Tommy Loy, Dallas Cowboy Trumpeter

After he performed The National Anthem for Mr. Murchison, he waited to hear if he got the job. The clock was fast approaching kickoff and he hadn’t heard if he was selected so he prepared to find a place to watch the game. Five minutes before kickoff, he got the call that Mr. Murchison wanted to go with his solo rendition, which began what would be a 22-year stint as the Dallas Cowboys solo trumpeter.

SMILING SAMMY WALKER

I was in eighth grade. I was the big champ in the eighth grade, big champ in the ninth grade, and got ready to go to the summer amateur state championships down in Tyler Station. That was my ninth grade year. I said, “Dad, what are my chances of winning state?” And he goes, “Son, this is a big state.” Got down there, and there was a boy that had a big old black hairy chest, throwing over 60 feet in warm ups. My best throw, at that particular time was like 58 feet. My first throw was 60 feet, and the big hair chest guy, he choked. So, I beat him about three feet.

CHARLIE WATERS & THE ALLIGATOR SHOES

"If I had 45 players that tried as hard and cared as much as Charlie did, we would not lose a football game." Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry

JOHN FITZGERALD BOOTY

Oh, I wanted to be a Carthage Bulldog soooo bad. And I remember hearing about my brother playing for Carthage. From first grade on; You’re seeing that Carthage football team, I wanna be one of those guys, wear that red uniform. I said, “I can’t wait until its my turn. The Friday pep rallies, that Friday spirit. Hardly watched the games growing up, but, man, it was something else. So, when I got in the eighth grade, I was a Bullpup at Turner Junior High.

JOHN FITZGERALD BOOTY, PART TWO

You end your NFL career, 102 games, 37 starts, 14 picks, 4 sacks, 6 fumble recoveries, 4 fumbles, a blocked punt, a pass reception for 48 and a kickoff return. You picked off two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Marino and Aikman. I mean, the kid that played one year of football until your junior year of high school, the kid that got cut from the JV, the kid that Mom put in a car and made go back to college because he didn't want to be there - but he stuck it out. That was John Booty.

DALLAS COWBOYS TIMELINE

Credit given to: Dallas Morning News, DallasCowboys.com, Pro Football Reference, Texas State Historical Society, ESPN, Wiki, a innumerable number of Cowboy fan sites, Dallas Public Library, and several hardcore Cowboy fans. This is a ‘living document’ and will be updated as new information is proven and added

THOMAS “HOLLYWOOD” HENDERSON

"Tom Landry didn’t want to waste a No. 1 draft pick on a guy from a HBCU. That’s 'historically black colleges and universities'. So, Red Hickey and Gil Brandt challenged him and said he’s the best player on the board. So, Landry went with his scouts and picked me 18th in the first round on January 29, 1975. I was in a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere and the phone rang. My roommate answered and he said, hey man, it’s the Cowboys. The Cowboys are on the phone. There was no watch party. My family wasn’t dressed up like we were going to church. I got on the phone and it was Gil Brandt, and he said we just picked you in the draft, 18th, in the first round. He says can you get to the airport? This was about 10:00 in the morning. He hollered back at his secretary. Hey, what time is the nonstop coming from Oklahoma City and she goes 3:30. He said can you be there at the airport by 3:00. I go yeah, I can be there by 3:00 and that was my draft day."