
0 = The number of Super Bowls the Eagles have won.
Dude
I just wrote above that I’d move Allen up to #3, didn’t see you had that.
HMartin and Novacek ahead of RWhite?
by Realist Larry on May 30, 2009 1:24 AM CDT up reply actions
I think when it comes to Randy White...
I’m a little scarred by seeing him bowled over by the Hogs in the early 80’s and forget how dominate he was in the late 70’s.
Just think, how many other franchises can list this many great players that span over so many decades and eras?
Just imagine if we were Lions fans, we’d struggle to make a top 10 list…
0 = The number of Super Bowls the Eagles have won.
dude, that was when he was an old man
In his prime, there has never been a better DT that ever played.
In Romo we Trust
Ask for Bob Lilly's permission
before you say that!
by Realist Larry on May 30, 2009 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Thought about
posting my list here, but instead I will send it to TBCinNYC and hope to have a really good debate as to who should be the #1 player in Cowboys history.
Since we are all posting our lists here:
1. Bob Lilly – Mr Cowboy, 14 year Cowboy, HoF, first Ring of Honor member, first draft pick, best DT ever.
2. Roger Staubach - Captain Comeback, HoF, 85-29 record, and missed some of the best years of his career in Navy and platooning.
3. Emmitt Smith – All time leading rusher, 3 time champ, 8 pro bowls, 13 years of greatness
4. Troy Aikman – HoF, 3 time Super Bowl champion QB
5. Larry Allen – Greatest Offensive Guard to ever live (sorry, John Hannah, but Larry (325 lbs) would dominate your 265 lb ass. 11 PBs, 6 APs, made those 90s offenses go. Emmitt would not be Emmitt without LA.
6. Randy White – Manster was a beast after he moved from MLB to DT. HoF, 9 PBs, 7 APs, 111 sacks are 3rd most all time for a DT.
7. Tony Dorsett – HoF, retired #2 all time leading rusher.
8. Michael Irvin – HoF receiver won 3 Super Bowls and outworked everyone.
9. Mel Renfro – Finally got his HoF due in ‘96. 10 time pro bowler played CB, Safety and returned kicks and punts.
10. Rayfield Wright – Converted TE turned into a dominating, HoF Tackle.
11. Bob Hayes – Changed the way defenses play the game with his speed. Ended his career 6th all-time in receiving TDs.
12. Deion Sanders – Based on his career alone, he should be much higher. His work as a Cowboy was awesome, but short, so I felt this was a good spot for him to land.
13. Cliff Harris - HoF Finalist, and there are very few Safeties in the Hall.
14. Darren Woodson – 5 time Pro Bowler (and 3 time champ) was the QB of the defense from about ’94 – ’03.
15. Drew Pearson – One of the best WRs of the 1970s was an undrafted QB out of college.
16. Chuck Howley - 6 PBs, 5 APs, Ring of Honor, and only Super Bowl MVP from a losing team.
17. Jason Witten – Future Hall of Famer could end up only behind Tony Gonzalez for all receiving records for a TE.
18. Charles Haley – Maybe considered more of a 49er, but we won 3 Super Bowls in his 5 Cowboy seaons.
19. DeMarcus Ware - I expect him to end his career higher on this list. I also expect he will break the single season sack record soon.
20. Lee Roy Jordan – HoF Finalist played 14 years in the middle for Dallas.
21. Harvey Martin – Led Dallas in sacks 7 times including 20 in one season and 114 for his career – both Dallas records. Super Bowl co-MVP.
22. Erik Williams - 4 times pro bowler and 3 time super bowl champ helped Emmitt with rushing title.
23. Everson Walls – One of the few bright spot from the 1980s teams. 57 career INTs is 10th all-time. First guy on my list (besides the two current ones) who never won a Super Bowl.
24. Too Tall Jones – 15 years with Dallas, over 100 sacks and who knows how many batted balls at the line.
25. Don Meredith – Dandy brought the Cowboys to prominence. 3 time pro bowler, (Bert Bell) MVP in 1966, retired 8th all time in TD passes and had a 48-33 record with a start up franchise.
26. Jay Novacek – 3 time Super Bowl champ and 5 time Pro Bowler was Aikmans security blanket.
27. Nate Newton – Big Newt was a 6 time Pro Bowler in 13 seasons.
28. Charlie Waters - Took the team a while to find his proper position (SS) but when they did he was a perennial pro bowler.
