Top 60: Revealing Greatest Cowboys of All-Time

60. Jim Jeffcoat

The 23rd overall pick in 1983, Jeffcoat eventually became a staple on the defensive line, replacing Harvey Martin the following year as a new counterpart to Ed "Too Tall" Jones at the ends. Jeffcoat actually recorded four scores in his career, one of just 37 defensive ends in NFL history with at least four touchdowns.

But he got to the quarterback as well. Jeffcoat and DeMarcus Ware are the only players in Cowboys history to record at least five official double-digit sack seasons. Jeffcoat spent 12 seasons in Dallas and still ranks seventh in club history with 94.5 sacks.

59. Bill Bates

Bates wasn't just a feel-good story about an undrafted player who made the roster. He was a difference maker on special teams. So much so that the NFL decided to create a spot on the Pro Bowl roster for a special teams contributor with Bates being named the first NFC player to earn the selection back in 1984.

Although he also started at safety for three years from 1986-88, Bates was primarily the special teams ace who would fly down the field on kickoffs and punts without much concern for his personal health. He made a living out of sacrificing his body for the good of the team. He is still the Cowboys' all-time leader in special teams tackles with 216, which is 82 more than the second-place finisher. Enjoying one of the longest tenures in team record books, Bates still ranks fourth on the Cowboys' all-time list for games played with 217.

58. Leon Lett

The reason Lett is ranked among the 60 greatest Cowboys players of all time is because of what he did on the field for more than a decade, dominating the middle of the defensive line of scrimmage with cat-like quickness and brute strength. A two-time Pro Bowler, he had highlight moments throughout his career, although he is most remembered for two unfortunate blunders. 

In Super Bowl XXVII, Lett recovered a fumble and nearly ran it all the way back for a touchdown, only to be stripped of the ball by hustling Bills wide receiver Don Beebe at the goal line. A year later, playing in a rare snow and ice storm at Texas Stadium against the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving Day, Lett chased after a blocked field goal and slipped on the turf while trying to unnecessarily recover the ball. The Dolphins instead got possession and, given another chance to kick a game-winning field goal in the final seconds, beat the Cowboys, 16-14. 

But neither miscue kept Lett from enjoying a stellar career. He played 12 years in the NFL, all but one in Dallas.

57. Sean Lee

Without question, Lee's among the most accomplished linebackers in franchise history, leading his team in tackles four times and finishing second in two other campaigns, while also earning two Pro Bowl selections and a 2016 first-team All-Pro nod. 

A consummate pro on and off the field, a Walter Payton Award finalist, the heart and soul of the Cowboys defense for years, Lee also owns the club record with 22 tackles in a game, as charted by the team, doing so at the New York Giants on December 22, 2016. Twice he led Dallas in stops by more than 50 for the season and only Ring of Honor members Lee Roy Jordan and Chuck Howley have more interception return yardage among linebackers in team history.

56. Jay Ratliff

One of two seventh-round picks in franchise history to be named to at least four Pro Bowls—the other was Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright—Jay Ratliff came into the league in 2005 as an undersized defensive tackle. With an explosive first step and the ability to penetrate gaps with his impressive lower-body strength, he was a force in the middle, earning four straight trips to the Pro Bowl from 2008-11.

His best season, though, came in 2009 when the Cowboys allowed the second-fewest points in the league, including back-to-back shutouts at the Washington Redskins, 17-0, and against the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-0, to finish the year as NFC East champions. Ratliff earned his only first-team All-Pro honor behind 40 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries, ranking fifth in the league. All this while routinely seeing double-teams.

55. Bob Breunig

You won't find many starting middle linebackers who could play 117 consecutive games, but Breunig appeared in every outing for eight straight seasons from 1976-83. On top of that, he also saw action in 20 postseason games, including three Super Bowls. 

Drafted as a part of Dallas' storied 1975 class known as the "Dirty Dozen," Breunig was one of the team's more decorated players from the 12 who made the club that season. For his efforts, Breunig earned three Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro honor during his 10-year career, all played with the Cowboys. In addition, not only was he productive on the field, Breunig was one of the team's vocal leaders and was named a captain four times.

