The Dallas Cowboys have 16 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For a franchise with a storied history, there are many more players deserving of the honor, and it’s been a tough task to try to narrow it down to just 3.
It is also worth noting that two of the three players selected played in the strike-shortened seasons of 1982 and 1987 so their statistics would have been greater otherwise.
Here are 3 Dallas Cowboys Players that should be in the Hall of Fame.
1. Drew Pearson – Wide Receiver – 1973-1983
Pearson spent his entire career with the Cowboys.
In his 11 years, he caught 48 TD passes and amassed 7,822 yards receiving.
That amounted to an astounding average of 16 yards per catch over 11 years.
1977 was his best season; he finished as the league leader in yardage, and the Cowboys defeated the Broncos to become Super Bowl Champions.
Pearson was Roger Staubach‘s go to guy on the initial “Hail Mary” reception.
“There’s no one I trusted more to be where he was supposed to be than Drew.”
Pearson has been passed over for many years but will finally be inducted in 2021 as a Senior Finalist.
Congratulations to Cowboys’ WR Drew Pearson and former Raiders’ HC coach Tom Flores on being the Pro Football Hall of Fame senior committee nominees For the Class of 2021. Their paths to Canton are paved. pic.twitter.com/8dakVp7ne6
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 18, 2020
2. Everson Walls – Cornerback – 1981-1989 (Played from 1990-1993 with other teams)
Interceptions were his game, and he was good at getting them.
Everson Walls had 44 interceptions in his 9 year career with the Cowboys and 57 overall in his NFL career.
He was the first player ever to lead the league 3 times in interceptions in 1981, 1982, and 1985.
The only other player to do it since Walls is Hall of Famer Ed Reed.
Walls’ tenure with the Cowboys came at a time after the glory of the 70s teams and before the dynasty built in the 90s.
That makes him often overlooked for honors including the Cowboys’ own Ring of Honor which he is not a member of.
Regarding the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor Walls said:
“Jerry [Jones, Cowboys owner] has a new regime with their arena and their team. I have an understanding they take care of their own. We all wore the star, but the line between the new and old is pretty clear. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was left off it for some time. I can make a case, but I shouldn’t have to make a case. The numbers speak for themselves. I carried myself in a manner that fans should be proud of. I shouldn’t have to wait for it or argue for it…My main goal in life, my bucket list, is to be extremely proud to be put into the Cowboys Ring of Honor. Realistically, it would give me just as much pride as the Hall of Fame.”
3. Daryl Johnston – Fullback – 1989-1999
Without Daryl Johnston, Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys running game of the 90s would not have flourished.
Nicknamed “Moose”, Johnston was a true blocking fullback, but he also amassed stats of his own.
In 11 seasons, he had 2,227 yards receiving and 14 TDs while rushing for 753 yards and 8 TDs.
Over the years, including at his own HOF enshrinement speech, Emmitt Smith recognized the contributions Daryl Johnston made to his career and to the success of the Dallas Cowboys.
I think one of the coolest moments in sports is in 2010 when Emmitt Smith made his HOF speech and cried talking about his FB Daryl Johnston
— Mark Weymouth (@Mark0wey) July 27, 2012
Johnston was a member of all three of the Cowboys Super Bowl teams in the 90s, 1992, 1993, and 1995, and he was an ironman of sorts playing in 147 consecutive games from 1989 to 1997.
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