Top 5 Dallas Cowboys of all time

The top five Dallas Cowboys of all time, goes down the list of the greatest Cowboys players in the history of its illustrious franchise. Bob Lilly, Emmitt Smith and Randy White are a few of the names on this list. The Cowboys have had a lot of great players over the years, and if you disagree with the men that make the top five. Feel free to leave comment with your own top five.

5. Chuck Howley

Chuck Howley was traded to the Dallas Cowboys from the Chicago Bears during 1963 NFL Draft and he would become the greatest linebacker in Cowboys history. He was the Super Bowl V MVP and the Cowboys didn’t even win the game. Howley was a Hall of Fame finalist in 2007 and is one of the most underrated Cowboys ever. When Tom Landry retired in 1973 he said “I don’t know that I’ve seen anybody better at linebacker than Howley.” Anybody who has Landry’s confidence as the greatest linebacker he’s ever seen has to be on this list.

4. Randy White

The “Manster” half man, half monster, Randy White’s entire career on the Dallas Cowboys from 1975-1988 has been an exercise in complete dominance. Nine Pro Bowl selections, nine All-Pro selections, a Super Bowl Champion, Co-Super Bowl MVP, and a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1994 is enough to have to put him at number four. He is considered by most NFL historians as one of the best defensive tackles in NFL history and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for White. He played on many Cowboys teams in the 80′s that failed to live up to expectations but as an  individual player he was greater than his teams accomplishments.

3. Roger Staubach

Drafted in 1964, the Cowboys had to wait till 1969 after Roger Staubach finished his service in the Navy in Vietnam to finally see what he could do, and boy was he worth the wait. The Super Bowl Championships, Pro Bowls and All-Pro selections can’t truly define how great of a Dallas Cowboys player he was, because he shined most in the playoffs. The term “Hail Mary” pass is from when Staubach won a Playoff game against the 1975 Minnesota Vikings, after throwing a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson in the end zone in the closing seconds. Whether you want to call him “Captain Comeback”, “Rodger the Dodger” or “Captain America”, Staubach is the greatest quarterback in Dallas Cowboys history, but he’s third on this list. The reason he’s third on this list, is the two Super Bowl losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That is the only stain on his career, but he’s still the 3^rd best Dallas Cowboys player ever.

2. Emmitt Smith

I know I’m going to catch a lot of flak for not adding Michael Irvin or Troy Aikman of the 90′s triplets to the top five, but the one member of the triplets that was the best among them is Emmitt Smith. NFL career rushing yards champion with 18,355. The Pro Bowls, All-Pro, rushing yards season leader four times, three Super Bowl Championships and NFL MVP in 1993. A case can be made for Aikman and Irvin, but Smith’s legs were the foundation for all of their accomplishments. The greatest running back in NFL history is the second best Dallas Cowboys player ever in my estimation.

1. Bob Lilly

“Mr. Cowboy” Bob Lilly is number one on this list, and if you disagree, then you’re not a true Cowboys fan. I know he’s old school, but 11 Pro Bowl selections, seven All-Pro first team, two All-Pro second team, NFL 1960′s All-Decade team, NFL 1970s All-Decade team, Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, and a Super Bowl Championship in under his belt in VI. His name was the first name to be inscribed in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, and is the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history by any poll from any major sporting magazine or newspaper. He’s the greatest Dallas Cowboys player ever.

This concludes the Top 5 Dallas Cowboys ever. If you disagree with this list, feel free to comment with your Top 5.

James Cobern is a Featured Journalist for TPF and can be contacted at JCobern@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com.