Pound for pound Mr Bates maybe the hardest hitter to ever play in football, period. In the dictionary next to the word overachiever, there's a picture of Bill Bates. KFB( KA-FU-KIN-BOOM) # 40 was here
Bates is probably the only Dallas Cowboy that Tom Landry, Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer loved. He played forever and a day which isn’t easy at safety. He just kept going as long as he could.
You could make an unbelievable team with who isn’t on this list. Bob Hayes, Chuck Howley, Charles Haley, Lee Roy Jordan, Harvey Martin, Don Meredith, Erik Williams, Witten, Charlie Watters, Too Tall, Jay Novacek, Moose Johnston, Jethro Pugh, Bobby Newhouse
Too Tall…the 1st player drafted in 1974 overall…15 year career…never missed a game…changed the way every quarterback played the game due to his ability to make Quarterbacks adjust their passes to the strong side of the field! Dominated the run along with Larry Cole & Randy White! To this day one of the most recognizable players in the history of the NFL! Never embarrassed the Cowboys in any way shape or form…great ambassador for the Cowboys, for the NFL and sports overall! He should probably be mentioned in this discussion! Also, how about Harvey Martin…if the league would actually recognize all of his sacks he would still to this day be the NFL’s leading sack artist! Just something to think about…
Talk about players from the early days , I absolutely agree with Chuck Howley, the guy in middle Leroy Jordan. Landry said when the plays over , no matter where its at on the field and if he's not on the bottom of the pile #55 will be real close. And the first # 22 Bullet Bob Hayes ,I mean he is the reason the zone defense was invented. Emmitt Thomas was the fastest man onthe Chiefs , had the angle on Hayes and he out ran Thomas and the angle..1964 -100 Gold Medal in the Olympics, fastest man in the world that was tough as nails and a true talent at receiver. Double and triple teamed more than any receiver in history and like I said, he is the reason for the zone defense. I don't know who you bump off that top 10 but #22 is at least 10.5. In fact that maybe a good way to rate the top 10.5 greatest Cowboys have a tie at 10..but Bullet Bob Hayes needs to be there.. A safety name Woodson ring a bell?
A Q I would have liked to have seen what Dorsett would have done behind Emmett's offensive line ! I can envision him having 2,000 yards in a season playing in his prime behind Emmett's offensive line !
Don Meridith! Good ole Dandy Don. Remember he would sit with player from the other team smoking when he wasn't playing. One of a kind! And a wonderful guy and friend Harvey Martin. Gentle man!! Love him 4 ever!
Wow, when I saw the link to this I thought this is going to be hard, and thought hard about who the top ten greatest Cowboys were before clicking. I ended up coming up with almost the same thing, but instead on Renfro, I had Witten. I had also thought hard about Renfro, Howley, Martin, Harris, Wright, and so many others. What a great franchise. Go Cowboys!
If anybody argues with you, then you know a damn fool is proving himself to be one... Whites teammates said they didn't even want to be around him before the game and don't come to the game and be a slacker on. His defense. Better ask to be traded, you didn't have to worry about the coaches. The man was serious every down of every game. Bob Lilly never missed a game in 14 years, a defensive tackle, now thats saying something... That's Mr. COWBOY
I was just getting ready to suggest that, but see you've already done it. Number 79 was an awesome player. I think Neon Deion Sanders was hard to beat also.
@@horseman528 he was fast yes great at covering receivers still doesnt take away from being a terrible tackler also he never played in the big D very long ,
Sorry ,I love Randy White, but nobody was better than Mr. Cowboy, nobody....and everything you say is true. The Cowboys have had 2 of the best Right Defensive Tackles in the history of football. And I'm not taking anything away from Mean Joe Greene...
Here's the thing..there were so many that 10 leaves alot of great cowboys out!!! It could be argued Darren Woodson to name one and the list goes on and on!!!! To include everyone there would have to be a list of at least the 50 greatest cowboys!😊
You guys easily and effortlessly dismissed Tom Landry. We all understand he was just a coach. But what a coach. With out him the Dallas Cowboys never would have been. There would had been a team from Dallas but that would have been it, a team from Dallas. No one gives him credit for what he did for the game. Landry singlehanded gave us the modern game of football. Kind of Before Landry BL and After Landry AL. Just a few things that I can remember; shotgun, 4 man defensive line, nickle back and nickle defense, the daddy of motion in back field...and so on and so no. Not to mention the computer that helped with the draft picks. This is why I say there would had never been The Dallas Cowboys without Coach Tom Landry from Mission Texas. Oh, look it up, during sometime in the mid 80's if not half almost half of NFL head coaches had played or coached under the tutelage of the big man himself. What other coach can claim even half of that. Respect where respect is due. Just saying.