54. Dak Prescott

The young quarterback figured to be Tony Romo's backup for a year or two, but that all changed when Romo went down with a back injury during an August 25, 2016 preseason game. Prescott was called on to fill in for what was supposed to be a temporary time period. But he started the first regular-season game in 2016 and hasn't missed a start since, leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 record that debut year to earn the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and a Pro Bowl invite.

Prescott led Dallas to two straight winning seasons at 9-7 and then 10-6 in 2018, which included another trip to the Pro Bowl and his first playoff victory, a 24-22 win over Seattle in the wild-card round on January 5, 2019. In 2019, Prescott showed off his passing skills, finishing the year with 4,902 yards, just one yard short of Romo's single-season franchise record.

53. Mark Tuinei

Undrafted out of the University of Hawaii, Tuinei was 6-5, 314 pounds and didn't start a game in his first three seasons 1983-85. Eventually he landed a starting gig in 1986, one he would never relinquish, missing just 10 games from 1989-96.

He earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods in 1994-95, the rarest of first-time honors at 34 years old. Tuinei was the blindside pass blocker of quarterback Troy Aikman for three Super Bowl wins and helped Emmitt Smith to four rushing titles.

Alas, he left the world at the age of just 39, passing away due to an accidental overdose in 1999. A beloved figure in the locker room, "Tui" was the rare teammate, especially as an offensive lineman, who was friends with everyone.

52. Billy Joe DuPree

DuPree was a superb blocker during a time when the tight end was basically a sixth offensive lineman. DuPree, though, was different—sure handed, agile, capable of turning a six-yard grab into 12 yards by eluding or simply running through a would-be tackler. Landry drew up specific plays for his versatile 6-foot-4-inch, 225-pound tight end.

A team captain and highly respected in the locker room, DuPree was the first tight end in franchise history to be selected to more than one Pro Bowl, having been named to three straight from 1976-78. Among tight ends with at least 150 receptions, DuPree's 13.4 yards per catch is the highest in Cowboys record books, and his 41 touchdowns are second only to Jason Witten.

51. Andre Gurode

Gurode was drafted out of Colorado in 2002 as a highly decorated center and he struggled after his 2003 switch to guard, but in 2006 he moved back to his original position and began to thrive. He earned his first of five consecutive Pro Bowls that year, still the only center in Cowboys history to accomplish that feat, while he and Travis Frederick are the lone centers in team annals to appear in five Pro Bowls overall. Enjoying a tenure that spanned nine seasons with Dallas and one in Oakland, Gurode also prides himself on being one of only nine African-American centers in NFL record books to have multiple Pro Bowl selections.

50. Pat Donovan

Quick, tough, and intelligent, Donovan was Tom Landry's kind of Cowboy, able to pick up the game plan and blocking schemes as they were being delivered. After anchoring the line in a Super Bowl XII victory, Donovan evolved into one of the best in the game, one of just five offensive tackles in franchise history to be named to four Pro Bowls. For years, Tony Dorsett was right there with Walter Payton for who would break Jim Brown's rushing record, and on many of those runs, Donovan was leading the way.

49. Herschel Walker

After the Cowboys drafted his NFL rights in 1985, Walker joined Tony Dorsett in the backfield for the 1986 season and immediately made an impact. In both 1987 and 1988, Walker was the Cowboys' only Pro Bowler. After Dorsett's departure following the 1987 campaign, Walker finished second in the league in yards from scrimmage the next year with 1,514. Recognizing the need for an influx of talent, the new regime of Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson decided to send their best asset to the Minnesota Vikings in what is arguably the most significant trade in NFL history. After all the wheeling and dealing was said and done, the Cowboys eventually landed 18 players out of the trade, including stars such as Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson, and Russell Maryland.

48. Tony Hill

The only wide receiver in franchise history with more yards than Tony Hill (7,988) is Michael Irvin (11,904). And just Irvin has equaled Hill's club record of eight consecutive seasons leading the team in receiving yards. 

