 BOB LILLY, defensive tackle, 1961-1974
Born: July 26 1939 - Olney,
Texas.
Drafted: Bob Lilly was the
first player ever drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1961.
Years Played: 1961-1974
Position Played: Defensive
Tackle
Played For: Dallas Cowboys
Alma Mater: Texas Christian
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
1980
Uniform Number: 74
Best Known For:
Bob Lilly was the first player ever drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as well as
their first All-Pro, first Pro Bowl selection, first Ring of Honor member
and first Hall of Famer.
College Highlights:
Two-time All-South West Conference
Consensus All-American
Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
NFL Highlights:
Named Rookie of the Year (1961)
11-Time Pro Bowl Selection (10 consecutive)
7-Time All-Pro Selection
Member of the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team
Member of the AFL-NFL 25-year Anniversary Team
Inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame
Played in two Super Bowls (V, VII
Won Super Bowl VI Title
Won two NFC Titles
Won Four Eastern Conference Titles
First player inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor (1975)
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1980)
Nicknamed
Mr. Cowboy, Bob Lilly was the franchises first draft choice in 1961, the
first name in the Ring of Honor in 1975
and its first inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980. A seven-time All-Pro,
Lilly was named to a club-record 11 Pro Bowls. He was a two-time All-SWC pick and an
All-America at Texas Christian University before being drafted by Dallas.
 DON MEREDITH, quarterback, 1960-1968
Born: April 10, 1938 - Mount
Vernon, Texas
Drafted: Don Meredith was
drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1960 NFL Draft,
before his rights were traded to the Dallas Cowboys for future draft picks.
Years Played: 1960-1968
Position Played: Quarterback
Played For: Dallas Cowboys
Alma Mater: Southern
Methodist University
Nickname: Dandy Don
Uniform Number: 17
Best Season:
Don Meredith's best season came in 1966 when he was named NFL Player of the
Year. He threw for 2,805 yards and 24 touchdowns and added 242 yards and
five touchdowns running with the ball.
College Highlights:
Two-Time All-American Selection
NFL Career Totals:
Passing - Completed 1,170 of 2,308 Passes for 17,199 yards and 135
Touchdowns
Rushing - 242 carries for 1,216 Yards and 15 Touchdowns.
NFL Highlights:
Two-Time Pro Bowl Selection
NFL Player of the Year (1966)
Played in consecutive NFL Championship games (1966-67)
Three Straight Division Titles
Set a franchise record for the longest pass completion (95 yards -Nov. 11,
1966)
Added to the Dallas Cowboys Ring of honor (1976)
One of Monday Night Football's original broadcasters (1970-73, 77-83)
Don Meredith led the Cowboys to their first winning
season and their first NFL Championship Game in 1966. Signed by Clint Murchison, Jr.
before Dallas was granted its NFL franchise, “Dandy Don” played in two Pro Bowls
and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1966. A two-time All-America at SMU, Don’s
name was added to the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor in 1976.
 DON PERKINS, running back, 1961-1968
Born: March 4, 1938 -
Waterloo, Iowa
Drafted: Don Perkins was
drafted by the Baltimore Colts, but he had already signed a service contract
with the Cowboys before Dallas was granted its NFL franchise, so the Colts
were awarded compensation for his rights.
Years Played: 1961-1968
Position Played: Running Back
Played For: Dallas Cowboys
Alma Mater: New Mexico
Uniform Number: 43
Best Season:
Don Perkins best year was in 1962 when he ran for 945 yards and seven
touchdowns.