There was no "easily and effortlessly". The made a list of Cowboys *players*. And *look it up*? You made the claim and you have to show that it's true--not the other way around. It's easy to make stuff up when you don't have to worry about having to show it's true.
Staubach. Great QB, even a better human being. Catholic. Family man. Great father. Never heard a negative thing in the press about him. Ever. Made a life after the NFL. Smart guy, never went broke like so many of them do buying cars and toys. They should all look up to him. He didn't spend his $$ on stupid sh*t. He started a business and still worked after football. Nothing but respect for him ALWAYS.
I can't argue with a single one of the players they chose for this list. Every single one of them was a great player... But then I think about all the GREAT players that were not on this list and wonder how do you leave this guy or that guy off. Some of the players not mentioned here that really are worth of consideration... Harvey Martin, only man to share co Super Bowl MVP status with Randy White. He also led the NFL in sacks that season. Ed Too Tall Jones, 15 seasons he played with Dallas and is the 5th leading tackler in team history. The NFL practically invented a stat because of Jones and his ability to get his hands in the way of passes. Mike Ditka, you know the competition is really fierce for a spot on this list when you have to leave a HOF inductee off of it. Along with being a great TE for the team he was an assistant coach before moving on to coach the Bears. In fact he won Super Bowl rings as a player and assistant coach with Dallas before adding his head coach ring later on with Chicago Jay Novacek, speaking of All Pro TEs Jay at least deserves an honorable mention. The triplets may have taken the lion's share of the glory but Novacek helped keep the chains moving with his reliable hands in the middle of the field. Bob Hayes, called the fastest man alive and the first truly great runner to play for the Cowboys. Seriously the man was an Olympic Medalist who learned to play football pretty well too. Charles Haley, OK he gets dinged because he spent part of his career in SF before he came to Dallas but the man is on The Ring of Honor and in the Hall of Fame. Oh and he was present for all three of the 90s era Super Bowl wins. Darren Woodson, how he isn't in the HOF yet is beyond me. Larry got the Super Bowl MVP trophy and Deon was certainly flashier but Woodson was a ROCK in the middle of that secondary. Everson Walls, poor Everson gets no respect and no mention since his career encompassed the slow downward slide during the 80s. Be that as it may he still led the NFL in interceptions 3 of the 8 years he was in Dallas and got 4 Pro Bowls. I remember being very happy for him when he finally got a Super Bowl Ring with the Giants. He definitely earned that ring! Not bad for a guy everybody said was too slow and too small to be a starting corner back in the NFL Danny White, one of the most forgotten and underappreciated of all Cowboys. Poor Danny never could get the team to the SB and had his career cut short by a broken wrist that never fully recovered. Never the less he threw for more than 3000 yards 4 of the 8 years he was a starter at QB (one of those seasons was shortened by a player strike as well), 6 out of 8 years he had as many or more TD than Ints. He took the team to three consecutive NFC Championship games and he handled the punting duties as well as QB duties for close to 10 years before Dallas finally got Mike Saxon. Daryl "Moose" Johnson, Johnson was such a popular player that even at away games the entire stadium would yell MOOSE every time he touched the ball. He was a fantastic blocker for Emmitt but he could also catch and excelled at short yardage running himself. Ken Norton Jr, Norton was the anchor at the heart of the defense that won three Super Bowls in the 90s and was one of the best middle linebackers in football in his prime IMO.
👍 Good picks. Chuck Howley and Lee Roy Jordan were both great linebackers. Bob Lilly and Randy White both rank in the top ten defensive tackles ever to play in the NFL. What about Jason Witten?
This is the most accurate Cowboy Top Ten list. I agree that the older players don't get the credit they deserve. Lilly, Howley, Renfro and R White could all compete in todays league.
Thanks for mentioning Charles Louis Howley!! I became a "Cowboy" fan during the ice bowl!! So many great, and a few hard to take memories, especially the 2, 4 point losses to the Steelers & the 3point loss to the colts on a end of game field goal by a tight end who barely made 50%!!!
Bob Lilly and Randy White didn't play together, but Chuck Howley and Lee Roy Kelly did. Coach Landry marveled at Lee Roy Jordan claiming that he could have been a great running back. Those two need to go into the Hall of Fame together.
No Everton Walls, WOW, he lead the NFL in interceptions 3 times...I get that he was left off the team because no SBs but how many Cowboys have ever lead the NFL in INTs...