The biggest catch of Hill's career came in the epic 1979 regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins, an eight-yard game-winning touchdown grab in the closing seconds. On an improvised shake route, he jabbed inside before sprinting to the corner of the end zone where Staubach found him in stride, bringing bedlam to Texas Stadium. The 35-34 win not only clinched the NFC East title for the Cowboys but knocked the hated Redskins out of the playoffs in the process.

47. Jethro Pugh

Despite never being selected to a Pro Bowl or a First Team All-Pro selection, for 14 years Pugh was a staple on the Doomsday Defense and one of the reasons why the Cowboys unit was so dominating in the trenches. Playing alongside "Mr. Cowboy" Bob Lilly for most of his career, Pugh was able to thrive inside, getting to the quarterback nearly 100 times. Not only that, he also had a way of finding the ball, recovering 14 fumbles throughout his career.

46. Travis Frederick

Frederick wasn't just a great player for the Cowboys. He became arguably the best center in the NFL, earning four straight trips to the Pro Bowl from 2014-17. But everything changed in 2018 when what started out as routine neck and shoulder pains led to numerous tests that eventually showed Frederick had Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rather rare disorder where the body's immune system attacks its own nervous system, costing him all of his 2018 season. But in 2019, he began his road to recovery, and when the season started, there was Frederick, snapping the ball back to quarterback Dak Prescott once again. Frederick not only played in all 16 games after his return, he was invited back for his fifth Pro Bowl.

45. Roy Williams

Williams was the No. 8 overall pick of the 2002 draft and immediately made his mark at safety playing alongside future Ring of Honor member Darren Woodson. Williams had five interceptions as a rookie, but the biggest impact he made was . . . impact. A fierce hitter, he admitted he was a "headhunter" on the field. While his intent was never to hurt opposing players, he often did, especially with his trademark "horse collar" tackle that was eventually banned by the league in 2005. Williams was more than just a dynamic hitter, though. He could cover a lot of ground sideline to sideline, making him one of the best safeties of his era. He earned five straight trips to the Pro Bowl from 2003-07.

44. Calvin Hill

In just his first NFL game after being drafted out of Yale University, Hill rushed for 70 yards and threw a 53-yard touchdown pass in a 24-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on September 21, 1969. The Cowboys drafted Hill to compensate for the retirement of Don Perkins, an eventual Ring of Honor member who had been the team's primary running back for the previous eight years. He teamed with Duane Thomas, who was drafted in 1970, to form one of the NFL's best running back tandems, helping the Cowboys to two straight Super Bowl appearances, including a championship-winning season in 1971.

43. Daryl Johnston

Known for his punishing blocking, "Moose" is one of the biggest reasons why Emmitt Smith was able to eventually break the NFL's all-time rushing record. In his Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Smith asked Johnston to stand while he delivered a powerful message to his fullback. "You mean the world to me. Not just because we shared the same backfield, but because you sacrificed so much," Smith stated, emotionally.

Johnston is also one of five Cowboys players to have at least one touchdown catch in each of his first 10 years in the league, the only fullback in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

42. Ralph Neely

Neely spent 13 seasons with the Cowboys, playing both tackle positions and a little guard. Heck, he even returned seven kickoffs for reasons history has forgotten. He was three times named a first-team All-Pro and was twice selected for the Pro Bowl, although the latter could have, should have, been at least double, if not triple that. Despite only playing half the decade, Neely was also selected to the NFL All-Decade team for the 1960s.

41. Ezekiel Elliott

Just months after being drafted in 2016 Elliott was powering his way to an NFL rushing title with 1,631 yards. Elliott not only led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record that season, he became just the third rookie in franchise history to earn first-team All-Pro honors, joining Calvin Hill (1969) and Zack Martin (2014), while also earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He became just the 15th player in NFL history to rush for at least 5,000 yards in his first four pro seasons, and of that group, at least 10 of those running backs will be in the Hall of Fame.

40. Flozell Adams

Adams started 178 games for the Cowboys over 12 seasons, only once not appearing in all 16 contests. He blocked for Emmitt Smith in the running back's final five years in Dallas, helping pave the way for the NFL's new rushing record being set on October 27, 2002. The next season, Adams was named to the first of his five Pro Bowls over a six-year span from 2003-08, which is the third most by a tackle in team history. Only six offensive linemen in total were invited to the Pro Bowl more often than him.

