Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a National Football League (NFL) franchise that began play in the 1960 season.

Inaugural season: 1960

Home field: AT&T Stadium, Dallas, Texas

Owner: Jerry Jones.

Team colors: Navy blue, silver, white.

Overview

Beginning in 1960, the Dallas Cowboys' first five seasons were forgettable, but as the 1960s progressed, Dallas began to grow into one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. Boosted by the innovative marketing strategies of general manager Tex Schramm, the Cowboys developed a nationwide following and eventually earned the nickname “America’s Team.” From 1966 to 1985, Dallas made the playoffs eighteen times and won two Super Bowls. After a brief down period, the franchise bounced back in the early 1990s, winning three more titles with a star-studded, and often controversial, team. At the end of the 2023 NFL season, the Cowboys had an overall franchise record of 562 wins, 413 losses, and 6 ties. The team also had a playoff record of 36–21. In the twenty-first century, the Cowboys have struggled to recapture their championship form, but the team remains extremely popular among fans.

History

In 1959, several businessmen who had unsuccessfully tried to gain rights to NFL expansion franchises decided to form their own professional football league. The American Football League (AFL) was set to begin play in 1960 with one of the original eight franchises located in Dallas, Texas. The NFL did not want to allow the AFL to have sole rights to the lucrative southern market, so the league granted Texas oilman Clint Murchison Jr. an NFL expansion franchise in Dallas. At first, the team was to be nicknamed the Steers, but team officials began to worry the name might draw ridicule. It was changed to the Rangers, but that was also the name of a local minor league baseball team, so eventually, the team decided on Cowboys. The team logo was designed as a blue star, and despite being tweaked to include a white border in 1964, remains unchanged as of 2019.

The Cowboys were originally placed in the NFL West Division, but in 1961, the team was moved to the East Division. There, Dallas first developed its longstanding rivalries with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins. The rivalries became so entrenched, that when the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, the Cowboys remained in the East Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) despite the geographical distance between Dallas and the other teams.

The Cowboys’ first head coach was future hall of famer Tom Landry, who would go on to become the winningest coach in franchise history. However, none of Landry’s 250 career wins would come in the Cowboys’ first season, as the team went 0–11–1. The next four years were not much better, as the team failed to win more than five games a season. It was not until 1965 that the Cowboys would post their first non-losing record, finishing at 7–7.

However, in 1966, the Cowboys went 10–3 and advanced to the NFL Championship game where they lost to the Green Bay Packers. That season began a run of success that was unprecedented in NFL history. For the next twenty seasons, the Cowboys did not post a losing record, made the playoffs eighteen times, won thirteen division titles, made five Super Bowls, and won two championships. Among the most memorable games during this period were the team’s 24–3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI in 1971; the 1975 “Hail Mary” game in which the Cowboys won on a last-minute desperation pass from quarterback Roger Staubach; and the Cowboys’ 27–10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII in 1977.

The Cowboys’ success on the field made the team both beloved by its fans and hated by rival fan bases. However, it was shrewd marketing tactics by Dallas general manager Tex Schramm that made the Cowboys arguably the most popular sports team in the United States. Schramm was a one-time TV executive who used the power of the medium to promote his team. In 1966, Schramm arranged to have the Cowboys play a nationally televised afternoon game on Thanksgiving. Up until that time, only the Detroit Lions played on Thanksgiving. In 1972, Schramm introduced the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, a choreographed dance troupe that attracted more attention to Cowboys’ games. Prior to this point, the Cowboys, and many other teams, used local high school cheerleaders at their games. In 1978, NFL Films released its season highlight video of the team and noted the Cowboys’ popularity among fans. The video’s narration referred to Dallas as “America’s Team,” a term Schramm seized upon to further promote the Cowboys.

After the 1985 season, the Cowboys began a five-year playoff drought topped off by a 1–15 season in 1989. That same year, the Cowboys were bought by businessman Jerry Jones who controversially fired Tom Landry and hired college football coach Jimmy Johnson. Helped by a series of smart trades and draft selections, the brash Johnson molded the Cowboys into a dynasty, winning back-to-back Super Bowls after the 1992 and 1993 seasons. Despite the team’s success, Johnson and Jones publically feuded and often clashed over football decisions. In 1994, Johnson resigned and was replaced by another college football coach, Barry Switzer. Switzer led the team to its fifth championship in January 1996 with a victory in Super Bowl XXX. However, under his watch, the team was plagued by discipline problems and trouble off the field. After missing the playoffs in 1997, Switzer resigned.

