Cowboys Top 60 Greatest Players, Part I: Bates to Newhouse
Beginning 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.
For the next 12 days, we will present the Top 60 in groups of five, leading up to Nos. 1-5 on Sept. 12. On Sept. 13, we’ll present our “Fan Vote Top 60.”
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. 56-60. Note the criteria for selection at the bottom of the article.
60. S Roy Williams
A first-round pick in 2002, Williams played seven years for the Cowboys, making the Pro Bowl five times and earning selection to one All-Pro team. Williams was considered a better hitter than a pass defender, but he finished his career in Dallas with 19 interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. He wasn’t quite the first-round pick fans were hoping for, but he played well during his time in Dallas.
59. DB Dennis Thurman
One of the more overlooked players in Cowboys history, Thurman played from 1978-85. He made second-team All-NFC just once and never earned a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod. In Cowboys history Thurman is fourth in interceptions (36), behind only Charlie Waters, Everson Walls and Mel Renfro. He also has more interception returns for a touchdown (4) than any Cowboy in history. He also retired as the franchise’s all-time leader in playoff interceptions (7).
58. Robert Newhouse
Newhouse was another versatile player who didn’t rack up huge numbers, but did a lot of things for the Cowboys in an 11-year career. A two-time All-Pro selection and a Super Bowl champion, Newhouse had the talent to rush, block, catch, pass and play special teams, and did all of that. As a result, Newhouse’s numbers weren’t flashy — 4,784 rushing yards, 956 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns — but he got the job done.
He threw a touchdown pass to Golden Richards in Super Bowl XII and retired as the Cowboys’ fourth all-time leading rusher.
57. S Bill Bates
Bates was the quintessential undrafted free agent who turned a long-shot roster invite into a long career that include Super Bowl rings and paved the way for a special teams player to be included in the Pro Bowl on an annual basis. In 1984, Bates was a Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection for special teams.
As of 2020 Bates is the Cowboys’ all-time leader in special teams tackles (almost 100 more than Darren Woodson) and remains among the Top 21 Cowboys in tackles all time (701).
56. C Andre Gurode
Gurode played nine years for the Cowboys, earning five Pro Bowl nods and one second-team All-Pro selection. He was the first rookie to start at center on opening day and anchored the Cowboys’ offensive lines that led to the rise of quarterback Tony Romo in the mid-2000s. Not the best center in franchise history, but he’s a handful of Cowboys offensive linemen with at least five Pro Bowl nods. On a league-wide basis, he was probably a bit underrated.
Next Up: Nos. 51-55.
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.