39. Mark Stepnoski

Stepnoski was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a second-team All-Decade pick for the 1990s as an undersized center standing just six feet two inches tall and 265 pounds. Until Travis Frederick came around, Stepnoski, a two-time Super Bowl winner, had essentially no competition for the title of best center in franchise history.

38. La'Roi Glover

One of the best free agent signings in franchise history, Glover is the only player in Dallas record books to be named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons with the team, 2002-05. As part of the Cowboys, he was the locker room leader and defensive tackle on perhaps the greatest turnaround Dallas fans have ever seen, tallying 49 tackles, five sacks and a safety in 2003. After three straight 5-11 finishes, the Bill Parcells-led Cowboys earned a playoff berth that year behind Glover's effort and the No. 1 ranked defense in the game.

37. Danny White

Taking over for Roger Staubach at quarterback in 1980, having served as the punter for four seasons prior, White helped lead Dallas to three straight NFC Championship Games, although his teams were never able to get over the hump and advance to the Super Bowl. In that first season, White engineered one of the greatest postseason comebacks in NFL history, throwing a pair of late touchdown passes to Drew Pearson to send the Cowboys past the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Divisional Round.

36. Jay Novacek

The best players perform at their highest level in the biggest games and Novacek certainly did that, totaling 62 receptions (third in Cowboys playoff history) in 13 postseason games, including first-quarter touchdowns in both Super Bowls XXVII and XXX. Also, in a divisional-round defeat of the Green Bay Packers on January 8, 1995, the tight end caught 11 passes on 11 targets for 104 yards. The 11 receptions are a team playoff record by a tight end.

35. Charlie Waters

There was seemingly nothing Waters couldn't do on a football field. He holds the NFL record with nine career postseason interceptions, which included three alone in Dallas' 1977 divisional round victory over Chicago, was an all-conference wideout in college despite being recruited as a quarterback, was the Cowboys holder on field goals most of his career, and was a world-class special teams player, once blocking four punts in back-to-back games.

Waters wasn't a safety, or a cornerback, or a quarterback, or a wide receiver. As much as any player in franchise lore, he was a football player. He just so happened to be one of the most accomplished defensive backs in team history.

34. Dez Bryant

Never the fastest on the field, Bryant, a first-round pick in 2010, still out-jumped, out-fought, out-hustled, or simply out-played his defender to produce highlight after highlight. And many of those highlights were touchdowns, as Bryant still stands as the Cowboys' all-time leader in scoring receptions with 73, edging out Jason Witten (72) and "Bullet" Bob Hayes (71).

But in the divisional round of the playoffs, a matchup at the Green Bay Packers on January 11, 2015, Bryant appeared to have made one of the greatest receptions in postseason history, hauling in a fourth-down throw from Tony Romo. The play was originally ruled a catch, until a Mike McCarthy challenge reversed the ruling. The outcome sparked so much debate that eventually the NFL's Competition Committee changed its definition of the rule, ultimately saying that Bryant had indeed made the catch, cementing it as one of the most controversial plays in franchise history.

33. Erik Williams

For a stretch, there wasn't a more dominant offensive tackle in the game. A horrific car accident in 1994 blunted what would have been an even more impressive career. Williams returned after the accident in 1995 and earned three more Pro Bowl nods and two additional first-team All-Pro honors. Still, despite the accolades, he was never the same dominant force. "Before the car wreck, he was the best offensive lineman in the NFL," Troy Aikman said. "I thought he was on a path to Canton."

32. George Andrie

Andrie, a member of the Doomsday Defense and among the toughest to suit up for Dallas, was one of the most intense players of his generation, a big reason why the Cowboys had such a suffocating defense in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Andrie was named to five straight Pro Bowls, the most ever by a Cowboys defensive end.

