NFL Team by Team Guide: Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys began as an expansion team in the NFL in 1960 becoming the first team south of Washington, D.C. since the Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City to become the Chiefs. The Cowboys became a popular franchise in the 1960s and are known as “America’s Team.”
The Cowboys franchise is so popular it is valued at well over $4 billion. It is the most valuable sports franchise in the world. Dallas has also had its fair share of success winning five Super Bowl titles. That is the second-most behind Pittsburgh and New England.
Home of the Cowboys
The Cowboys first played in the original Cotton Bowl from 1960 to 1971 before moving into Texas Stadium. In 2009, the team moved into what was then called Cowboys Stadium and is now known as AT&T Stadium. It is a retractable roof stadium that seats 80,000 fans for Cowboys home games. The stadium is expandable to 105,000.
Championship History
Dallas has a long history of success that began with the franchise’s first head coach, Tom Landry. Beginning in 1966, the Cowboys went to the postseason eight years in a row. Dallas has the NFL’s most playoff appearances as of the 2019 season (33).
The Cowboys have been to the NFC championship game 14 times and have won eight. They also won two NFL Eastern Conference titles back before the AFL-NFL merger. Dallas has been to the Super Bowl eight times and has hoisted the Lombardi Trophy on five occasions.
Best of the Cowboys
Landry is credited with the initial success of the Cowboys franchise. He was the Cowboys first-ever head coach and was the team’s mentor from 1960 to 1989. Landry led Dallas to an NFL record 20 straight winning seasons from 1966 to 1985. His coaching record was 250-162-6 and he captured two Super Bowls, which was good enough to get him inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Cowboys have a long list of Hall of Fame players. Roger Staubach was the quarterback of the Cowboys through the very successful 1970s. Staubach led Dallas to two Super Bowl wins and was the MVP of Super Bowl VI. He made the Pro Bowl six times and led the NFL in passer rating four times.
Running back Emmitt Smith played 12 seasons in Dallas and helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls. He was selected to eight Pro Bowls, six All-Pro teams, and was the 1993 NFL MVP. Smith led the NFL in rushing four times and he still holds NFL records for career rushing yards (18,355), career rushing touchdowns (164), and career rushing attempts (4,409).
Before Smith, it was Tony Dorsett that electrified Dallas crowds. The running back was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1977, played in four Pro Bowls, and led the Cowboys to a victory in Super Bowl XII. Dorsett still holds the NFL record (since tied) for the longest rushing touchdown (99 yards).
Randy White played both defensive line and linebacker for the Cowboys from 1975 to 1988. He was a nine-time first-team All-Pro and a nine-time Pro Bowl selection. He helped lead Dallas to the Super Bowl XII title, a game in which he was selected the Most Valuable Player.
Author: Dan Anderson