29. Don Perkins – 6 time pro bowler in only 8 years was our first star HB.
30. Cornell Green – 13 years of service at SS and CB with 34 INTs, 5 Pro Bowls and 3 first team APs.
31. Darryl Johnston - A bit of an unsung hero for the Super Bowl teams of the 90s, he cleared many a hole for Emmitt.
32. George Andrie – I have a theory that this is one of the most underrated players in NFL history. He was a 5 time Pro Bowler (1 time first team AP) on a line that included Bob Lilly and Jethro Pugh. He led the club in sacks 4 straight years with a high of 18.5 in ’66. He is credited with either 97 or 98.5 career sacks (dpending on your source) which puts him aroun 50th all-time. Yet you rarely hear people mention George Andrie.
33. Ralph Neely – 3 time first team All Pro and member of 60’s All Decade team.
34. Calvin Hill - 4 pro bowls in 6 years in Dallas, Rookie of Year, first 1000 yard rusher in Dallas. Was on a HoF pace until he left the Cowboys.
35. Danny White – 62-30 record as a starting QB, (5-5 in playoffs) but could never get over that hump to take them to the Super Bowl.
36. John Niland - 6 time Pro Bowler in 9 Cowboys seaons.
37. Mark Stepnoski – 2 time champ, 5 time pro bowler was a smallish center but had great leverage.
38. Tony Hill – 3 time pro bowler took over for Drew Pearson, but only won a ring his rookie season.
39. Tony Romo – Only 3 seasons as starting QB, but has 2nd best QB rating of all-time. 27-12 record as a starter and should only be getting better.
40. Billy Joe DuPree – Big (for his day) TE who could run, block and catch. 3 time pro bowler.
41. Pat Donovan – Excellent Left Tackle (4 Pro Bowls) from mid-70s to mid-80s.
42. Terrell Owens – Wasnt here long, but was a major weapon when he was. Averaged roughly 80 – 1200 – 13 in 3 seasons in Dallas.
43. Jim Jeffcoat – Another majorly underrated Cowboys DE. He’s 39th ALL-TIME in sacks with 102.5, but never made a Pro Bowl.
44. Mark Tuinei – Didnt come into his own until he was almost 30, but played 195 games for Dallas and won 3 championships.
45. Craig Morton – I valued the QB position higher than the rest, which is probably why Morton makes the top 50. Believe it or not, he was Cowboys QB for 10 years (platooned or sat behind Roger for some) and had a 81-62 record as a starter.
46. Flozell Adams – Hate the penalties, but love the protection he provides and holes he opens.
47. Frank Clarke – First great Cowboys receiver led the league in yards per catch twice and TDs once. 14th all time in TD catches when he retired.
48. Jethro Pugh – Part of some great Cowboy defenses, he also goes a bit unnoticed. 14 years as a Cowboy he led the team in sacks for 6 years and finished with 95.5.
49. Herb Scott – 3 Pro Bowls, 2 Super Bowls, 2 first team All Pros.
50. Roy Williams - Not a good cover safety, but he was a playmaker. His first 3 seasons, he looked like a sure fire Hall of Famer.
Four lists so far
and two others who claim they are emailing me. I’ll check back to the site on Monday and start putting together our census. It will be interesting to see how closely it matches the dc.com list. I think we can do better!
I defer to you all to the top 50
good lists. some of the guys are unknowns to me. I need to study Cowboy history.
I think Emmitt should be #1 for on the field performance. He produced more at his position than anyone in the history of the game. He isn’t my favorite (Aikman is) but to me his value to the team during the SB runs beats out the other two of the triplets.
Kudos to you all for knowing so much of the history.
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
-Winston Churchill
I my self dont know more than half of the players on the lists, just heard of the names, in light of that
can we separate them in cohorts time wise. Plus I’m sure the game is changed over time and has become more physically demanding and some of the today players would blow away the once from the past. Imagine putting Ware on any Cowboy team of the seventies or even eighties, he’ll have 40 sacks
What No Crawford Kerr?
Damn, that guys wing joints are great and the waitresses make the Hooters girls look like old ladies, but I guess u would have to live in Orlando to know all that.
Here's my list.