31. Nate Newton

Nicknamed "The Kitchen" (because he was bigger than William "The Refrigerator" Perry), Newton is easily one of most charismatic offensive linemen in the league's history. But despite the constant smiles and jolly demeanor, he was also one of the absolute best blockers of his era as well. A six-time Pro Bowler, which is tied for the second most in team annals among guards, Newton was one of the anchors on a line that paved the way for Emmitt Smith to not only win four rushing titles, but eventually become the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

30. John Niland

One of the three best guards to ever play for the Cowboys, to this day, several teammates say Niland was the Cowboys' best player during the team's dominant 1971 playoff run when Dallas outscored its three postseason opponents, 58-18, en route to winning Super Bowl VI. His run blocking was on another level, head coach Tom Landry calling almost every play behind Niland's lead attack.

29. Don Perkins

A six-time Pro Bowl selection as well as an All-Pro with a career-best 945 rushing yards and seven scores in 1962, Perkins also ranked among the NFL's top 10 for yards in each of his eight years in the league. He finished strong, too, with back-to-back 800-plus yard seasons in his final two campaigns. When he retired following the 1968 season, only four players in NFL history (Jim Brown, Joe Perry, Jim Taylor, and John Henry Johnson) had more rushing yards than Perkins, who over the course of eight seasons with the Cowboys ran for 6,217.

28. Tyron Smith

Following the 2019 season, his ninth year in the league, Smith had made seven consecutive Pro Bowls, the second most among Cowboys offensive linemen and tied for the fourth-longest streak for any player in team history. He also earned first-team All-Pro nods from the Associated Press in 2014 and 2016, as well as second-team honors in 2013 and 2015. Recognized for his work, in 2014 he also became the highest-paid offensive lineman in league history, signing an eight-year, $109 million contract extension.

27. Ed Jones

A six-foot-nine-inch former basketball player, Ed "Too Tall" Jones posted more than 1,000 team-recorded career tackles, 127 batted passes, 106 sacks and a franchise-record 19 fumble recoveries. He never missed a game over 15 seasons, outside of taking the 1979 campaign off to attempt a professional boxing career, of which he was undefeated in six fights before returning to the gridiron. Jones also holds the franchise record for most games played by a defensive player with 224.

26. Zack Martin

Since being drafted in 2014, Martin has been nothing less than the most dominant guard in the league, earning Pro Bowl honors in each of his first six seasons and being named first-team All-Pro four times. The only other players in NFL history with that combination of success over their first six years are Lawrence Taylor, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Patrick Willis, and Aaron Donald. In 2019, Martin became just the fifth offensive lineman in league history to earn a Pro Bowl invite in each of his first six campaigns. This historic success all before turning 30 years of age. Before his NFL days are over, Martin could be the most decorated guard to ever play the game.

25. Everson Walls

Few cornerbacks have ever possessed the ballhawk abilities of Walls, who led the NFL with seven picks in 1982 and nine in 1985. He was the first player in history to lead the league in interceptions three times, and to this day, the feat has only been matched by Hall of Famer Ed Reed. In nine seasons with America's Team, Walls intercepted 44 passes, which ranks second in club record books behind only the 52 of Mel Renfro.

24. Don Meredith

A Dallas Cowboy original as much as any person can claim, Meredith was a full-time starter by 1963, and the Cowboys had drafted enough talent around him by the mid-1960s and finally took off in 1966, finishing 10-3-1 before playing Green Bay in the NFL Championship Game. The signal caller was named the Bert Bell Award winner as Player of the Year that season behind 2,805 passing yards and 24 touchdown throws, both personal bests. He also led the NFL in yards per completion for the second straight time at 15.8, hooking up often with speedy wideout Bob Hayes downfield.

23. Cornell Green

New to the game of football upon being drafted by the Cowboys, Green still managed to make the NFL's All-Rookie team in 1962, and never looked back. He had the versatility to play both cornerback and safety, shuffling between the two positions throughout his 13-year tenure, which included five Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro selections. His 34 career interceptions are still tied for fifth in team history as well, and he's the Cowboys' all-time leader in blocked kicks with 10, eight having been blocked field goals.