College Highlights:
Skyline Conference Sophomore of the Year (1957)
Three-Time All-Skyline Selection (1957-59)
Led the nation in kickoff returns his senior year (1959)
NFL Career Totals:
Rushing - Carried 1,500 Times for 6,217 Yards and 42 Touchdowns
Receiving - Caught 146 Balls for 1,310 Yards and Three Touchdowns
NFL Highlights:
Named to Six Pro Bowls
NFL Rookie of the Year (1961)
Named All-Pro (1962)
Won Three Straight Division Titles
First player in franchise history to reach 6,000 yards rushing
Inducted into the Ring of Honor (1976)
Don Perkins was the first Cowboys player to rush for
more than 6,000 yards. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Perkins finished among the top 10
NFL rushers in each of his eight seasons. He was named NFL Rookie of the Year in 1961 and
All-Pro in 1962. Perkins was signed before Dallas was granted its NFL franchise. A
three-time All-Skyline pick at New Mexico, he was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1976
 CHUCK HOWLEY, linebacker, 1961-1973
Born: June 28, 1936
Drafted: The Chicago Bears
selected Chuck Howley in the first round of the 1958 NFL draft, but he
retired after suffering what appeared to be a career-ending knee injury
during the 1959 season. Howley decided to make a comeback in 1961, and his
rights were traded to the Dallas Cowboys for future draft picks.
Years Played: 1958-1959,
1961-1972
Position Played: Outside
Linebacker
Played For: Chicago Bears
(1958-1959), Dallas Cowboys (1961-1972)
Alma Mater: West Virginia
Uniform Number: 54
College Highlights:
3-Time All-Southern Conference
Southern Conference Athlete of the Year (1957)
Lettered in five sports (Football, Track, Diving, Gymnastics, Wrestling)
at West Virginia University
NFL Highlights:
Named Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl V
First Player From a Losing Team to Win Super Bowl MVP Honors
First Defensive Player Named Super Bowl MVP
Named All-Pro Six times
Selected to the Pro Bowl Six times
Named to All-Eastern Conference Team (1963)
Memeber of Super Bowl VI Championship Team
Won Two NFC Titles
Won Five Eastern Conference Titles
When Chuck Howley retired in 1973, Tom Landry said
“I don’t know that I’ve seen anybody better at linebacker than
Howley.” A six-time All-Pro, Howley was the most valuable player in Super Bowl V. The
Cowboys traded for Howley, who was drafted by Chicago in 1958. He was an All-America
center at West Virginia. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Howley was added to the Ring of
Honor in 1977.
MEL RENFRO,
defensive back, 1964 - 1977
Born: Dec. 30, 1941 - Houston, Texas
Drafted: Mel Renfro was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second
round of the 1964 NFL Draft
Years Played: 1964-1977
Position Played: Mel Renfro was a running back coming out of college, but
played cornerback and safety for the Dallas Cowboys. He also returned punts
and kickoffs early in his career.
Played For: Dallas Cowboys
Alma Mater: Oregon
Inducted Into Pro Football Hall of Fame: 1996
Uniform Number: 20
Best Season:
Mel Renro's best season was probably in 1971 when he picked off 11 passes and
recovered two fumbles.
High School Highlights:
Two-Time High School All-American Running Back
College Highlights:
Consensus All-American (1962)
NFL Highlights:
Led the NFL in Kickoff and Punt Returns His Rookie Season
Named All-Pro Five Times (1964,65,69,71,73)
Selected to Pro Bowl 10 Times
Named Pro Bowl MVP (1971) Named All-NFC three times
Set a Dallas Cowboys Career Record with 52 interceptions
Won Two Super Bowl Titles (VI, XII)
Won Four NFC Championships
Won Nine Division Titles
Inducted Into Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor (1981)
Mel Renfro was named to the Pro Bowl his first 10
seasons in the NFL. He is the club’s all-time interceptor with 52 and kickoff
returner with a 26.4-yard career average. Renfro was drafted in the second round in 1964
after a career as an All-America halfback and world class sprinter at Oregon. A five-time
All-Pro, Renfro was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1981
 ROGER STAUBACH, quarterback, 1969-1979
Born : Feb. 5, 1942 - Cincinnati, Ohio
Drafted: Roger Staubach was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 10th
round of the 1964 NFL Draft, but did not join the team until 1969 due to his
Naval commitment.