I actually compiled this back in January. It was originally for another forum and I’m just copy/pasting it, so sorry about the length.
I didn’t consider active players because their legacies are still in flux (at this point only Witten would be a shoo in anyway), and I excluded players who spent more years with another team than they did with Dallas, so no Ditkas, Glenns, or Nortons.
1.Bob Lilly- In the argument for greatest defensive lineman of all time and consistently listed as a starting tackle on just about everyone’s All Time NFL team, it’s appropriate that the man from west Texas nicknamed "Mr. Cowboy" who was the team’s first ever draft pick and first Hall of Fame entry occupies the number one spot. Lilly went to a franchise record 11 Pro Bowls and was named First Team All Pro an astounding 7 times.
2. Roger Staubach- "Captain America" changed the course of franchise history from being perennially unable to win the big one to becoming America’s Team, and he did it with such class that even his rivals respected him as both a man and a player. Also known as "Captain Comeback" and "Roger the Dodger", Staubach retired just after the transition to 16 game seasons and right before the stat enhancing, West Coast revolution with what was then the highest career quarterback rating in history.
3. Troy Aikman- Probably the most precise and accurate passer in NFL history. Great during the regular season, he somehow stepped his game up and became superhuman during the playoffs.
4. Randy White- One of the strongest and most ferocious defenders ever to play the game, the "Manster" was widely seen by Cowboy fans as the second coming of Lilly. He was widely seen by opposing players as the harbinger of Doomsday.
5. Emmitt Smith- The NFL’s all time leading rusher. While not the fastest or biggest, when Smith was in his prime, perhaps no running back in history had his combination of power, vision, agility, toughness, and skill. He was also a good receiver, a great blocker, and had enough deceptive speed to rip off a lot of long touchdown runs.
6. Larry Allen- Should be a shoo in for the Hall of Fame. Arguably the most dominant offensive lineman in NFL history and almost certainly the strongest. Made All Pro at every position he was asked to play.
7. Deion Sanders - The greatest cover corner in history and a hell of a returner. It finally got to the point where he so intimidated even good offenses that he could be left alone on one side of the field and the quarterback wouldn’t throw his way. As a testament to his athleticism, he’s also the only man to have played in both a World Series and a Super Bowl.
8. Michael Irvin- Say what you want about him the guy was a hard working team player who cared more about winning than his personal stats. He was also one of the best clutch, play making wide receivers of all time and deserves his Hall of Fame status. There aren’t too many possession receivers who can figure out how to also pose a deep threat like he did.
9. Bob Hayes- The fastest man in NFL history and the only one to own an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring has to be in the top ten. This football player who happened to run track revolutionized the game, and he should have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago.
10. Tony Dorsett- His unworldly ability to accelerate made him the only man to ever win a collegiate national championship, the Heisman, a Super Bowl, and entry into the NFL Hall of Fame. One of the greatest running backs of all time, he was also the first to run for a 99 yard touchdown from scrimmage.
11. Rayfield Wright- The converted tight end/defensive lineman played offensive tackle with an athleticism and ferocity rarely seen at the position, protecting Staubach during an amazing run of success in the 70s and finally landing Wright in the Hall of Fame. He’s considered by many to be the greatest pass blocker in NFL history.
12. Chuck Howley- Perhaps the greatest linebacker in franchise history, even as an aged veteran Howley could fly around the field and stop the run and the pass with equal ease. A perennial All Pro selection and the only man in NFL history who played well enough to win Super Bowl MVP on the losing team, Howley also should have been a shoo in for the Hall of Fame many years ago.
13. Mel Renfro- With world class track speed Renfro was the Deion Sanders of his day, except Renfro was physical enough to play either cornerback or safety at an all pro level. He was also the best kick off returner the Cowboys ever had. It’s no surprise he’s in the Hall of Fame.
14. Cliff Harris- It’s been said that Ronnie Lott was the Cliff Harris of the 80s. Harris was the first great, hard hitting free safety, and throughout the 70s receivers around the league feared going over the middle against the Dallas Cowboys. He’s on the All Decade team, and it’s a crime that he’s not in the Hall of Fame.