22. Deion Sanders

Arguably the greatest cornerback in NFL history, Deion Sanders was signed by the Cowboys in 1995 for two main reasons: The team needed a dynamic player on defense to get them back to the Super Bowl, and they wanted to take him away from the San Francisco 49ers, who had dethroned Dallas in 1994 and kept the franchise from achieving an elusive championship three-peat. He delivered on both fronts, helping the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX. During his time with Dallas he would earn four trips to the Pro Bowl and three first-team All-Pro nods. Both totals were more than with any other team

21. Tony Romo

In his first three years in the NFL, Romo never took a snap in a regular-season game, but in 2006 he was given an opportunity and that's when he became the Cowboys' franchise quarterback for the next decade. Immediately, he created a buzz in Dallas, leading the team to the playoffs in three of his first four years at the helm, including in 2009 when Romo guided the Cowboys to their first postseason win in 13 years with a 34-14 victory over Philadelphia.

Romo's teams never got "over the hump" and to the Super Bowl, but he retired as the Cowboys' all-time leader in touchdown throws with 247. He also ranks first in passing yards (34,154), and passer rating (97.1), along with owning the most fourth-quarter comebacks (24), game-winning drives (29), and 300-yard games (46), which is more than Troy Aikman, Danny White, Don Meredith, and Roger Staubach had in their careers combined (36).

20. Harvey Martin

A Dallas native, Martin led the Cowboys in sacks seven times over a nine-year span from 1974-82, highlighted by his otherworldly 23 in just 14 games in 1977. That would be an NFL record to this day if sacks were an official statistic then, but that didn't happen until 1982. The Cowboys have gone back and compiled them via game film, though, and Martin's 114 sacks still rank second in team history behind only DeMarcus Ware's 117.

One of the most honored players in franchise history, Martin won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1977, the only Cowboy to ever win the award, and was also co-MVP of Super Bowl XII along with Randy White.

19. Charles Haley

Haley was only a season removed from first-team All-Pro honors at defensive end and was already a multiple Super Bowl winner with the 49ers when Dallas traded for him in 1992. Ultimately, Haley only played in 63 games over five seasons for the Cowboys but his presence and leadership were so instrumental to winning three Super Bowls that Jerry Jones inducted him into the Ring of Honor in 2011. The second-fewest games played by a Ring member is Don Meredith with 104.

18. Darren Woodson

Woodson helped the Cowboys win a Super Bowl ring in each of his first two seasons, and then made five straight Pro Bowls from 1994-98, staking his claim as one of the best safeties of the decade. He was also one of the top tacklers, becoming the Cowboys' all-time leader for takedowns during the 2002 season, surpassing Lee Roy Jordan (1,236 tackles) and eventually ending his career with 1,350, which still ranks first in franchise record books.

17. Chuck Howley

Howley was named the MVP of Super Bowl V behind two interceptions and a fumble recovery, and he arguably should have been a year later as well when Dallas defeated Miami, 24-3, behind his 10 tackles, an interception and another fumble recovery. A six-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time first-team All-Pro, Howley was named to the second-team All-Decade squad for the 1960s, which is all the more impressive considering he started the decade pumping gas in his hometown during the Cowboys' 1960 inaugural season.

16. Lee Roy Jordan

Tom Landry once called Jordan a "head coach of the defense." Without a doubt, Jordan led by example, racking up 1,236 team-credited tackles during his time with Dallas, a record that held for 26 years after he retired until Darren Woodson broke the mark during the 2002 season. Although Jordan wasn't the prototype at linebacker, listed at six feet one inch and a generous 220 pounds, he made up for his lack of size with his instincts and ability to get to the football. And it wasn't just getting there to make the tackle, but oftentimes to force a turnover as well. Jordan's 32 career interceptions are not only the most by a Cowboys linebacker; he's also tied for third in NFL history for picks at the position.

15. Drew Pearson

Pearson was a three-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, averaged 16 yards per catch for his 11-year career, and was always the go-to target when the game was on the line, never more so than in the playoffs. Of course, he also caught the original "Hail Mary" in a divisional playoff game at Minnesota on December 28, 1975. Maybe, maybe not, with a little bit of a push off. "There's no one I trusted more to be where he was supposed to be than Drew," Roger Staubach once said.

