In 1962, the Cowboys picked 16 players in a NFL Draft that consisted of 20 rounds. Cornell Green was not among those players. However, he not only made the team as an undrafted rookie free agent, but he played all 14 games as well.

In fact, those were Green's first 14 football games since high school.

To say Green wasn't drafted in 1962 would actually be false. He was a fifth-round pick of the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Draft. But after an All-America basketball career at Utah State, Green signed with the Cowboys and figured he would have a rather short stint in training camp. That stint lasted 13 years and he never missed a game, starting at either cornerback or safety and doing so at the highest level.

Green made the Pro Bowl three times as a cornerback, where he spent the first eight years of his career. He then switched to strong safety in 1970 and started there five more years, earning two Pro Bowl selections along the way.

He led the Cowboys in interceptions four different times, including three straight years from 1965-67. Green also holds the Cowboys' single-season record for interception-return yards with 211 in 1963, when he picked off seven passes.

With 34 career interceptions, Green is currently tied with Michael Downs for fifth on the Cowboys' all-time list.

The most remarkable part of Green's career, other than the fact he jumped straight from basketball to football without any hesitation, was that his game didn't slip any when he moved to safety in 1970. In fact, the Cowboys' defense got even stronger, making two straight Super Bowl appearances with Green ruling the secondary from the strong safety spot.

One of Green's most memorable plays occurred in the 1967 playoffs against Cleveland when he picked off a pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. That play ignited a 52-17 blowout for the Cowboys, who advanced to the NFL Championship Game the following week in Green Bay, famously known as "The Ice Bowl."

Green and Hall-of-Famer Mel Renfro are the only players in Cowboys history to make multiple Pro Bowls at two different spots.

Heading into the 1992 season, the Cowboys knew they had offensive firepower. The NFL's leading rusher from the previous season, a franchise quarterback, a star receiver and tight end, and a young, powerful line.

What they had on offense they lacked on defense. That was until they traded for Charles Haley. The pass-rushing specialist from the 49ers instantly made the Cowboys a dominating defense. While Aikman, Emmitt and Irvin always get the credit for the Cowboys winning three Super Bowls in a four-year span, many people believe the presence of Haley is what put the team over the top.

While Haley wasn't exactly a sack-machine, at least not in his first two years, he made up for it in defensive leadership and intimidation. Haley was a menace for opposing quarterbacks and he demanded double-teams from the start of his Cowboys' career.

The Cowboys won the Super Bowl in each of his first two seasons. He made a huge play in Super Bowl XXVII, sacking Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, which forced a fumble that was recovered by Jimmie Jones who scored a touchdown, giving the Cowboys a lead they would never relinquish.

Haley made headlines in 1993 when he showed his displeasure for Cowboys' management and the team's inability to sign holdout back Emmitt Smith. Haley smashed his helmet through a wall in the locker room following the Cowboys' home loss to Buffalo, putting the team 0-2 to start the season. Smith signed that week, the Cowboys got back on track and Haley again helped Dallas win another Super Bowl.

Haley led the team in sacks the next two years with 12 ½ in 1994 and 10 ½ in 1995, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections for those two seasons.

But a nagging back injury that Haley had played through for the previous three years finally caught up to him in 1996. He appeared in just five games and eventually retired. He did return to football and rejoined the 49ers briefly in 1998 and then in 1999.

Haley is the only player in NFL history to win five Super Bowl rings. He helped the 49ers win a pair in 1988-89 and then three more with the Cowboys.

There are many Cowboys players with more Pro Bowls than DeMarcus Ware's three selections. Guys have more sacks, tackles and have helped the team win championships.

But less than a handful of Cowboys players can ever make the claim they were the best defensive player in the NFL. Arguably, Ware can make that claim. And before too long, he'll likely have a contract that suggests that as well.

In just four seasons, Ware has developed into a dominating pass-rusher. He put that on display in 2008 when he led the NFL with 20.0 sacks, giving serious chase to the single-season sack record of 22 ½, set by Michael Strahan.

But judging on recent history with Ware, the pass-rushing phenom has improved his sack totals every year of his career.

Coming to the Cowboys in 2005 as the 11th overall pick, Ware tied for the team lead with Greg Ellis, posting eight sacks, including three in one pivotal game against Carolina in which he also forced three fumbles.