15. Lee Roy Jordan- The greatest middle linebacker in team history, Jordan was considered to be the best linebacker in the country coming out of Alabama and many who opposed him in the NFL ranked him on par with Dick Butkus. While not as big as Butkus and overshadowed due to playing on a much better team where it was harder to stand out, Jordan’s intelligence, intensity, and ability to fly from sideline to sideline served to anchor the Doomsday Defense for many years. He held the franchise tackle record for decades until Darren Woodson, playing 16 game seasons, finally passed him.
16. Drew Pearson- Arguably an even more clutch receiver for Staubach than Irvin was for Aikman, Drew wasn’t big or blazing fast but he was crafty enough to almost always be open and had amazing hands. The recipient of the original "Hail Mary" catch was probably the most skilled receiver in Cowboys history. Pearson was the primary target during most of the glory years of the 70s, his stats are on par with Lynn Swan’s, and he should be in the Hall of Fame.
17. Herschel Walker- The only guy in the modern era who possibly really could play any position on the field, Walker’s combination of speed, strength, endurance, and toughness was incredible. He’s probably the best all around athlete the Cowboys, or any other team for that matter, has had over the past few decades. Along with Renfro, Walker is one of the top two kickoff returners in franchise history, and he ranks slightly behind Barry Sanders and significantly ahead of Marcus Allen at number 8 in NFL history with over 18,000 all purpose yards.
18. Ed Jones- At 6’ 9" "Too Tall’s" simple presence on the field as defensive end automatically created problems for opposing quarterbacks. Add an athletic ability that led him into a brief, undefeated stint as a boxer and things became far, far worse. Jones often served as the anvil on which Randy White and Harvey Martin crushed the opposition.
19. Harvey Martin- Probably the greatest pass rusher in Cowboys history. Martin has held the unofficial NFL sack record for many years (sacks weren’t officially recorded back then) and was Co MVP of Super Bowl XII along with Randy White.
20. Don Meredith- The first great Quarterback on a team with a legendary lineage, the first player the Cowboys ever signed showed amazing physical courage on a struggling expansion team and eventually became a master at dissecting defenses with an aggressive passing attack. He’d easily be in the Hall of Fame if only he’d managed to win a Super Bowl.
21. Jay Novacek- The greatest tight end in team history didn’t have Irvin’s athleticism, but he had the best hands on a team that won three Super Bowls in four years. Novacek was Aikman’s go to guy when he had to have a first down, and it seemed like he always managed to catch it in traffic, no matter how many players were draped over him.
22. Danny White- A great quarterback who has been rated as the greatest NCAA quarterback in history more than once had awful big shoes to fill after Staubach retired. White managed to set numerous franchise passing records and led his team to several conference championship games. Like Meredith, he’d be in the Hall of Fame if he’d broken through and won at least one Super Bowl, but he came very, very close. White was one of the last quarterbacks well rounded enough to also serve as the team punter.
23. Darren Woodson- The greatest strong safety in team history, the hard hitting Woodson’s ability to defend both the run and the pass made him the best safety in the league for many years, and enabled him to set the Cowboy’s all time tackle record. He should probably be in the Hall of Fame.
24. John Niland- At guard he was the Larry Allen of his era, being awarded six straight Pro Bowls and multiple All Pro selections on a line that was the most consistently successful in the league regardless of who was playing quarterback or running back. At least a borderline Hall of Famer.
25. Cornell Green- Like Renfro, this multiple first team all pro and former basketball player was athletic and versatile enough to make it to numerous Pro Bowls at both cornerback and safety. Another borderline Hall of Famer.
26. Jethro Pugh- A solid defensive lineman who was overshadowed by the all stars he played with, but who was the only lineman who started on both Super Bowl winning incarnations of Doomsday in the 70s.
27. Charlie Waters- Another one of those great Doomsday dbs who could play at an elite level as either cornerback or safety, this multiple pro bowler was most famous at strong safety, acting as Cliff Harris’ partner in destruction for many years.
28. Don Perkins- Back in the days when a fullback was a true running back, Perkins was one of the first Cowboy all stars, consistently being around the top of the league in rushing and helping Dallas move from struggling expansion team to NFL powerhouse.
29. Walt Garrison- An actual cowboy who competed in rodeos in his spare time, Garrison was a tough, talented player in that era in the 70s when fullbacks had to be more versatile than at any time before or since, serving as almost equal part lead blockers, receivers, and true running backs.