No Bullett Bob Hayes who changed the way defense's are played to this day. We wera a losing organization until we drafted Hayes & that when the organization started to turn around from losing to wnning.
Renfro was a major threat as a punt returner. The arguments over this list are endless, but not bad really. I'd mention Neon Deion, Calvin Hill, Bullet Bob Hayes, Darren Woodson.. Have you got a day or three, this could go on.
Agree with the list. Always have been a cowboys fan. Chuck Howley, Lee roy Jordan, Harvey Martin, and Everson Walls all belong in the H O F! Past time !
This gentleman was right. The players I grew up watching are being completely forgotten. It’s sad, because we have such a rich history, especially for a team so young.
I believe your belief and if anybody doubts it ask Troy Aikman, he said Allen would just crush pro bowlers. Other teams players would have their guys getting embarrassed and they would look at their teammates and say what do I do, they would shake their head and say ,we know man. It wasn't uncommon for Allen to come off a first block and lock up a linebacker and drive him 10, 15, or 20 yards down the field. If you had 5 Larry Allen's, you wouldn't need receivers, just extra running backs. The Cowboys rushed for 867 yards today....
@@randycrocker5908 yeah not just Troy you could ask HOFers that lined up against him. They said he would tell them that the run was coming behind him. Then he would blow them off the line. Amazing. Plus he was fast enough to be the pulling guard. Just amazing his physical talents.
Akiman couldn't hit anyone deep on the right sideline. Most accurate....LOL. Had the best OL to play behind and some of the best receivers. He was serviceable.
I met Bob Lilly while on a sponsored Deer Hunt in Marfa, TX. This was during his playing period and long before steroids and 300+ pound refrigerator/players in the NFL. Bob was the largest man I had ever met and had the largest hands of any human I had ever seen. That said, Bob was sized proportionately and you didn't notice how big he was until you got closer. He was also one of the nicest men I had ever met and demonstrated no ego whatsoever. Good quail shooter too.
W/O watching, just guessing, in no order I say Roger Staubach , Bob Lilly, Drew Pearson, Tony Dorsett, Aikman, Irvin, Emmitt, Randy White, Mel Renfro & Cliff Harris.. honorable mentions.. Everton Walls, Too Tall Jones, Leroy Jordan, Harvey Martin, Jason Whitten
#1 Bob Lilly, Lee Roy Jordan, Walt Garrison, Calvin Hill, Jethro Pugh, Harvey Martin, Bob Hayes, Dave Manders, Cliff Harris, Roger Staubach. Honorable Mention Howley for sure, Charlie Waters, Rayfield Wright
Not often will I agree with these lists, but this one rings pretty true. There is film out there of Bob Lilly HURDLING a lineman and then chasing down OJ Simpson for the tackle... when he was old and OJ was young. Lilly was an outrageously impressive presence on the football field.
but Randy White was even better! Lilly gets the nod because he was the original. But in the NFL circles, White was the best player at that position, better than Lilly, Green, Olson, etc.
#11 Too tall Jones #12 Darren Woodson #13 Bob Hayes #14 Harvey Martin #15 Moose Johnstone #16 Cliff Harris #17 Jason Witten #18 Erik Williams #19 Demarcus Ware #20 Deion Sanders
Yes the coach is #1 since it was his system, he was the offensive and defensive coach as well AND he called the plays , the players were replaceable, it was the system. Roger Staubach offered NOT to retire if he could call his own plays, coach said NO it is a system and guess what after once the best Quarter backs in NFL history stepped down the cowboys did exceptionally great in the playoffs three years straight without him.
Hayes completely changed the game, but I'm trying to think of a time he came up big in the NFC Championship or Super Bowl. Even in the Ice Bowl, he made the mistake of keeping his hands in his pockets, on non passing plays, which clued the defense that the coming play was a run.
lilly was first draft pick , first cowboy in ring of honor, first cowboy in a pro bowl , first cowboy in Hall of fame..... Landry called him the greatest player he ever coached that should tell you all you need to know
Tough one. Staubach is one of the greatest, but is never considered the greatest at his position. Lilly, on the other hand, is among the greatest to ever wear a football uniform...period.
Elliot has a good grasp of Cowboy's history, but the criteria should be consistent. There are two players from this franchise that are widely considered to be the best to ever play their position. Elliot placed one of them (e.g., Bob Lilly) at Number 1 on his list, but at minimum, Larry Allen should be ranked in the Top 5. Due to the importance of the QB position, my Top 5 is as follows...1) Roger Staubach2) Bob Lilly 3) Emmitt Smith4) Larry Allen5) Michael Irvin
Harvey Martin should be on this list. He’s the true NFL sacks leader. They didn’t keep track of sacks while he was playing but he had more than Strahan, and did it playing a 14 game season compared to 16. Born and raised in Dallas, died way too young.