In 2006, Ware led the club in sacks with 11 ½ and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. The following year, he continued his rampage of opposing quarterbacks, posting 14 sacks to go along with another Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection.

And last year, Ware took his game to an even higher level with the 20 sacks, which included a NFL record-tying 10 straight games with at least one sack. The streak began in the final three games of the 2007 season and continued in 2008, when he posted at least one sack in the first seven games. Although he didn't record one against Tampa Bay in the middle of the season, Ware had another seven-game streak, which included a pair of three-sack performances.

In four years, Ware already ranks 11th on the Cowboys' all-time sacks list with 53 ½ and with another banner year, the outside linebacker could move all the way to eighth by the end of this upcoming season. And since the Cowboys have switched to the 3-4 scheme, Ware easily holds the record for most sacks by a linebacker in franchise history.

Records have started to fall and milestones have been achieved by Ware, whose star is already shining bright. And, he's just getting started.

In today's NFL, drafting a guard in the first round is rather unusual, especially in the first five picks. But it's a good thing the Cowboys didn't actually subscribe to that theory nearly 45 years ago.

If so, they would've passed up on John Niland, who was the Cowboys' fifth overall selection in the 1966 NFL Draft. He proved to be one of the best offensive linemen in Cowboys history and was among the best at his position when he played.

Ironically enough, not every team thought so highly of Niland, who was also drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1966 in the AFL Draft. However, the Raiders picked Niland in the 13th round. The guard promptly chose the Cowboys as his new home and it didn't take long for him to win a starting job on the line.

Niland started four games as a rookie and went on to man his post for eight more seasons. He made his first Pro Bowl in 1968, starting a string of six consecutive trips to the annual All-Star game. Niland, who was the first guard in Cowboys' history to make the Pro Bowl, was also a three-time All-Pro pick as well.

As dominant as Niland was in the trenches, he was just as durable. He played eight years and missed only two games. Niland played for two Super Bowl teams in 1970 and 1971, helping the Cowboys win Super Bowl VI.

In 1975, Niland was traded to Philadelphia, where he played one year before retiring from the game.

Along with Rayfield Wright (six) and Larry Allen (10), Niland is one of just three Cowboys offensive linemen with at least six Pro Bowl selections.

When the Cowboys were on the clock to draft early in the second round back in 2003, the club had a tough decision to make, whether to draft a tight end who they had given a first-round grade or take the best center in the draft. They went with the center, taking Al Johnson and passing up on Jason Witten.

But the Cowboys were ecstatic to find that Witten was still around when they picked at No. 69 in the third round. Just before the pick, the 49ers called, desperately wanting to trade for that pick. The Cowboys listened, as long as they didn't want the same player. San Francisco wanted Witten. The Cowboys did, too. They drafted Witten and now have arguably the best tight end in club history.

In six seasons, Witten has rewritten the Cowboys' record books for tight ends, ranking first in receptions (429) and receiving yards (4,925) while closing in on Jay Novacek's record for most TD receptions by a tight end. Witten has 25 and needs just five more tie Novacek's mark of 30.

Witten is also climbing the receiving charts for all receivers in Cowboys history. He currently ranks sixth in receiving yards and should easily move into fifth early next season.

Witten has also had five straight years of at least 60 receptions. If he can get another 60 in 2009, Witten would move into second place on the Cowboys' all-time receptions list, trailing only Michael Irvin (750).

But while Witten has all kinds of receiving marks, he just might be the most complete tight end the Cowboys have ever had. In terms of blocking and catching, Witten is the total package, one reason why he has made five straight Pro Bowls.

In 2007, Witten set a Cowboys' record when he caught 15 passes in a game against Detroit. He also caught the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds, helping the Cowboys to a 28-27 victory, which clinched the NFC East title.

The best part about Witten's accomplishments is that he's done them at such an early age. He was drafted by the Cowboys as a 20-year old. And with five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro selections under his belt, Witten just turned 27 last month. He's already done so much and still has many years ahead of him.

Obviously, what Witten has yet to do is help his team win a Super Bowl, much less a playoff game. But when it comes to individual accomplishments, Witten is the most decorated player from his position.