30. Robert Newhouse- Very similar to Garrison, Newhouse took over the reigns after he retired and helped power the Cowboys to Super Bowl glory. His freakish, thickly muscled legs are legendary.
31. Tony Hill- Playing John Stallworth to Drew Pearson’s Lynn Swan, this athletic receiver actually ended up with better stats than Pearson. If not for the infamous anti-Cowboy bias Hill would probably be in the Hall of Fame too. Unfortunately as it stands now there are still several other players waiting in line ahead of him for justice to be done.
32. Erik Williams- This big man was one of the meanest, nastiest offensive tackles to ever play the game, and, as so often happens when certain Cowboys are too successful, he inspired rule changes that bear his name. He helped anchor one of the greatest offensive lines in history, protecting Troy Aikman and blasting a path for Emmitt Smith to rush into the history books. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves, but it’s hard to imagine there are too many tackles better than Erik Williams in the Hall of Fame.
33. Everson Walls- Leading the league in interceptions his rookie year, Walls quickly cemented himself as one of the greatest cornerbacks in Cowboys history. At first derided for an alleged lack of speed, multiple Pro Bowls and All Pro selections demonstrated that he had ample skill and athleticism.
34. Ralph Neely- Outstanding tackle who established himself as one of the team’s first great offensive lineman. Neely made All Pro multiple times and is on the NFL’s 1960s All Decade Team.
35. Mark Stepnoski- A relatively undersized center who made up for it with brutal strength and sharp football intelligence, Stepnoski made it to five straight pro bowls in the mid 90s and was selected to the NFL’s 1990s All Decade Team.
36. Calvin Hill- This big running back with speed was asked to fill the shoes left by Don Perkins, and did so admirably by making first team All Pro his rookie season. He ultimately became the first Dallas player to rush for over a 1000 yards in one season.
37. George Andrie- An exceptional defensive end on the original version of Doomsday who earned five consecutive Pro Bowl trips in the late 60s.
38. Billy Joe Dupree- An athletic tight end who served as a reliable receiving threat, Dupree was a consistent pro bowler in the mid 70s.
39. Frank Clarke- This receiver later turned tight end was one of the Cowboys’ first all pros in the 60s as the team struggled for respectability.
40. Nate Newton- Nicknamed "The Kitchen" because he was bigger than William "Refrigerator" Perry, Newton was one of the first lineman well over 300 pounds to be considered athletic enough to play the game at a competent level. Going to six Pro Bowls in the 90s, the guard certainly did more than that.
41. Bob Breunig- Great middle linebacker who succeeded Lee Roy Jordan and anchored Doomsday in the late 70s. Went to three Pro Bowls.
42. Mark Tuinei- Converted from defensive to offensive line (one of many such Landry experiments), Tuinei served as an underrated tackle who consistently performed at an elite level throughout his long career in the 80s and 90s. He went to two Pro Bowls, and should have gone to more.
43. Pat Donovan- A solid offensive tackle who was invited to four Pro Bowls in the late 70s and early 80s.
44. Bill Bates- A hard hitting strong safety whose main contribution was being a superb special teams player for many years. In fact, he was so good that the NFL basically created the special teams slot in the Pro Bowl just so they could send him.
45. Dave Edwards- Although overshadowed by the stars who surrounded him, Edwards was a solid player on some of the greatest defenses of all time in the 60s and 70s. He was a devastating force against the run, and became one of the first true strong side linebackers after Tom Landry invented the concept.
46. Eugene Lockhart- This hard hitting middle linebacker was one of the few good players on the weak teams of the late 80s.
47. Larry Cole- Cole was a standout defensive end (and later tackle) who played for Dallas in three different decades, from the 60s to the 80s, and was a vital contributor until the end.
48. Daryl Johnston- A powerhouse lead blocking fullback, "Moose" paved the way for Emmitt Smith to break the career rushing title. He was also a reliable outlet receiver for Aikman.
49. Leon Lett- Although famous for a couple of notorious bonehead blunders, the "Big Cat" was a great pass rusher and one of the best tackles in the league during the mid 90s.
50. Thomas Henderson- "Hollywood’s" legacy was tarnished by his off (and sometimes on) the field behavior, but the guy was still one of the greatest raw athletes to ever play at the linebacker position.