Some other greats: Jay Novacek, big bad Billy Bates, Too Tall Jones, Moose Johnston, and Butch Johnson. Top of the list for me will always be Coach Tom Landry.
The most under rated and appreciated Cowboy of all time is Bill Bates. The pound for pound hardest hitter that has played for the Cowboys.
Pound for pound Mr Bates maybe the hardest hitter to ever play in football, period. In the dictionary next to the word overachiever, there's a picture of Bill Bates. KFB( KA-FU-KIN-BOOM) # 40 was here
Bill was my favourite player and why I used #40 when I played.
You are so right, bates was a monster!
Bates is probably the only Dallas Cowboy that Tom Landry, Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer loved. He played forever and a day which isn’t easy at safety. He just kept going as long as he could.
Why is he not in the ring of honor
Ed “Too Tall” Jones...
Honorable mention... Bob Hayes, Charlie Waters and Cliff Harris
Deion sanders
@@6ghxst616 He did not play there long enough but a great player. If he stayed with a team long enough then yes.
Bill G oh ok, I thought he stayed there for awhile
@@6ghxst616 unfortunately no. He played for 6 teams.
Bob Hayes should be on the list.
Bob Hayes deserves to be included. There were so many outstanding players from this franchise but no excuse for missing "Bullet" Bob.
He literally changed the game 👍
Amen
Who do you take off for him?
Jail time hurt his legacy 😪🏈
You could make an unbelievable team with who isn’t on this list. Bob Hayes, Chuck Howley, Charles Haley, Lee Roy Jordan, Harvey Martin, Don Meredith, Erik Williams, Witten, Charlie Watters, Too Tall, Jay Novacek, Moose Johnston, Jethro Pugh, Bobby Newhouse
Bob Hayes!!!! Redefined out Defensive Backs played.
Charles Haley . . contributions were respected!
Too Tall…the 1st player drafted in 1974 overall…15 year career…never missed a game…changed the way every quarterback played the game due to his ability to make Quarterbacks adjust their passes to the strong side of the field! Dominated the run along with Larry Cole & Randy White! To this day one of the most recognizable players in the history of the NFL! Never embarrassed the Cowboys in any way shape or form…great ambassador for the Cowboys, for the NFL and sports overall! He should probably be mentioned in this discussion! Also, how about Harvey Martin…if the league would actually recognize all of his sacks he would still to this day be the NFL’s leading sack artist! Just something to think about…
How Drew Pearson is not in the HOF is criminal
Yes, He and Ed Jones both belong in HOF and team ROH
Great list! I've been a Cowboys fan since 1965. Randy White is my all time favorite player, but you can't argue Bob Lilly at #1.
Dorsett is better than Emmitt. Also Hayes should fucking be on here
@@mrkackerwacker were you dropped on your head? Dorsett is not anywhere near Emmit
COWBOYS the best team ever
They need to win a SB
Best team in the world
Here's a team one either loves or hates.
@@freddieflores8881 last time I checked they have won 5
@@michaelleroy9281 last time I checked Cowboys haven't won a SB in 26 years
Walt Garrison, a real cowboy.
Jay Novacek
Talk about players from the early days , I absolutely agree with Chuck Howley, the guy in middle Leroy Jordan. Landry said when the plays over , no matter where its at on the field and if he's not on the bottom of the pile #55 will be real close. And the first # 22 Bullet Bob Hayes ,I mean he is the reason the zone defense was invented. Emmitt Thomas was the fastest man onthe Chiefs , had the angle on Hayes and he out ran Thomas and the angle..1964 -100 Gold Medal in the Olympics, fastest man in the world that was tough as nails and a true talent at receiver. Double and triple teamed more than any receiver in history and like I said, he is the reason for the zone defense. I don't know who you bump off that top 10 but #22 is at least 10.5. In fact that maybe a good way to rate the top 10.5 greatest Cowboys have a tie at 10..but Bullet Bob Hayes needs to be there.. A safety name Woodson ring a bell?
Dorsett is my number 1 Cowboy. The reason I'm a fan today.
Me too😏✌️
Mine has to be Roger! Of course I am a Navy Vet!
@@edalhouse645 mine is romo, what's weird is the reason he made me a fan was because of his dropback
A Q I would have liked to have seen what Dorsett would have done behind Emmett's offensive line ! I can envision him having 2,000 yards in a season playing in his prime behind Emmett's offensive line !
