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Tight end Jay Novacek of the Dallas Cowboys

The Life And Career Of Jay Novacek

NFL fans may recall the Dallas Cowboys’ “Triplets” of the 1990s: quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and receiver Michael Irvin. Of course, the offense had other unsung heroes, including tight end Jay Novacek. Novacek was originally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and playe...

Ben Donahue • 2 weeks ago

Dallas Cowboys helmets

The Life And Career Of Danny White

Being a starting quarterback in the NFL brings a tremendous spotlight because it’s arguably the most scrutinized position in all of professional sports. It’s even worse if QB1 is under center for the Dallas Cowboys. Given the franchise’s storied history and because it's referred to as “Americ...

Ben Donahue • 1 year ago

Head coach Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys paces on the sideline

The Life And Career Of Tom Landry

Tom Landry is one of the winningest NFL coaches in the history of the league. The “Man in the Hat” roamed the sidelines of the Dallas Cowboys for almost three decades and left the sport with 270 victories. https://twitter.com/miles_commodore/status/1624744478375378944 When he was fired before...

Ben Donahue • 1 year ago

More from Pro Football History on Dallas Cowboys History

Jimmy Johnson, Head Coach for the Dallas Cowboys

The Life And Career Of Jimmy Johnson (Story)

Not all head coaches are created equal. Some win or contend for championships no matter where they go while others find little to moderate success. Jimmy Johnson was squarely in the company of the former. After leading Oklahoma State to two bowl appearances in the early 1980s, Johnson went to...

Ben Donahue • 3 years ago

DeMarcus Ware speaks during the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Life And Career Of DeMarcus Ware (Story)

On the eve of the 2005 NFL Draft, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Bill Parcells were in disagreement. Parcells liked LSU defensive lineman Marcus Spears for the Cowboys’ 11th overall selection. Jones was enamored with Troy University’s DeMarcus Ware. Since he signed Parcells’s...

Ben Donahue • 3 years ago

2 Jun 1997: Safety Bill Bates of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during Dallas quarterback school in Valley Ranch, Texas.

The Life And Career Of Bill Bates (Story)

Bill Bates has the kind of origin story NFL fans love. He was a long shot to make it as a professional football player as an undrafted free agent in 1983. The Dallas Cowboys took a chance and signed Bates after a successful college career at Tennessee. It couldn’t have worked out any better a...

Ben Donahue • 3 years ago

Quarterback Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys attempts a pass

The Life And Career Of Tony Romo (Story)

Ben Donahue • 3 years ago Throughout the team’s history, the Dallas Cowboys have produced several memorable quarterbacks. When the franchise began play in 1960, its quarterback was rookie “Dandy” Don Meredith. Meredith played long enough for Roger Staubach to take over. After some lean years with Danny White in the mi...

Dallas Cowboys helmet

The Life And Career Of Bob Hayes (Story)

Ben Donahue • 3 years ago Pro football teams looking for a player to stretch opposing defenses were intrigued by one particular prospect in 1964. Florida A&M receiver Bob Hayes had competed in the 1964 Olympic Games and won two gold medals. Hayes then returned to play his senior year for the Rattlers and continued...

Former NFL player Troy Aikman speaks onstage

The Life And Career Of Troy Aikman (Story)

Ben Donahue • 4 years ago In the first three decades of the team’s existence, the Dallas Cowboys appeared in two NFL Championship games, five Super Bowls, and three straight NFC Championship games in the early eighties. By the late 1980s, however, Dallas had fallen on hard times. The lowest of the low came in 1989 whe...

Dallas Cowboys helmet

The Life And Career Of Bob Lilly (Story)

Ben Donahue • 4 years ago If there was ever a player who personified the Dallas Cowboys, it was Bob Lilly. Before his 14-year career with the Cowboys, Lilly was born and raised in Texas, played most of his prep career in Texas, and even played college ball in the Lone Star state. “Mr. Cowboy” arrived in 1961 when Dall...

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach speaks

The Life And Career Of Roger Staubach (Story)

Ben Donahue • 4 years ago Once upon a time, the Dallas Cowboys were called “America’s Team.” There is some debate about whether the franchise is still known as such today, especially since the ‘boys have not won a world title since the 1990s. However, in the 1970s, hardly a year went by when Dallas wasn’t playing in a...

Emmitt Smith poses with his bust

The Life And Career Of Emmitt Smith (Story)

Ben Donahue • 4 years ago As difficult as it is to get to the NFL, some athletes are destined to play in the league. Emmitt Smith was one such athlete. Smith was a spectacular running back in high school who also shined in college and the pros. As a member of the famed Dallas Cowboys “Triplets,” Smith helped the organ...

Drew Pearson reacts at the end of his speach

The Life And Career Of Drew Pearson (Story)

Poch de la Rosa • 4 years ago Before star wide receivers Michael Irvin, Dez Bryant, and CeeDee Lamb rose to prominence with the Dallas Cowboys, another legendary Dallas wideout wore number 88 and made mincemeat of opposing secondaries. That Cowboys wide receiver was no other than Drew Pearson. Pearson, who started his pro...