Active players with a chance to make this list someday include Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, Matt McBriar, Terrence Newman, Roy Williams (either one; we’ll see….), and (hopefully) Tony Romo.
I'd put Dave Manders ahead of Mark Stepnoski, but I am old and don't like these hippy kids and their long hair
Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey
lol
I’d forgotten about this until you said that.
Stepnoski went on Faux News Network and advocated the legalization of the chronic.
That’s got to be worth something.
Great list, krl97a!
I’ll add it to the census I’m compiling. Your list is pretty close to the average with only two new players (Lockhart and Cole) getting their first top 50 votes. Everyone else had more.
A couple of thoughts, although not meant to be critical:
- One of your criteria was the player had to play more time as a Cowboy, yet Deion is very high on the list. Only 5 of his 15 years were as a Cowboy. I had him high on my list too.
- Herschel was very high on your list. If you are including the trade as making him a great Cowboy, I could understand that. Beyond that, he only really had one great season.
- Too Tall above Harvey Martin? Longevity is about the only thing (besides draft position) that Jones had over Martin.
- Pugh ahead of Andrie? Maybe its just me, but I think Andrie is grossly underrated.
- Hollywood – Really only two goof seasons, and might have hurt the Cowboys more than he helped them with his drug problem.
- No Chuck Haley – I assume you counted him as a 49er, and I totally get that. But man, as soon as he showed up, we won Super Bowls. 3 in his 5 years. He seems like the guy that got us over the hump.
Sure, Walker's 1988 season was great
But don’t forget his first two seasons -
How about 1986, his first NFL season, when he scored 14 touchdowns, rushed for over 700 yards and a 4.8 average, set a Cowboy-record with 76 receptions and averaged a remarkable 11 yards per catch! AND that game against the Eagles where he had an 84 yard run and an 84 yard reception…
Or 1987, where he led the NFL in 1606 yards from scrimmage and averaged nearly 12 yards a catch on his 60 receptions. AND when he beat the Patriots on a 60-yard TD run in overtime…
Those were three fantastic seasons…too bad the team SUCKED at the same time.
I stand corrected on Walker
I took a look back at the career of Herschel Walker as a Dallas Cowboy and found that he was excellent in each of his 5.5 seasons in Dallas. I stand corrected on this issue, and wish I would have kept him in my Top 50 list. Here’s a brief analysis of each Cowboy season:
1986: He only had 9 starts but made quite an impact.
737 rushing yards, 12 rushing TDs (4th in NFL), 4.9 avg (2nd in NFL)
76 catches (9th in NFL), 837 rec yds, 14 total TDs (4th in NFL)
1574 Yds from Scrimmage (YFS – 7th in NFL)
Had an 84 yard rush (longest in NFL that yr and 49th longest ever) and 84 yard reception (3rd longest in NFL that yr) in the same game.
1987: Keep in mind this was the strike season in which NFL players only played 12 games. So all stats for this year were over 12 games.
209 rushes (7th), 891 yards (6th), 4.3 avg (9th), 7 TDs (6th)
60 catches (5th), 715 yards, 8 total TDs (8th) and 269 touches (4th)
His 1606 YFS led NFL. He made the Pro Bowl and was 2nd team All-Pro.
1988: This was his workhorse year with Dallas. He should have gotten some MVP consideration, but Eric Dickerson blew up this year too.
361 rushes (2nd in NFL and 40th all-time), 1514 yards (2nd in NFL and 69th all-time), 5 TDs, 4.2 avg, 94.6 yds per game (2nd)
53 catches, 505 yards, 2 TDs, 2019 YFS (3rd in NFL and 54th all-time.)
He had 414 touches (2nd in NFL and 24th all-time.)
He was a Pro Bowler and 2nd team All-Pro.
1989: This is the year he gets traded to Minnesota mid-season. He plays 5 games with Dallas and 11 with Minn. That’s a tough situation for a player, but still puts up pretty good numbers.
250 rushes, 915 yards, 7 TDs (10th in NFL)
40 catches, 423 yards, 2 TDs, 1712 all-purpose yards (8th in NFL) and 303 touches (10th.)
He also pitched in a 93 yard kick return TD and he starts being utilized as a return man.
1996: After 6 good (not great) seasons with Minn, Philly and NYG Walker returns to Dallas. He’s 34 years old and is used primarily as a return man and a blocking FB. He starts only 1 game.