@@aant429 romo could not tie Roger's shoes!
Don Meridith! Good ole Dandy Don. Remember he would sit with player from the other team smoking when he wasn't playing. One of a kind! And a wonderful guy and friend Harvey Martin. Gentle man!! Love him 4 ever!
Your list should have included Bob Hayes “22”
Wow, when I saw the link to this I thought this is going to be hard, and thought hard about who the top ten greatest Cowboys were before clicking. I ended up coming up with almost the same thing, but instead on Renfro, I had Witten. I had also thought hard about Renfro, Howley, Martin, Harris, Wright, and so many others. What a great franchise. Go Cowboys!
Mark Tuinei! 15 yrs! A champion
Bob Lilly and Randy White 2 of the top 5 DL’s ever
If anybody argues with you, then you know a damn fool is proving himself to be one... Whites teammates said they didn't even want to be around him before the game and don't come to the game and be a slacker on. His defense. Better ask to be traded, you didn't have to worry about the coaches. The man was serious every down of every game. Bob Lilly never missed a game in 14 years, a defensive tackle, now thats saying something... That's Mr. COWBOY
Great list. I agree Bob Lily. Three more honorable mentions: Daryl Johnston, Ed Too Tall Jones, and Charlie Waters
HARVEY MARTIN
ewalk78 RIP
I was just getting ready to suggest that, but see you've already done it. Number 79 was an awesome player. I think Neon Deion Sanders was hard to beat also.
@@horseman528 Deion was good at covering receivers but a terrible tackler
@@jimanderson7648 Don't know about that, but everyone was afraid to throw a pass in his direction. He was fast as lightening.
@@horseman528 he was fast yes great at covering receivers still doesnt take away from being a terrible tackler also he never played in the big D very long ,
Randy White was the beast heart and sole of the team in the 70’s and 80’s . Should be number 2 behind Roger Staubach .
Sorry ,I love Randy White, but nobody was better than Mr. Cowboy, nobody....and everything you say is true. The Cowboys have had 2 of the best Right Defensive Tackles in the history of football.
And I'm not taking anything away from Mean Joe Greene...
@@randycrocker5908 yes sir I agree I was to young to get to see Bob Lilly but I’ve watched tape. Love my Cowboys.
The MANSTER!!!
Charlie Waters said the only player that scared him was Randy White.
Lets face it. This could easily have included 25 names. Just so many great players over the years. And also the man with the funny hat.
Check out my list for some of the names left off theirs if you want.
Such a great team!! U need at least 100 spots
Erik "Big E" Williams? he shut down Reggie White every time he played him.
He was tremendous but not a top 10 cowboy.... wish we had his nastiuness today he was tough !!!!
Eric Williams has publicly stated that Reggie White embarrassed him the first time they played against each other.
Eric was a SURE FIRE Hall of Gamer had he not had that car wreck which destroyed his knees. TRULY FIERCE!
Yes did and then Reggie started to cry about Erik being to rough with him
He don't get love
Ed Too Tall Jones?
Agrreeeee
Here's the thing..there were so many that 10 leaves alot of great cowboys out!!! It could be argued Darren Woodson to name one and the list goes on and on!!!! To include everyone there would have to be a list of at least the 50 greatest cowboys!😊
Why not chose 11 from offense and 11 from defense.
Emmitt should be at 1
BOB LILY?
You guys easily and effortlessly dismissed Tom Landry. We all understand he was just a coach. But what a coach. With out him the Dallas Cowboys never would have been.
There would had been a team from Dallas but that would have been it, a team from Dallas.
No one gives him credit for what he did for the game. Landry singlehanded gave us the modern game of football. Kind of Before Landry BL and After Landry AL.
Just a few things that I can remember; shotgun, 4 man defensive line, nickle back and nickle defense, the daddy of motion in back field...and so on and so no.
Not to mention the computer that helped with the draft picks. This is why I say there would had never been The Dallas Cowboys without Coach Tom Landry from Mission Texas.
Oh, look it up, during sometime in the mid 80's if not half almost half of NFL head coaches had played or coached under the tutelage of the big man himself. What other coach can claim even half of that.
Respect where respect is due.
Just saying.
Exactly !!!!!
There was no "easily and effortlessly". The made a list of Cowboys *players*. And *look it up*? You made the claim and you have to show that it's true--not the other way around. It's easy to make stuff up when you don't have to worry about having to show it's true.
Landry was a GREAT coach. Period.
@@juliawolf7954 And this list is about the top 10 PLAYERS. Period.