Dallas Cowboys great Mel Renfro on the sidelines

The Life And Career Of Mel Renfro (Story)

Poch de la Rosa • 4 years ago Mel Renfro revolutionized the cornerback position during his 14-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys from 1964 to 1977. Renfro saw time on special teams and free safety during his first several years in the NFL. When he switched to the cornerback position before the 1968 NFL campaign, grea...

Morris Claiborne #24 of the Dallas Cowboys

The Life And Career Of Morris Claiborne (Story)

Poch de la Rosa • 4 years ago Former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne could've been mentioned in the same breath as Mel Renfro, Darren Woodson, Cliff Harris, Deion Sanders, and Everson Walls as the best defensive backs in the franchise's storied history. Instead, many fans and experts consider Claiborne one of t...

Offensive lineman Nate Newton of the Dallas Cowboys

What Happened To Nate Newton? (Story)

Poch de la Rosa • 4 years ago Big Nate Newton was a pillar of strength for the Dallas Cowboys dynasty of the 1990s. With Newton playing left guard for head coaches Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, America's Team won three Super Bowl titles in four years from 1992 to 1995. Newton was as nimble as he was gargantuan - the 6'...

Defensive lineman Ed "Too Tall" Jones #72 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates a play during a 1985 NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California.

The Life And Career Of Ed "Too Tall" Jones (Complete Story)

Ben Donahue • 4 years ago NFL defenders typically have a number of intimidation tactics at their disposal. They might be adept at trash talking or sacking the quarterback. For some, their speed and agility help them make plays all over the field. Others are known as “ballhawks” who are proficient at intercepting passe...

Dallas Cowboys

The Life And Career Of Hollywood Henderson (Story)

Poch de la Rosa • 4 years ago Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson was a flamboyant linebacker whose various shenanigans made headlines during his football career. He earned the nickname "Wild Man" during his college days at Langston University. One of his trademark antics was taunting opposing players inside their team bus. Hend...

Everson Walls #24 of the Dallas Cowboys

What Happened To Everson Walls? (Story)

Poch de la Rosa • 4 years ago Many NFL teams passed up on Grambling State Tigers rookie defensive back Everson Walls in the 1981 NFL Draft. It was one of the biggest mistakes they ever made. The Dallas Cowboys, the team Walls grew up following, signed him as an undrafted free agent. Little did they know Walls would become...

Erik Williams #79, Tackle for the Dallas Cowboys

The Life And Career Of Erik Williams (Story)

Poch de la Rosa • 5 years ago Dallas Cowboys right tackle Erik Williams was one of the few offensive linemen who could manhandle legendary Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Reggie White. The 6'6", 325-lb. Williams somehow found ways to hold off one of the greatest pass rushers in the history of professional football. Not...

Running back Herschel Walker of the Dallas Cowboys runs with the ball during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. The Cowboys won the game 26-22.

The Life And Career Of Herschel Walker (Complete Story)

Ben Donahue • 5 years ago Contrary to popular belief, high school football stars do not always make it to the NFL. More often than not, prep heroes end up as afterthoughts in college or are swallowed up by the competition in the pros. That didn’t happen to Herschel Walker. After a distinguished high school career that...

Running Back for the Dallas Cowboys

The Life And Career Of Tony Dorsett (Complete Story)

Robert Marvi • 5 years ago Running back Tony Dorsett was one of the more gifted tailbacks in the history of football, and he took full advantage of the gifts the universe blessed him with. He was a big time star at every level he played at, not to mention a winner at every level. Dorsett may not be the most famous lege...

Defensive back Darren Woodson of the Dallas Cowboys

The Life And Career Of Darren Woodson (Complete Story)

Poch de la Rosa • 5 years ago Strong safety Darren Woodson was the final piece of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty in the early to mid-1990s. When they selected him 37th overall in the 1992 NFL Draft, they went on to win three Super Bowl titles in the next four seasons. Woodson's versatility allowed him to rack up stats across...

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin (88) with the ball during an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers played on October 15, 1995 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, CA.

The Life And Career Of WR Michael Irvin (Complete Story)

Tim Durr • 6 years ago Climbing out of poverty, persevering through hunger, and overcoming the odds to be successful is not a unique pathway for professional athletes. Michael Irvin knows those struggles quite well. You can’t see it on the surface when watching highlights during his 12-year career with the Dallas C...

Former Florida State cornerback Deion Sanders smiles during the Florida State Garnet vs. Gold Spring Game at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell in Tallahassee, FL on April 6th, 2019.

Atlanta Falcons History

The Life And Career Of Deion Sanders (Complete Story)

Ben Donahue • 6 years ago The 1989 NFL Draft is considered one of the best drafts in league history. No less than five of the first 20 picks were eventually voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In fact, four of those Hall of Fame players were selected within the first five picks. Michigan State tackle Tony Mandar...