10 rushes, 83 yards, 8.3 avg, 1 TD.
7 catches, 89 yards, 12.7 avg.
27 Kick Returns for 779 yards, 28.9 avg (2nd best in the NFL and 76th best return average in NFL history.)
1997: Got 6 starts as FB, but very few carries. This is his last NFL season.
14 catches, 149 yards, 10.6 avg, 2 TDs.
50 Kick Returns (6th in NFL) for 1167 yards (7th in NFL) for 23.3 avg.
He won the Jacksonville game in 1997
when he took a 10 yard pass from Aikman and turned it into a 64-yard TD with about a minute left.
Herschel also scored the last NFL points ever at RFK stadium, on a 39-yard TD run in a meaningless game at the end of the 1996 season.
Fwiw.
Thanks.
Yeah, I anticipated criticism for ranking Herschel as high as I did, but I see y’all already hashed that out. Hollywood barely made the list, but the guy brought a unique level of athleticism to the linebacker position and was such a badass on the field for the years he did play that I reluctantly decided to include him.
Deion played with Atlanta for five years and Dallas for five years, so he meets my “primarily Dallas Cowboys” requirement, that requirement being designed to weed out guys who could more legitimately be claimed by another team instead. If someone is a jump ball I have no problem claiming him, especially if he won a Super Bowl with us but not the other team.
You’re right about Haley, and not including him and Norton was painful, but it seems to me that lists like this tend to suffer from mission creep and sometimes incoherence (look at the wacky stuff we’re seeing on the DC.COM site) , and I decided to develop rules and stick to them.
Good point about Andrie, I’ll have to consider that. Pugh got bonus points for being the only constant on both 70s Super Bowl winning D lines, and frankly I always thought he was underrated too, but Andrie was a hell of a player.
Jones doesn’t have Martin’s sack numbers, but (like you said) longevity and the unique (even revolutionary) impact he had on the game due his sheer size while serving as anchor on that line helped him out, and I have both guys real close.
Here's the criteria I use.
This isn’t an exact science, but these are the factors that guide my thinking.
1. Direct comparisons regardless of era.
2. Level of domination in one’s own era (with position value being a sub factor).
3. Contribution to Cowboys.
4. Honor and Accolades (Pro Bowls, All Pro Selections, All Decade Team, Hall of Fame, etc.)
5. Innovation, revolutionary impact, or other miscellaneous tidbit that establishes context and helps inform historical perspective.
So a guy like Sanders would have a weaker (but not atrocious) score on # 3 than someone like Drew Pearson, but would more than make up for it on the rest of the list. A guy like Bill Bates will mainly get in on #3 and #5, being the inspiration for a special teams slot in the Pro Bowl. Hayes gets points for #5 too for changing the game and being the fastest real player in NFL history (not counting practice squad fodder and crap like the short lived Jim Hines experiment). Larry Allen suffers from being an offensive lineman rather than QB, RB, or even defensive lineman, but kicks ass otherwise, and so on.
Eugene Lockhart...
I thought about putting him on my list. I’m gald to see that someone did.
0 = The number of Super Bowls the Eagles have won.
Forgotten man?
DC.com ranks La’Roi Glover at spot #40!
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
wow
I just don’t think of him as a Cowboy.
There are too many great D and OLinemen to put in a guy who played 4 years w/them.
by Realist Larry on Jun 2, 2009 12:43 AM CDT up reply actions
That's what I thought, even though he was a stud.
You would think any guy on the lists would have to have had the majority of their career in Big D.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on Jun 2, 2009 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions
I had forgotten about him!
I am naturally skeptical about Pro Bowls, but he was solid indeed. Fits in nicely with the Dallas Cowboy tradition of solid to great to HOF defensive tackles:
Lilly
Pugh
Cole
White
Dutton
Lett
Maryland
Hennings
Glover
Ratliff?
NFL Network just did a Cowboys top 10.
Landry was number 1. They had Irvin at number 3, which surprised me a little bit at first but when I think about it he was the heart and soul of the Cowboys 3 super bowl teams. I know he fired me up on Sundays.
"If your good at something never do it for free." - The Joker
Sure; he didn't run past people.