Bob Hayes is my favorite cowboys player he should be #1
Roger Staubach was the best thing that ever happened not just for the Cowboys but the NFL!
AGREED!
@Joey COCO truth
Yeah. He started at the age 29 and served for the military. So much RESSSPPEECCCT
Staubach. Great QB, even a better human being. Catholic. Family man. Great father. Never heard a negative thing in the press about him. Ever. Made a life after the NFL. Smart guy, never went broke like so many of them do buying cars and toys. They should all look up to him. He didn't spend his $$ on stupid sh*t. He started a business and still worked after football. Nothing but respect for him ALWAYS.
Not too mention commitment to country before making his own history. Roger the Dodger
A top 10 list of Dallas Cowboys is an impossible task.
I can't argue with a single one of the players they chose for this list. Every single one of them was a great player... But then I think about all the GREAT players that were not on this list and wonder how do you leave this guy or that guy off. Some of the players not mentioned here that really are worth of consideration...
Harvey Martin, only man to share co Super Bowl MVP status with Randy White. He also led the NFL in sacks that season.
Ed Too Tall Jones, 15 seasons he played with Dallas and is the 5th leading tackler in team history. The NFL practically invented a stat because of Jones and his ability to get his hands in the way of passes.
Mike Ditka, you know the competition is really fierce for a spot on this list when you have to leave a HOF inductee off of it. Along with being a great TE for the team he was an assistant coach before moving on to coach the Bears. In fact he won Super Bowl rings as a player and assistant coach with Dallas before adding his head coach ring later on with Chicago
Jay Novacek, speaking of All Pro TEs Jay at least deserves an honorable mention. The triplets may have taken the lion's share of the glory but Novacek helped keep the chains moving with his reliable hands in the middle of the field.
Bob Hayes, called the fastest man alive and the first truly great runner to play for the Cowboys. Seriously the man was an Olympic Medalist who learned to play football pretty well too.
Charles Haley, OK he gets dinged because he spent part of his career in SF before he came to Dallas but the man is on The Ring of Honor and in the Hall of Fame. Oh and he was present for all three of the 90s era Super Bowl wins.
Darren Woodson, how he isn't in the HOF yet is beyond me. Larry got the Super Bowl MVP trophy and Deon was certainly flashier but Woodson was a ROCK in the middle of that secondary.
Everson Walls, poor Everson gets no respect and no mention since his career encompassed the slow downward slide during the 80s. Be that as it may he still led the NFL in interceptions 3 of the 8 years he was in Dallas and got 4 Pro Bowls. I remember being very happy for him when he finally got a Super Bowl Ring with the Giants. He definitely earned that ring! Not bad for a guy everybody said was too slow and too small to be a starting corner back in the NFL
Danny White, one of the most forgotten and underappreciated of all Cowboys. Poor Danny never could get the team to the SB and had his career cut short by a broken wrist that never fully recovered. Never the less he threw for more than 3000 yards 4 of the 8 years he was a starter at QB (one of those seasons was shortened by a player strike as well), 6 out of 8 years he had as many or more TD than Ints. He took the team to three consecutive NFC Championship games and he handled the punting duties as well as QB duties for close to 10 years before Dallas finally got Mike Saxon.
Daryl "Moose" Johnson, Johnson was such a popular player that even at away games the entire stadium would yell MOOSE every time he touched the ball. He was a fantastic blocker for Emmitt but he could also catch and excelled at short yardage running himself.
Ken Norton Jr, Norton was the anchor at the heart of the defense that won three Super Bowls in the 90s and was one of the best middle linebackers in football in his prime IMO.
original 54 chuck howley..been screamin for his gold jacket forever..way to many greats from this team to do a top 10..
Tough list to create. Love all the players mentioned. Brings back a ton of memories. Not one player who Jerry took as GM on there. Good reason.
Great job compiling this list! I can think of so many others who could be mentioned, but your list is hard to argue against.
👍 Good picks. Chuck Howley and Lee Roy Jordan were both great linebackers.
Bob Lilly and Randy White both rank in the top ten defensive tackles ever to play in the NFL. What about Jason Witten?
This is the most accurate Cowboy Top Ten list. I agree that the older players don't get the credit they deserve. Lilly, Howley, Renfro and R White could all compete in todays league.
Billy Joe DuPree, Cliff Harris, Charley Waters, Robert Newhouse, Tony Romo.....
Thanks for mentioning Charles Louis Howley!! I became a "Cowboy" fan during the ice bowl!! So many great, and a few hard to take memories, especially the 2,
4 point losses to the Steelers & the 3point loss to the colts on a end of game field goal by a tight end who barely made 50%!!!
