Loading...
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most iconic sports teams in history, let alone the NFL. They have won five Super Bowls (Super Bowls VI, XII, XXVII, XXVIII and XXX) which is tied for the seventh-most total championships among all NFL franchises. Unfortunately for their fans, their last championship was in 1996.
In this article, we will break down the greatest players in Dallas Cowboys history, most of which led the Cowboys to some of the Super Bowl wins.
Michael Irvin is one of the most iconic Cowboys there is because of his infectious personality. Irvin played all 12 years of his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys and was the team’s alpha wide receiver in three of their Super Bowl wins.
Irvin was a known commodity coming out of the Miami Hurricanes in college football but it took him a little bit to get going in the pros. It was not until Irvin’s fourth season in the NFL that he became a full-time starter. That year he had 1,523 yards, which led the NFL, and eight touchdowns.
Irvin had over 1,000 yards receiving in seven of the last nine years of his career. During that span, he was First-Team All-Pro once and Second-Team twice. He was voted to the Pro Bowl five times and was elected as an All-Decade team for the 1990s. Michael Irvin is still beloved by all Cowboys fans to this day.
Larry Allen is considered to be one of the greatest offensive linemen to ever play the game. The Cowboys drafted Allen in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played 12 seasons with the Cowboys and was a Pro Bowler in 11 of those seasons.
Allen was a First-Team All-Pro six times during his career while also being on the Second Team twice. He was also a huge reason why Emmitt Smith led the league in rushing multiple times, and why the Cowboys were able to win Super Bowl XXX.
Perhaps the biggest accolade for Allen was the fact he was named to the All-Decade team not just for the 1990s but also for the 2000s. Not many offensive linemen had quite the impact that Allen did for the Cowboys.
Troy Aikman was the catalyst for the Cowboys’ offense during their Super Bowl runs in the 1990s. He was the perfect game manager and field general that the Cowboys offense needed. Aikman was the first overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft and started 12 straight seasons at quarterback for the Cowboys.
Aikman was the quarterback for three Super Bowl wins while also winning Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXVII. Aikman had a career record of 94-71 and was voted to six Pro Bowls during his career. Aikman never had gaudy numbers because of the run-first offense that the Cowboys ran with Emmitt Smith in the backfield.
Aikman’s best season of his career was in 1992, when he led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl victory and was Super Bowl MVP. He threw 23 touchdowns during the regular season and 3,445 yards. Aikman is arguably the greatest game-managing quarterback of all time.
Since his career wrapped up after the 2000 season, Aikman was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2006. He has also been one of the top sportscasters in the business for Fox. Aikman has had a tremendous career in the NFL.
It may bother people that “Captain America” Roger Staubach is not number one on this list because of just how great he truly was and his story. Staubach was the first true dual-threat quarterback in NFL history for his 11-year career. He did that after serving in the U.S. Navy, including a Tour in Vietnam.
Staubach had a career record of 85-29 and led the Cowboys to four Super Bowls, winning two of them (Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII). He won Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl VI which made him the first player to win the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP.
One thing that stood out most about Staubach’s career was the fact he threw for the most touchdowns and yards in his career as a 37-year-old in 1979, which was his final year. That year further cemented his greatness in the history of the NFL. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985 and is still considered a top-50 player in NFL history.
Emmitt Smith is number one on this list of greatest players in Dallas Cowboys history. Smith was a part of three Super Bowls with Troy Aikman in the 90s. He had a historic 13-year career, 11 of which he spent with the Dallas Cowboys.
Smith was a mainstay in the Cowboys’ offense, playing in every game in seven of his 11 seasons with them. That is wildly impressive because of the type of contact the running back position faces game in and game out.
During his historic career, Smith became the all-time leading rusher in NFL History with 18,355 yards, which still stands today. Smith also led the NFL in all-time rushing touchdowns. Perhaps the most impressive thing on Smith’s resume is winning the Super Bowl, MVP Super Bowl MVP and leading the league in rushing all in the same season – and he is still the only running back to accomplish that feat.
Smith’s career finished in 2004 with the Arizona Cardinals, scoring nine touchdowns in his final season. He was then inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and is widely considered one of the best running backs to ever play the game.
Dylan has had a love for sports since he was a kid. Four years ago, he decided to dive into the sports content-creating industry specializing in Fantasy Football, NFL and NBA. He has since had his work published on sites that include Fantasy Alarm, Fansided, and Fantasy Six Pack.