Dallas made the playoffs in 1998 and 1999, but lost in the first round both times. From 1999 to 2006, the Cowboys went eight seasons without winning a division title, the longest such stretch in franchise history. For most of the next decade, the team alternated between winning seasons and mediocre seasons. Between 2011 and 2021, the Cowboys won division titles every year except 2015, 2017, and 2018. They also made it to the playoffs in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023, however, they did not make it past the Division round. Despite not winning a Super Bowl since 1996, the Cowboys remain the most popular team in the NFL. In 2023, Forbes magazine estimated the franchise’s value at $9 billion, making it the world’s most valuable sports franchise.

Notable Players

As of 2023, the Cowboys have had twenty players, coaches, or officials who spent considerable time with the team enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. This includes Tom Landry, Tex Schramm, and Jerry Jones. In the early days of the Cowboys’ success in the late 1960s, the team was powered by defensive end Bob Lilly, who played from 1961–1974, defensive back Mel Renfro (1964–1977), and offensive lineman Rayfield Wright (1967–1979). The team was quarterbacked by Don Meredith (1960–1968), who would go on to even more fame as a longtime announcer on NFL’s Monday Night Football broadcasts. Wide receiver Bob Hayes was a former Olympic sprinter and was so fast he earned the nickname “Bullet Bob.” Lily, Renfro, Wright, and Hayes would later be inducted into the hall of fame.

The Super Bowl winning teams of the 1970s were quarterbacked by hall of famer Roger Staubach (1960–1968). Staubach was a former Heisman Trophy winner drafted in 1964 out of Navy, but he did not begin playing for Dallas until 1969 after honoring his military commitment. He was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Super Bowl VI. In 1977, the Cowboys drafted running back Tony Dorsett (1977–1987), who would rush for 12,739 yards for the Cowboys and was inducted into Canton in 1994. On the defensive side, the Cowboys were led by hall of famer Randy White (1975–1988), who anchored a unit known as the “Doomsday Defense.” White was joined by defensive linemen Harvey Martin (1973–1983) and Ed “Too Tall” Jones (1974–1989), and defensive backs Cliff Harris (1970–1979) and Charlie Waters (1970–1981). White and Martin shared MVP honors in Super Bowl XII. Martin and Harris were named to the all-decade team of the 1970s and both were inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor.

The Cowboys dynasty of the early 1990s was built around a trio of superstars nicknamed the “Triplets.” Quarterback Troy Aikman (1989–2000) broke most of Staubach’s team passing records and was named MVP of Super Bowl XXVII. Wide receiver Michael Irvin (1988–1999) made five Pro Bowls and was second of the franchise’s all-time list with 11,904 receiving yards. Running back Emmitt Smith (1990–2002) was an eight-time pro bowler, Super Bowl XXVIII MVP, and the NFL MVP for the 1993 season. Smith finished his Cowboys’ career as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher with 17,162 yards; his total career rushing yards of 18,355 remains the most in NFL history. His 164 career rushing touchdowns is also an NFL record. Aikman was inducted into Canton in 2006, Irvin in 2007, and Smith in 2010.

Among defensive players, hall of fame linebacker Charles Haley (1992–1996) won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1994 and won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys. Defensive back Deion Sanders (1995–1999) played five seasons with the Cowboys and made four Pro Bowls. He was inducted into Canton in 2011.

The Cowboys teams of the twenty-first century may not have won any titles, but they were not without stars. Quarterback Tony Romo (2004–2016) made four Pro Bowls and passed Troy Aikman’s record as the franchise’s leading passer with 34,183 passing yards and 248 passing touchdowns. Tight end Jason Witten (2004–2017) eclipsed Irvin’s franchise mark with 12,448 receiving yards. In 2019, Witten came out of retirement and returned to the Cowboys for the 2019 season, before retiring again in 2020. Running back Ezekiel Elliott was drafted in 2016 and led the NFL in rushing in two of his first three seasons.

Bibliography

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“Dallas Cowboys Franchise Encyclopedia.” Pro Football Reference, 2024, www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/. Accessed 21 June 2024.

“Dallas Cowboys Team History.” Sports Team History, 2024, sportsteamhistory.com/dallas-cowboys. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Farmer, Sam. “Tex Schramm, 83; Turned Dallas Cowboys Into Stars.” Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2003, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jul-16-me-schramm16-story.html. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Ozanian, Mike, and Justin Teitelbaum. "The World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2023." Forbes, 24 Apr. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2023/09/08/the-worlds-50-most-valuable-sports-teams-2023/. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Patoski, Joe Nick. The Dallas Cowboys: The Outrageous History of the Biggest, Loudest, Most Hated, Best Loved Football Team in America. Back Bay Books, 2013.

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Shuck, Barry. “How the Dallas Cowboys Became Known as ‘America's Team’.” Bleacher Report, 15 Oct. 2011, bleacherreport.com/articles/894983-how-the-dallas-cowboys-became-known-as-americas-team. Accessed 21 June 2024.