14. Cliff Harris

Enjoying a 10-year career that filled out the entire decade, Harris only missed the playoffs once, as he helped the Cowboys win seven NFC East titles, reach seven NFC Championship Games and appear in five Super Bowls, winning two. In all, he played in 21 postseason games for Dallas. For his effort, he was named to the All-Decade Team for the 1970s and eventually became a member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2004. Finally, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 centennial class.

13. DeMarcus Ware

Ware certainly lived up to the lofty expectations of being the 11th overall round pick in 2005, tying for the team lead in sacks as a rookie with eight, followed by seven consecutive years reigning as the Cowboys' single-season sack leader. In 2008, he posted the only 20-sack campaign of his career, which is not only a franchise record, but is tied for the 11th-best season by any NFL player. Three years later, Ware racked up 19.5 sacks, making him the first in league history to have multiple seasons of at least 19 sacks. He played nine seasons in Dallas, becoming the Cowboys' all-time leader in sacks with 117 while earning seven Pro Bowl invites and four first-team All-Pro nods

12. Jason Witten

Only three players in the 100-year history of the NFL have caught more passes than Witten, who finished the 2019 season with 1,215 receptions for 12,977 yards and 72 touchdowns. But unlike some modern-day pass receiving tight ends, the 11-time Pro Bowl selection also blocked, some years among the best in the game. The Hall of Famer Parcells has called him the greatest combination tight end he's ever seen.

After missing just one game in his rookie season because of a broken jaw, Witten returned and never missed another game in his entire career, playing in 251 consecutive games, although he did miss the 2018 season as a one-year retirement before coming back the next year.

11. Bob Hayes

There aren't many players in the 100 years of the National Football League who have been responsible for changing the game. On that super-short list is "Bullet" Bob Hayes, the gold medal Olympic sprinter who forced defensive coordinators to come up with new ways to combat his speed. Hayes was a Pro Bowler in each of his first three seasons and an All-Pro selection in 1966 and 1968. There were so many long touchdown runs—82 yards, 85 yards, 89 yards, 95 yards—because there was just no one who could catch him from behind. He also was equally dangerous on punt returns, returning three for scores in two seasons (1967-68).

10. Rayfield Wright

A few years into Wright's career the entire league took notice of his abilities as he made six straight Pro Bowls from 1971-76, the second most in team history for an offensive tackle, as well as four All-Pro selections in that span. Wright was also named to the All-Decade Team for the 1970s before eventually retiring in 1980. Although the recognition took nearly 25 years, Wright was finally inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2004, becoming the first lineman in franchise history to receive the prestigious honor. Two years later, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

9. Tony Dorsett

In the 1977 playoffs, "Touchdown Tony," then just a rookie, rushed for four scores as the Cowboys steamrolled their way to a second Super Bowl victory. Roger Staubach and Tom Landry said the difference maker from previous teams that came up short was the rookie sensation.

Dorsett went on, of course, to become a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection, among just a handful of running backs to achieve that honor. Dorsett was so much more than just statistics and numbers. He was a game changer and the ultimate gamer, always willing to stay on the field despite the hits and the pain, missing only 10 games in his 11 seasons with the Cowboys.

8. Michael Irvin

Irvin's value in the 1990's was hard to overlook, especially with his ability to rally the Cowboys as their emotional leader. His back-to-back touchdowns in Super Bowl XXVII broke open the game against the Buffalo Bills, giving the Cowboys their first title in 15 years. As part of the "Triplets," he joined Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman in leading the Cowboys to two more Super Bowl victories as well.

In 1991, Irvin topped the NFL in receiving yards, his 1,523 leading to a first-team All-Pro nod and the first of his five straight Pro Bowls. He then capped that run with 1,603 receiving yards in 1995, which still stands as the Cowboys' single-season record.

7. Mel Renfro

After Tom Landry moved Renfro to cornerback following six seasons at safety, teams just stopped throwing in his direction altogether. Over one 10-game stretch, quarterbacks threw just 36 passes his way. On special teams, there was no more dangerous a weapon in the game. As a rookie, he led the NFL in punt returns (32), punt return yards (418), kickoff returns (40) and kickoff return yards (1,107).

