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The final first-round contest in the Bert Bell regional features a couple of players whose careers were the proverbial ships crossing in the night. The fifteenth-seeded Stepnoski was drafted in 1989, just two weeks after the second-seeded White announced his retirement after a storied fourteen-year career. They just missed a chance to go head-to-head in camp that spring - a chance we give them now. Stepnoski would likely have held his own against the 1989 version of "the Manster"; can he hold up against White's impressive career in this first-round face-off? Read the info and cast your votes to find out!
Player: Randy White
Position: linebacker; defensive tackle
Seed: 2
Essentials:
| Name | Years | Career AV | Pro Bowls | All-Pro | RoH | HoF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Lee White |
1975-88 |
149 |
9 |
7 |
yes |
yes |
Bio: White was the Cowboys' first round pick (second overall) in the 1975 Draft; as a rookie, he was moved to middle linebacker, where he backed up aging legend Lee Roy Jordan. Never particular adept as a linebacker, White was moved to right defensive tackle during his third season (1977), where he blossomed, earning his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods, and, at the end, sharing Super Bowl MVP honors with Harvey Martin.
In 1978, the "Manster" was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year, and would go on to nine consecutive All-Pro and Pro Bowl nominations. White finished his career with over 1,100 tackles and 111 sacks. In addition, he played in three Super Bowls, in six NFC Championship Games and missed only one game in his storied fourteen-year career. At the time of his retirement, he had played the second most of any Dallas Cowboy in history. White was named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1980s. In 1994, White was placed in the Cowboys Ring of Honor and given a bust in Canton.
Player: Mark Stepnoski
Position: center
Seed: 15
Essentials:
| Name | Years | Career AV | Pro Bowls | All-Pro | RoH | HoF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Matthew Stepnoski |
1989-94;1999-2001 |
67* |
5 |
0 |
no |
no |
Bio: The Cowboys selected Stepnoski , a college guard, in the 3rd round of the 1989 NFL Draft (after Troy Aikman and Daryl Johnston; the Jerry-Jimmy era got off to a nice start) and quickly moved him to center. Although undersized at less than 270 lbs, he was able to use smarts, leverage and quickness to move much bigger defenders. In 1991, Stepnoski was selected to the first of five straight Pro Bows, only four of which were as a Cowboy.
Stepnoski was one of the team's first big-name players to leave Dallas in free agency, departing after the 1994 season to play with the Houston Oilers. He returned to Dallas in 1999, concluding his career with 3 more solid seasons, and retiring after the 2001 season. In total, Stepnoski logged thirteen NFL years; he was selected to the 1990s second team All-Decade Team.
*Stepnoski's CAV is 104; his Career AV with the Cowboys is 67
Alright, BTBers, which man advances to the next round?