Years Played: 1969-1979
Position Played: Quarterback
Alma Mater: Navy
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: 1985
Nickname: Captain Comeback
Uniform Number: 12
Best Season:
Roger Staubach's best season is debatable. He was named league MVP in 1971
when he passed for 1882 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four inteceptions.
His highest passing total came in 1979, his last year in the league, when he
threw for 3,586 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Roger Staubach Quotes:
"Spectacular achievements come from unspectacular preparation."
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something...
hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication."
College Highlights:
Led Navy to a 9-1 regular season record and a No. 2 national ranking
(1963)
Awarded the Heisman
Trophy (1963)
Awarded the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy (1963)
Received the Naval Academy Athletic Association Sword (1965)
NFL Career Totals:
Passing: 1,685 Completions for 22,700 Yards and 153 Touchdowns on 2,958
attempts
Rushing: 2,264 Yards and 20 Touchdowns on 410 Attempts
NFL Highlights:
Pro Bowl Selection Six Times
4-Time NFL Passing Champion
Super Bowl MVP (VI)
Won two Super Bowl Titles (VI, XII)
Won Five NFC Titles
Won Seven Division Titles
Received the Byron "Whizzer" White Award (1979)
Named Vince Lombardi Sportsman of the Year (1975)
Named NFL Players Association Most Valuable Player (1971)
Received Bert Bell Award (1971)
Received Field Scovill Award by the All-Sports Association of Dallas
(1975)
Named to the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor (1983)
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1985)
Roger Staubach led the Cowboys to six NFC Championship
Games, four Super Bowls and two Super Bowl titles. A great clutch performer, Staubach led
Dallas to comeback victories 23 times, 14 in the last two minutes or overtime. A five-time
Pro Bowler, he was drafted by Dallas in 1964 after winning the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell
Award at the Naval Academy. Inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1983, Roger was elected to
the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
 LEE ROY JORDAN, linebacker, 1963-1976
Born: April 27, 1941
Drafted: The Dallas Cowboys
drafted Lee Roy Jordan with their first-round draft pick in 1963.
Years Played: 1963-1976
Position Played: Middle
Linebacker
Played For: Dallas Cowboys
Alma Mater: Alabama
Uniform Number: 55
Best Known For:
Lee Roy Jordan was a key member of the Dallas Cowboys famed "Doomsday
Defense".
College Highlights:
All-SEC (1961, 1962)
National Championship (1961)
Touchdown Club of Atlanta Award Winner (1962)
All-American Selection (1963)
Inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1980)
Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1983)
Inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame 1988)
Silver Anniversary Linebacker Award (1987)
NCAA Silver Anniversary Award Winner (1988)
NFL Highlights:
2-Time All-Pro
5-Time Pro Bowl
Set Cowboys Record with 1,236 career tackles
Set Cowboys Record with 743 solo career tackles
Competed in three Super Bowls
Won One Super Bowl Title
Won Five Conference Championships
Won Eight Division titles
Selected to Cowboys Silver Season All-Time Team (1984)
Inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor (1990)
The inspirational leader of the Cowboys’ first
championship teams was Lee Roy Jordan. The Cowboys’ first-round draft choice in 1963
following an All-America career at Alabama, Jordan anchored the “Doomsday
Defense” from his middle linebacker position for 14 years. He was named to the Pro
Bowl five times and All-Pro twice. Jordan was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1989.
TOM LANDRY - Head Coach 1960 - 1988
The first head coach of the Cowboys, Tom Landry led
Dallas to two Super Bowl wins and five NFC titles in his 29 years at the Cowboys helm. He
compiled a career record of 270-178-6, the third most wins in NFL history, and was elected
to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Landry was inducted into the Ring of Honor in
1993.