Chuck Howley should be in the HOF. He had 25 interceptions, 18 fumble recoveries, Super Bowl MVP, and ten years as one of the six or seven best LBs.
No Cowboy LB is in the HOF
Bob Lilly and Randy White didn't play together, but Chuck Howley and Lee Roy Kelly did. Coach Landry marveled at Lee Roy Jordan claiming that he could have been a great running back. Those two need to go into the Hall of Fame together.
No Everton Walls, WOW, he lead the NFL in interceptions 3 times...I get that he was left off the team because no SBs but how many Cowboys have ever lead the NFL in INTs...
And only one other DB in history shares that record with him (Eric Reed). He also led the team in INTs 5 times.
No Bullett Bob Hayes who changed the way defense's are played to this day. We wera a losing organization until we drafted Hayes & that when the organization started to turn around from losing to wnning.
I'd so rock a Bob Lilly jersey #74 no doubt.
Emmitt Smith should always be number 1
Drew Pearson should be in Top 5.
Renfro was a major threat as a punt returner. The arguments over this list are endless, but not bad really. I'd mention Neon Deion, Calvin Hill, Bullet Bob Hayes, Darren Woodson..
Have you got a day or three, this could go on.
Bob Hayes!!!
Bob Hayes
Captain Comeback is and always will be # 1 !! He made us Americas Team !!!
Thanks for putting Lily #1. He was my idle growing up. And the HM for Holley - way to go.
I love the Manster, there is none better.
Harvey martin should be on there .
Agree with the list. Always have been a cowboys fan. Chuck Howley, Lee roy Jordan, Harvey Martin, and Everson Walls all belong in the H O F! Past time !
This gentleman was right. The players I grew up watching are being completely forgotten. It’s sad, because we have such a rich history, especially for a team so young.
that is a hell of a tuff list .. later Dez Briant. Sean Lee. Dan Baylee.
Romo, Zak Martin, Witten, definitely honorable mentions at worst.
What- NO Bob Hayes-, this man only change defenses to their current Zone Coverage !!!!!
After they got rid of Tom Landry l don't give a darn about the Dallas Cowboys.
Larry Allen is the best lineman ever to play anywhere in my belief.
I believe your belief and if anybody doubts it ask Troy Aikman, he said Allen would just crush pro bowlers. Other teams players would have their guys getting embarrassed and they would look at their teammates and say what do I do, they would shake their head and say ,we know man. It wasn't uncommon for Allen to come off a first block and lock up a linebacker and drive him 10, 15, or 20 yards down the field. If you had 5 Larry Allen's, you wouldn't need receivers, just extra running backs. The Cowboys rushed for 867 yards today....
@@randycrocker5908 yeah not just Troy you could ask HOFers that lined up against him. They said he would tell them that the run was coming behind him. Then he would blow them off the line. Amazing. Plus he was fast enough to be the pulling guard. Just amazing his physical talents.
Great list but Roger Staubach has to be #1!!!
Glad you put in Mel Renfro. Amazing player. Too bad Cliff Harris and/or Charlie Waters couldn't be fit onto the list too...
Akiman couldn't hit anyone deep on the right sideline. Most accurate....LOL. Had the best OL to play behind and some of the best receivers. He was serviceable.
Love it.
If Troy would have finished the comeback against the niners he would be #1..That would have been 4 super bowls championships in a row..
Chuck Howley, Duane Thomas and Bob Hayes.
I met Bob Lilly while on a sponsored Deer Hunt in Marfa, TX. This was during his playing period and long before steroids and 300+ pound refrigerator/players in the NFL. Bob was the largest man I had ever met and had the largest hands of any human I had ever seen. That said, Bob was sized proportionately and you didn't notice how big he was until you got closer. He was also one of the nicest men I had ever met and demonstrated no ego whatsoever. Good quail shooter too.
How could you leave Harvey Martin off this list ?
Couldn’t agree more. At the very least an honorable mention.
