Who are the 10 greatest Cowboys players of all-time?

The Dallas Cowboys are considered one of the greatest franchises in NFL history, often referred to as “America’s Team”.

As one of only four teams in league history with at least five Super Bowl titles, this is a franchise that has boasted several big-name stars over the years. This makes it especially difficult to answer the question: Who are the greatest players in team history?

FOX Sports Research took on the task of answering that question, crunching the numbers and ranking the 10 greatest Cowboys players of all-time.

While there are some obvious choices near the top, there are also some surprising names that make our list when analyzing their performance.

Where does your favorite cowboy rank?

Let’s take a look:

10. Jason Witten

One of the greatest tight ends of all time, Witten helped elevate the Cowboys offense in the 2000s and 2010s. He was a Pro Bowl mainstay for much of his career, earning the honor 11 times in his 16 seasons with the Cowboys. He had at least 900 receiving yards in seven of those seasons, most of which coincided with winning years in Dallas. While Witten never won a Super Bowl in Dallas, he established himself as one of the game’s greatest tight ends. He is second all-time in receptions (1,228) and receiving yards (13,046) and sixth in touchdown receptions among tight ends (74). In fact, his reception total is so high that it ranks fourth all-time, regardless of position.

9. Mail Renfro

Renfro was one of the first greats in Cowboys history. After joining the team in 1964, Renfrow immediately became an impact player as he earned his first of 10 straight Pro Bowl nods as a rookie. Towards the back half of that run, the Cowboys emerged as a contender. He helped them win two Super Bowls and reach another, where he recorded an interception in the 1970 NFC Championship Game, a play that allowed the Cowboys to score the game-winning touchdown over the 49ers. He led the league in interceptions the season before with 10, finishing his career with 52. That’s not only the fifth-most in total defenses, but the most in Cowboys history.

8. Michael Irwin

Irvin was one of three players who made up “The Triplets,” a trio essential to the Cowboys’ dynastic run in the 1990s. The Cowboys wide receiver was especially vital to their Super Bowl victory in 1992, recording six receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills. Irvin was a five-time Pro Bowler, recording seven 1,000-yard seasons over an eight-year span during the 1990s. A spinal cord injury in the 1999 season ended his career relatively quickly and abruptly, but it’s clear that he established himself as one of the best players in Cowboys history with his importance to three Super Bowl victories.

7. Randy White

The Cowboys had a pair of players in the top 10 of FOX Sports’ interior defensive lineman list. White was the underrated of the two, but he had a stellar career in the 1970s and 1980s as he helped the Cowboys win another Super Bowl title in 1977. He earned co-Super Bowl MVP honors for his performance in that game, slowing down the Denver Broncos’ offense in the victory. That year was also the first of nine straight seasons in which White was named a Pro Bowler, having recorded at least 10 (unofficial) sacks in five different seasons. He posted 111 unauthorized sacks over his 14-year career.

6. Tony Dorsett

Dorsett also played a role in the Cowboys 1977 championship season, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year to quickly establish himself as a franchise icon. He also ran for a touchdown in the Super Bowl victory. The following season, Dorsett earned the first of his four Pro Bowl nods and had one of his eight top-10 seasons in rushing yards. It also marks one of eight years that Dorsett has rushed for at least 1,000 yards, with a career-best 1,646 rushing yards in 1981. Dorsett finished his 12-year career with 12,739 yards, 10th.

5. Larry Allen

Allen was drafted in 1994, only to be a part of one of the Cowboys Super Bowl victories in the 1990s. But he still established himself as one of the best players in Cowboys history and the best offensive lineman in NFL history. He was an 11-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro in his 14-year career, making 10 of those Pro Bowl appearances in his 12 seasons in Dallas. Allen moved seamlessly along the offensive line throughout his career, earning Pro Bowl honors for his work at left tackle and guard during his Dallas tenure. His work with the Cowboys’ offensive line made him one of a handful of players to be named to two NFL All-Decade teams, earning honors for the 1990s and 2000s.

4. Bob Lilly

White’s strong tenure dominating the interior defensive line for Dallas preceded Lilly’s Hall of Fame career. Lilly was a Pro Bowler for all but three seasons of his 14-year career (1961–74), helping the Cowboys emerge as one of the sport’s top teams in its early seasons as an organization. was After several seasons of contention, Lilly finally got over the Super Bowl hump in 1971. He helped Dallas win Super Bowl VI with his 29-yard sack. Miami Dolphins Quarterback Brian Griese is seen as one of the key plays of the game. Lilly had at least eight (unofficial) sacks in five seasons, finishing his career with 95.5 sacks. Lilly became the first player to be inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor.

3. Emmitt Smith

Not only is Smith one of the greatest players in Cowboys history, but he is also the best running back in NFL history. Smith was ranked No. 1 on FOX Sports’ Top-10 Running Backs list, as no running back has ever rushed for more yards (18,355) and touchdowns (164). In the 1990s he helped the Cowboys significantly, helping the team win three Super Bowls and build one of the sport’s top dynasties. His MVP win in 1993, where he rushed for 1,486 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games, is also the only MVP win in franchise history. It was one of five seasons in which he rushed for at least 1,400 yards. He also won Super Bowl MVP for his 132-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII.

2. Troy Aikman

Aikman steered the ship to the Cowboys’ three Super Bowl victories in the 1990s, quarterbacking one of the game’s most memorable offensive units. He may not have won the MVP like Smith, but Ekman was an efficient passer for his time. He was named a Pro Bowler six times, ranked in the top 10 in passer rating six times, in the top 10 in yards per pass six times and in the top 10 in completion percentage eight times in his career. That efficiency was on display in each of the Cowboys’ three Super Bowl victories, completing 70% of his passes for an average of 229.7 passing yards and a 111.9 passer rating. He especially showed in Super Bowl XXVII, throwing for 273 yards and four touchdowns to win the MVP in their win over the Bills.

1. Roger Staubach

Earning many nicknames such as “Roger the Dodger” and “Captain America”, Roger Staubach’s greatness helped the Cowboys become the nation’s favorite team. He led them to four Super Bowl appearances and won two of them, most notably winning MVP in Super Bowl VI in 1971. Staubach’s 85 wins from 1969 to 1979 are the most of any quarterback in that span, leading to six Pro Bowl appearances and induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the only quarterback ever to win the Heisman Trophy and be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mention:

• Bob Hayes
• DeMarcus Ware
• Drew Pearson
• Charles Haley
• chuck hole
• Rayfield Wright
• Zach Martin

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