Landry, who coached the Cowboys for their first 29 years, won two
Super Bowls with star quarterback Roger Staubach. His 270 victories are more than any NFL
coach except Don Shula and George Halas.
"Tom Landry's familiar presence on the Dallas Cowboys'
sideline for three decades represented the NFL at its best," NFL commissioner Paul
Tagliabue said in a statement. "He will always rank as one of the all-time great
coaches and as an architect of one of the most successful teams in sports history. He will
be remembered for many special reasons, including his record as a coach, the innovations
he brought to our game, and the personal integrity he displayed."
Landry considered those innovations his greatest contribution to
the game. His legacy continued through the coaches he produced, including Atlanta's Dan
Reeves and former New Orleans coach Mike Ditka, who both went to the Super Bowl.
In Landry's first season, 1960, the expansion Cowboys went
0-11-1. He didn't have a winning season until his seventh. But that began a streak of 20
consecutive winning seasons, 13 division titles and five Super Bowl appearances.
After three straight losing seasons, Landry was fired by Jerry
Jones the day he bought the team in February 1989.
His final record was 270-178-6, a .601 winning percentage. And
when he left, he was as much a symbol of the Cowboys as the star on their helmets.
 Noted for impassive, sideline demeanor ... Perfected flex
defense, multiple offense, revived shotgun (spread) offense
29-year tenure with one team tied NFL record ... Career record: 270-178-6
... 270 wins third most ever
Had 20 straight winning seasons, five NFC titles, two Super Bowl wins
Defensive back, punter with Yankees (AAFC), Giants (NFL), 1949-1955.
DOB: 09/11/1924 ... Birthplace: Mission, TX ... Date of Death: 02/12/2000 ...
High School: Mission (TX)
 TONY DORSETT,
running back, 1977-1987
Born: April 7, 1954
Drafted: Tex Schramm traded
one first-round, and three second-round draft choices for the right to draft
Tony Dorsett in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft.
Years Played: 1977-1988
Position Played: Running Back
Played For: Dallas Cowboys
(1977-1987), Denver Broncos (1988)
Alma Mater: Pittsburgh
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
1994
Uniform Number: 33
Best Season:
In 1981, Tony Dorsett rushed for 1646 yards and four touchdowns on 342
carriers and also caught 32 balls for 325 yards and six touchdowns.
College Highlights:
Rushed for 1,948 yards his freshman year
Rushed fpr a four-year total of 6,082 yards
First player in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in each of
four seasons
A consensus All-American in 1975 and 1976
Heisman Trophy Winner (1976)
Walter Camp Award Winner (1976)
Maxwell Award Winner (1976)
Four Time All-America (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976)
No. 33 jersey retired (1976)
Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1994)
NFL Career Totals:
Rushing - 2,936 Carries for 11,650 Yards and 77 Touchdowns
Receiving - 398 receptions for 3,554 Yards and 13 Touchdowns
NFL Highlights:
4-Time Pro Bowl Selection
All-Pro (1981)
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1977)
3-Time All-NFC selection
Super Bowl XII Title
NFL Record 99-yard TD Run (Jan. 3, 1983 vs. Minnesota)
Played in five NFC championship games and two Super Bowls (XII, XIII)
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1994)
Tony Dorsett finished his career as the second leading
rusher in NFL history and played in five NFC Championship Games, two Super Bowls and four
Pro Bowls. After guiding the University of Pittsburgh to the 1976 national title and
claiming the Heisman Trophy, Dorsett captured rookie of the year honors in 1977. He also
holds the NFL record with a 99-yard touchdown run. Inducted into the Ring of Honor in
1994, Dorsett was also elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
 RANDY WHITE,
defensive tackle, 1975 - 1988
Born : Jan. 15, 1953 -
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Drafted: Randy White was drafted
No.2 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1975 NFL Draft.
Years Played: 1975-1988
Position Played: Started out as
a linebacker his first two seasons before being moved to defensive tackle,
where he spent the remainder of his career.
