Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players, Part X: 'Bullet,' Drew and Witten
Continuing today, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Dallas Cowboys, we present our CowboysSI.com Top 60 All-Time Greatest Players in Franchise History.
We're presenting the Top 60 in groups of five, leading up to Nos. 1-5 on Sept. 12.
If you feel we've done a guy wrong (or right!) let us know on Twitter @PostinsPostcard and we'll barroom-brawl over it!
So, now we present Nos. 11-15. Note the criteria for selection at the bottom of the article. And if you missed any of our other pieces, check them out below.
➡️ Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players: Nos. 56-60
➡️ Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players: Nos. 51-55
➡️ Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players: Nos. 46-50
➡️ Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players: Nos. 41-45
➡️ Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players: Nos. 36-40
➡️ Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players: Nos. 31-35
➡️ Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players: Nos. 26-30
➡️ Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players: Nos. 21-25
➡️ Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players: Nos. 16-20
15. CB Everson Walls
Here’s a player who should be in the Hall of Fame (he was recently a finalist for the Hall but didn’t make it through the first round of voting). His 44 interceptions is second all-time in Cowboys history, and you’d be hard-pressed to find another rookie corner that had the kind of debut that Walls did in 1981 (an NFL-leading 11 interceptions). He led the NFL in interceptions two other times (7 in 1982 and 9 in 1985), made four Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro one time.
14. WR Bob Hayes
“Bullet” Bob was one of the NFL’s true original speedsters, a former Olympian who won two gold medals in Tokyo in 1964, including one in track and field’s glamour event, the 100-meter dash. Hayes ran track and played football at Florida A&M and the Cowboys grabbed him in the seventh round in 1964. A Super Bowl champion, a three-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All Pro (twice on the first team), Hayes is sixth in Cowboys history with 7,295 yards and second in touchdown receptions (71). A member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor, Hayes was inducted posthumously into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
13. WR Drew Pearson
Pearson is the senior committee’s lone finalist for the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot, so fingers crossed he finally takes his place in Canton, Ohio (the vote will be in February, and senior committee finalists make it most of the time). Had Pearson’s career not ended at 32 after a car accident, he might rank higher in Cowboys history among wide receivers. Still, he’s fourth all-time in receiving yards (7,822) with 489 receptions and 48 touchdown receptions. Pearson has a Super Bowl ring, three Pro Bowl selections, four All-Pro nods (three on the first-team) and has a place on the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1970s. And, of course, he was on the receiving end of the legendary ‘Hail Mary’ pass from Roger Staubach in 1975. He is also a member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor.
12. S Cliff Harris
Harris is FINALLY set to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its Centennial Class, and it’s long overdue. Considered one of the hardest-hitting safeties of the 1970s, Harris was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, a five-time All-Pro selection and a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1970s. Harris is ninth in Cowboys history with 29 interceptions and is a member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor.
11. TE Jason Witten
Witten destroyed the Cowboys’ record book for tight ends (and for pass catchers in general, for that matter). He remains the Cowboys’ all-time leader in receptions (1,215) and receiving yards (12,977). His 72 touchdown receptions is second all-time (to Dez Bryant, 73) and one ahead of Bob Hayes (71). He’s the best tight end in franchise history. Period. He will continue his career in 2020 with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Tomorrow: Nos. 6-10.
Top 60 criteria:
Player honors — Pro Football Hall of Fame, Cowboys Ring of Honor, All-Pro selections, Pro Bowl selections, MVP awards, etc… That has to be a big part of the process.
Team success — Pro football is a team game, and as such every player on the list played a part in a successful era in Cowboys history (though success is, to some degree, in the eyes of the beholder).
Time with Cowboys — This is important. As part of this process I only took into account a player’s time WITH the Cowboys. There have been some great players that have come through Dallas, but some of them only spent a few years with the team. Depending upon how successful they and the team were during their time, that influenced whether they made the list or not. That also includes their impact and role in that success, whether there are statistics associated with that or not.
Feedback from experts — Throughout the process I consulted with two writers that have been around the Cowboys since the 1990s — Mike Fisher and Richie Whitt. Their feedback, along with the bios that I wrote on each player, played a role in where players were ranked.