Excellent list- hard to argue-
The two greatest Games ever Played my Cowboys Lost. Icebowl 1967 Superbowl 5 1970
W/O watching, just guessing, in no order I say Roger Staubach , Bob Lilly, Drew Pearson, Tony Dorsett, Aikman, Irvin, Emmitt, Randy White, Mel Renfro & Cliff Harris.. honorable mentions.. Everton Walls, Too Tall Jones, Leroy Jordan, Harvey Martin, Jason Whitten
#1 Bob Lilly, Lee Roy Jordan, Walt Garrison, Calvin Hill, Jethro Pugh, Harvey Martin, Bob Hayes, Dave Manders, Cliff Harris, Roger Staubach. Honorable Mention Howley for sure, Charlie Waters, Rayfield Wright
Not often will I agree with these lists, but this one rings pretty true. There is film out there of Bob Lilly HURDLING a lineman and then chasing down OJ Simpson for the tackle... when he was old and OJ was young. Lilly was an outrageously impressive presence on the football field.
but Randy White was even better! Lilly gets the nod because he was the original. But in the NFL circles, White was the best player at that position, better than Lilly, Green, Olson, etc.
Should do the top 25. Guys like Charlie Waters, Erik Williams, Chuck Howley, Glover, Haley, Bailey, Novacek, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Etc.
They forgot one person on this list Bill Bates took a pay cut every year to stay on the Cowboys roster
Solid list. Just not enough spaces for all these legends.
#11 Too tall Jones
#12 Darren Woodson
#13 Bob Hayes
#14 Harvey Martin
#15 Moose Johnstone
#16 Cliff Harris
#17 Jason Witten
#18 Erik Williams
#19 Demarcus Ware
#20 Deion Sanders
What a great video
Yes the coach is #1 since it was his system, he was the offensive and defensive coach as well AND he called the plays , the players were replaceable, it was the system.
Roger Staubach offered NOT to retire if he could call his own plays, coach said NO it is a system and guess what after once the best Quarter backs in NFL history stepped down the cowboys did exceptionally great in the playoffs three years straight without him.
Staubach, Lilly, Pearson, Dorrset, Randy White, Aikmam, Emmitt, Irvin, Norton, Nye.
No agreement on a couple, but overall good choices. Spot on for Chuck Howley comments.
Eric Williams literally gained half of Emmitts yards with his semi truck wholes, easily a top 10
This is a good list. But it’s difficult to really narrow down the Dallas Cowboys top 10. Too many great players and in different generations.
No, Bob Hayes??
+Boondock Saint How about Chinese take-out?
+Boondock Saint Hayes basically put them in the play offs for the first time when they had been only a losing team
Hayes completely changed the game, but I'm trying to think of a time he came up big in the NFC Championship or Super Bowl. Even in the Ice Bowl, he made the mistake of keeping his hands in his pockets, on non passing plays, which clued the defense that the coming play was a run.
Bullet Bob Hayes.
@@matsugo24 Cleveland championship game before Ice bowHayes 276 yards total offense
Staubach
Lilly
for me.
Tom Landry #1 if including non players.
how bout them cowboys
How bout en
Love all our cowboys i remember white he was a beast
Emmitt, Dorsett, Staubach, Irvin, Larry Allen, Lilly, Randy White, Ware, Aikman, and Witten.
No Dandy Don either
Love the mermaid man and barnacle boy theme in the beginning
Staubach is clearly number 1. No offense to Lilly.
lilly was first draft pick , first cowboy in ring of honor, first cowboy in a pro bowl , first cowboy in Hall of fame..... Landry called him the greatest player he ever coached that should tell you all you need to know
Tough one. Staubach is one of the greatest, but is never considered the greatest at his position. Lilly, on the other hand, is among the greatest to ever wear a football uniform...period.
We need a top 100 show 😄🏈
great mention for Chuck Howley only MVP recipient on a losing side SB V
Ed Jones, another of the greats.
Really the only way to do this and be fair, is a top 10 by decade, soooo many great Cowboy players
Elliot has a good grasp of Cowboy's history, but the criteria should be consistent. There are two players from this franchise that are widely considered to be the best to ever play their position. Elliot placed one of them (e.g., Bob Lilly) at Number 1 on his list, but at minimum, Larry Allen should be ranked in the Top 5. Due to the importance of the QB position, my Top 5 is as follows...1) Roger Staubach2) Bob Lilly 3) Emmitt Smith4) Larry Allen5) Michael Irvin
OH YEAH FORGOT Walt Garrison
"LIL PUDDIN" & "BAMBI" Lance Alworth
Harvey Martin should be on this list. He’s the true NFL sacks leader. They didn’t keep track of sacks while he was playing but he had more than Strahan, and did it playing a 14 game season compared to 16. Born and raised in Dallas, died way too young.
Some other greats: Jay Novacek, big bad Billy Bates, Too Tall Jones, Moose Johnston, and Butch Johnson.
Top of the list for me will always be Coach Tom Landry.
Larry Allen needs to be higher on this list
Harvey Martin, Ed Jones, Hollywood Henderson