Played For: Dallas Cowboys
Alma Mater: University of
Maryland
Inducted into the Pro Football
Hall of Fame: 1994
Best Season: Randy White's best
season was probably in 1978 when he recorded 123 tackles and 16 sacks.
Nickname: Manster (half man,
half monster)
Uniform Number: At the
University of Maryland, Randy White wore number 94. With the Dallas Cowboys,
he wore number 54.
College Highlights:
Consensus All-American (1974)
Outland Trophy Winner (1974)
Lombardi Trophy Winner (1974)
ACC Player of the Year (1974)
Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1994)
NFL Highlights:
Selected for the Pro Bowl Nine Times
Named All-Pro Eight Times
Named Super Bowl Co-MVP (XII)
NFC Defensive Player of the Year (1978)
NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year (1982)
Won One Super Bowl Title (XII)
Won three NFC Titles
Won Five Division Titles
Inducted into the Dallas Cowboy's Ring of Honor (1994)
A nine-time Pro Bowler during his 14 years with Dallas,
Randy White established a club-record with eight straight All-Pro selections. White was
co-MVP (with teammate Harvey Martin) in the Cowboys’ Super Bowl XII victory over
Denver. A consensus All-America defensive end for Maryland in 1974, White won both the
Outland Trophy and the Vince Lombardi Awards. Inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1994,
Randy was also elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
 BOB HAYES,
wide receiver, 1965 - 1974
Born: December 20, 1942
Died: September 18, 2002
Drafted: Bob Hayes was drafted
by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 1964 NFL Draft.
Years Played: 1965-1975
Position Played: Wide Receiver
Played For: Dallas Cowboys
Alma Mater: Florida A&M
Nickname: Bullet Bob
Uniform Number: 22
Best Season:
"Bullet" Bob Hayes best season came in 1966, just his second in the NFL,
when he caught 64 passes for 1232 yards and 13 touchdowns in 14 games.
NFL Career Totals:
Receiving - 371 Receptions for 7,414 Yards and 71 Touchdowns
Punt Returns - 104 Returns for 1,158 Yards and 3 Touchdowns
Career Highlights:
Won two Gold Medals in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan
Named "World's Fastest Human" after tying World Record in 100-meter dash
Named All-Pro four times
Selected to the Pro Bowl three times
Member of Super Bowl VI Championship Team
Won Two NFC Titles
Won Five Eastern Conference Titles
Set a Cowboys Franchise Record with 71 Career TD Receptions
Set a Cowboys Franchise Record 20.0 Career Yards Per Catch Average
First rookie to lead the Cowboys in receptions with 46 and in reception
yards with 1,003.
First player in Cowboy's history to total more than 1,000 yards receiving
in a single season
Inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor (2001)
Considered the "World's Fastest Human" after
winning the Olympic 100-meter dash in 1964, Hayes still holds the Cowboys record for
career TD receptions with 71.
 TEX
SCHRAMM - General Manager, 1959 - 1988
Born: June 2, 1920, San Gabriel, California
Died: July 15, 2003
Best Known For :
Tex Schramm is best known for transforming the Dallas Cowboys expansion
franchise of the 1960s into "America's Team".