But if you just watched that SB 27 replay alone, you would’ve seen how many superhuman catches he pulled out of his ass. It’s mighty cute if you can run right past people like T.O. but Irvin had a certain knack for willing himself to catch the ball no matter what. That’s why I laugh when crappy BSPN-trained casual football fans posing as Cowboy fans state Irvin couldn’t carry T.O.’s jock.
kinda lame that they include Landry
He’d probably be #1 on EVERYONE’s Top 50 list if we could include coaches…
THat was a fun show
and my wife even watched it w/me to learn about some of the people she hadn’t heard as much about.
by Realist Larry on Jun 2, 2009 11:13 PM CDT up reply actions
I need 2 more Top 50 lists!
I’m trying to get a good sampling of responses before I post the results. I need at least two more …. come on Cowboys Nation … let’s have a few more!
TOP 50
WhenI look at my top 50 Cowboys players of all time… I look at those that made a contribution to the TEAM as a whole. I don’t look at players that were here for 3 seasons and made a temporary contribution, players such as Charles Haley (San Francisco) TO (same?) Deon Sanders (Atlanta) and a few others placed on the list that their major career contributions were made for other teams and that being what it is probably had an effect on one or more of our Super Bowls Seasons especially Deon with San Francisco. Yea he helped us win one but… even then we had to pay him 60 mil. and the year before he kept the Cowboys from winning 3 straight that would have turned into 4 straight which would have solidify the Cowboy legacy forever. I think a Cowboy is a cowboy not a 49er, exEagle, whatever. If you started your career here and pretty much ended here then you belong in this ranking if not… then in my humble opinion you have no business even being on it. Thats not saying if you played here for 11 years and then finished your career in Denver or Baltimore, you are a Cowboy and always will be. One more note Danny White doesnt belong on the list anywhere… the only reason he was anywhere near as good as anyone thinks is he had an awesome surrounding cast. Without whom he wouldn’t have been able to win period. He sucked in major games, when pressure was applied he cracked and was never the leader that he should have been. Couch Landry kept him only because he could punt the ball too. Should have traded him instead of Zorn. Zorn would have followed in Rodgers footsteps and the late 70’s and 80s might have been different. Who knows?
Danny White Quick Comparison
Danny White
13 seasons with the Cowboys 76-89 first start was in 1980 after Staubach retired
Passing 1,761-2950 (59.7%)
21,959 Yards
155 TDs
132 INTs
Tony Romo (double these stats and in 6 seasons Romo would do what Danny did in 9 as a starter.)
67 games
1307 attempts 831 receptions (63.6%)
10,562 yards———- doubled 21,124 yards
81 TDS -—— doubled 162 TDS
46 INT -——- doubled 92 INTs that ratio will be the best of any Dallas QB ever including the Roger and Troy.
Passer Rating 94.7 (could not find one on Danny White)
We have to rank someone somewhere and everyone ranks Romo near 50 or less because he lost two playoff games…
but you rank White deep into the top 50 and he lost 5 straight NFC Championship games. Passing TDs to INTs contibute to those losses, and since that stat is directly attributed to the quarterback …
sorry!
My bad it was only 3 straight NFC championship games but he also rolled in the era of not competing for the title from 1980-1989… he was the quarterback, and was replaced by Steve Puleur (spelling) during two of those seasons and then came Aikman… who had an awful first year but showed some major improvements even in that 1-15 season. I personally would take him out of the top 50 and put in Lance Rentzel. Heck I would even rather see Dandy Don Merideth on the list over Danny.
Has anyone mentioned Lance Rentzel?
I was going through his stats recently and in his four years (1967-1970) with Dallas, before his career got derailed by legal problems, he had fantastic stats. Here’s a comparison over that period with his Hall of Fame teammate Bob Hayes.
Receptions
Hayes-176
Rentzel-183
Receiving Yards
Hayes-3542
Rentzel-3521
Yards/Reception
Hayes-20.125
Rentzel-19.2
Touchdowns
Hayes-34
Rentzel-31
Receptions/Game
Hayes-3.52
Rentzel-3.5
Yards/Game
Hayes-70.84
Rentzel-66.4
Hayes played three fewer games than Rentzel over this period (50 to 53), but it’s still fair to say that the latter hung with him in terms of performance and in 1969 Rentzel led the league with 22.3 yards/catch and 12 receiving touchdowns. At least worth consideration for a top 50 list.
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