To this day, not only does he still own the club records for career interceptions (52) and interception return yards (626), but he is also second in average kickoff return yards (26.4) and tied for first in kickoff return touchdowns (2). And his 10 Pro Bowl nods are tied for third in Cowboys history with Larry Allen, behind only Bob Lilly and Jason Witten's 11.

6. Randy White

When the NFL named its All-Century team, it was an absolute lock that White would be listed among the defensive tackles. White was named co-MVP of Super Bowl XII along with defensive end Harvey Martin. To this day, they are the lone co-MVP winners of a Super Bowl.

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection and seven-time first-team All-Pro, White was a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame selection in 1994, the same year he entered the Ring of Honor. The case can be made that no player in franchise history was more dominant at his position, perhaps the only debate being guard Larry Allen.

5. Larry Allen

Usually, if you're the biggest, the toughest, the meanest, and definitely the strongest, you're going to be the best. No exceptions here as Larry Allen was all of those and then some. In the early 2000s, Allen once bench-pressed over 700 pounds, which only provided the visual proof of his strength, something opposing defensive linemen and linebackers had known for years with the way he had bulldozed them out of his way. Allen went on to make 10 Pro Bowls with the Cowboys while becoming arguably the greatest guard in NFL history and a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

4. Troy Aikman

The Cowboys needed a savior. They needed someone who could carry the team on his shoulders and wasn't afraid to lead them back to the promised land. That's what the Cowboys were hoping for when they selected Troy Aikman with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft.

They got exactly that, and so much more. Aikman was every bit the franchise player the Cowboys and their fans hoped he would be, becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and one of the best players to ever wear the Star. Named the MVP of Super Bowl XXVII after throwing four touchdown passes, Aikman led the Cowboys to two more titles over the next three seasons. He also earned six trips to the Pro Bowl and was the 1997 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year.

3. Emmitt Smith

On the day he was drafted by the Cowboys in 1990, Emmitt Smith made a bold prediction, stating that not only would he eventually be in the Ring of Honor, but that he would surpass Walter Payton as the NFL's all-time leading rusher. Most people brushed it off, assuming that anyone bold enough to wear black and yellow polka-dotted overalls on his first day at the job would also make a few outlandish statements.

Only it wasn't so bold after all. Smith backed up his claims, proving to be one of the league's greatest running backs.

Smith had 11 straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 1991-2001and earned four rushing titles. In 1993, despite missing the first two games because of a contract dispute, Smith returned to not only lead the league in rushing for a third straight year, but he earned NFL MVP honors and led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl XXVIII victory, where he was also named MVP of the game.

2. Bob Lilly

Lilly was the first player ever drafted by Dallas, which in part led to his nickname "Mr. Cowboy." He was also the first player inducted into the team's Ring of Honor and the first Cowboys star enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If anyone deserves the title, it's Lilly. He played in 196 consecutive regular-season games and led the Cowboys to six league or conference title tilts in eight years from 1966-73.

In 1972, the Cowboys dominated the Miami Dolphins, 24-3, to win the Super Bowl, the franchise's first. The signature play of the game was Lilly's 29-yard sack of quarterback Bob Griese.

1. Roger Staubach

The Heisman Trophy winner from the Naval Academy couldn't join the Cowboys for another five years after being drafted, his military commitment taking him to Vietnam for a stretch with the Cowboys sending him footballs every few months to toss around. When the 1971 campaign then kicked off, Staubach was less than six months away from turning 30 years old, the same age at which fellow Ring of Honor quarterback Don Meredith retired.

For the rest of the decade, though, there was no better quarterback on the planet. Named to the first-team All-1970s squad, Staubach led the league in passer rating and wins over the 10-year span while carrying Dallas to four Super Bowls and two Lombardi Trophies. He captured the Bert Bell Award as Player of the Year in 1971, took home MVP honors in Super Bowl VI, and earned six Pro Bowl invites. He's considered the greatest player to ever take the field for the Cowboys.