Career Highlights and Accomplishments:
Coordinated the merger of the established NFL and the American Football
League in 1966
Created the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Brought the NFL to the nation on Thanksgiving Day
Spearheading the involvement of instant replay in the officiating of the
game
Gave the head referee a microphone for penalty announcements
Shortened the play-clock
Helped to develop a six-division wild-card playoff system
Originated the idea of using a sports anchorman for major athletic events
on television
Built the NFLs first bona fide scouting system
Moved the official game time to the clock on the scoreboard
Moved hash marks toward the middle of the field to open the field up more
for offenses
Developed the sudden-death overtime concept for breaking ties
Implemented the in-the-grasp rule to protect quarterbacks
Enabled quarterbacks to stop the clock by throwing the ball directly into
the ground
Made defensive linemen's head slaps illegal
Other notables:
Developed the Cowboys' Ring of Honor
Gave Pete Rozelle his first NFL job as Los Angeles Rams public relations
director
Chaired the NFL Competition Committee from 1966 to 1988
Named NFL Executive of the Year by The Sporting News in 1977
Received the Bert Bell award for outstanding executive leadership in the
NFL in 1978
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on January 26, 1991, and
formally enshrined on July 27th of that year
Tex Schramm, considered one of the greatest
innovators professional football has known and the team's first president
and general manager, joined the 11 other members in the Ring of Honor, but
unfortunately the 83-year-old Schramm didn't make it to his induction,
passing away July 15, 2003, but knowing he was going to be so honored.
Cliff
Harris Safety 1970 -1979
When rookie safety Cliff Harris arrived in the Cowboys'
camp in 1970, he joined a star-studded defensive backfield that included
future Hall of Fame members Mel Renfro and Herb Adderley at cornerback, and
Cornell Green and fellow rookie Charlie Waters at safety. But Harris would
more than hold his own in a standout 10-year career that included six Pro
Bowl selections and two Super Bowl titles. Only five players in Cowboys
history have been selected to more Pro Bowls than Harris. He was also a
four-time All-Pro selection and a member of the NFL's all-decade team for
teh 1970's.
During his 10-year career, Harris participated in five
Super Bowls, including the Cowboys first world championship with their
victory in Super Bowl VI. Only one other player in NFL history has appeared
in more Super Bowls than Harris. He is one of only 13 players in NFL history
to have played in five Super Bowls.
Undrafted after a solid college career at tiny Ouachita
Baptist, Harris was another of the team's many smallschool treasures. In his
rookie season, Harris won the starting safety job and played well for most
of the season before leaving the team to fulfill a military obligation.
Waters played brilliantly in his absence, but Harris managed to win the job
back in camp before the 1971 season. With Harris partroling the defensive
backfield, the Cowboys defense ranked in the top 10 in the league each of
Harris' 10 seasons, including leading the league in 1977.
His role widened to include kick return duties, as Harris
averaged a sterling 28.4 yards-per-kick return in 1971. In the secondary, he
made the first of six consecutive Pro Bowl appearances in 1974. Nicknamed
"Captain Crash" for his jarring hits, Harris was at his best in the
postsason, finishing his career with six interceptions and four forced
fumbles in 21 postseason games.
Rayfield Wright
Offensive Tackle 1967 - 1979
Only nine players have played football for the Dallas
Cowboys longer than Rayfield Wright, and only five players in the history of
the Cowboys organization have been to more Pro Bowls than the six Wright was
selected to. After playing tight end, tackle and defensive end during his
first three NFL seasons, Wright settled in at right tackle in 1970. Before
undergoing knee surgery that forced him to miss most of the 1977 season,
Wright was acknowledged as the NFL's premier offensive tackle. Wright was
selected to six straight Pro Bowls (1971-76) as a tackle while earning
All-Pro honors four times and earning recognition on the NFL's all-decade
team for the 1970's.
During each of his 13 seasons, the Cowboys offense ranked
in the top six in the NFL for total offense, including leading the league
five times. Behind his blocking, Calvin Hill became the first 1,000 yard
rusher in team history when he ran for 1,036 yards in 1972. All totaled,
Dallas had a running back clear the 1,000 yard barier five times during his
tenure. Also behind his blocking, Roger Staubach became the first
quarterback in franchise history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a
season when he totaled 3,190 passing yards in 1978, the year Wright returned
from his knee surgery.
During his 13 seasons, Wright was a participant in five Super Bowls,
claiming the ultimate prize twice. Only one other player in NFL history has
appeared in more Super Bowls than Wright, and he is one of only 13 players
in NFL history to have played in five Super Bowls |
