Memories Incorporated, a Texas 501c3

Football

DALLAS COWBOYS TIMELINE

on
August 11, 2019

Dallas Cowboys Timeline

by Paul Heckmann, Executive Director. Memories Incorporated

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

1959

  • Clint Murchison signs Don Meredith to a 5 year personal service contract with his marine company Tecon to lock him up for the proposed Dallas Steers franchise. In November 1959, they also signed Don Perkins to a personal-services contract for a $1,500 bonus and a $10,000 salary
  • The Steers name was changed to the Dallas Rangers after a short time.
  • Murchison doesn’t have the votes against the powerful Redskins franchise that have the South locked up.

    Early Dallas Cowboy brain trust. Tom Landry, Bedford Wynne, Tex Schramm and Clint Murchison. Photo by Brad Bradley, courtesy Dallas Morning News

  • Clint and Bedford Wynne find out “Hail to the Redskins” is not owned by Washington, and in a nutshell purchase it and trades it to the Skins for their vote.
  • The founding investors were Clint Murchison, Jr. (45%), John D. Murchison (45%), Toddie Lee and Bedford Wynne (Director and Secretary) (5%) and William R. Hawn (5%).
  • Clint Murchison Jr. becomes the new team’s majority owner. His first order of business was to hire Tex Schramm as General Manager and Gil Brandt as Player Personnel Director
  • December 22, 1959 Clint Murchison hires Tom Landry as Head Coach

1960

  • January 28, 1960. Dallas Rangers awarded NFL Franchise for the astronomical sum of $600,000
    • March 13 1960. Dallas Rangers expansion draft (regular draft was in November) Each of the 12 NFL teams had to submit a list of 9 players. Dallas could only choose 3 of the 9 players. They chose:
      – Baltimore Colts: RB L.G. Dupre, P/WR Dave Sherer, DE Ray Krouse
      – Chicago Bears: DT Don Healy, RB Jack Johnson, RB Pete Johnson
      – Cleveland Browns: WR Frank Clarke, RB Leroy Bolden, RB Ed Modzelewski
      – Detroit Lions: WR Jim Doran, C Charlie Ane, LB Gene Cronin
      – Green Bay Packers: RB Don McIlenny, DE Nate Borden, S Bill Butler
      – Los Angeles Rams: CB Tom Franckhauser, T Bob Fry, G Duane Putnam
      – New York Giants: QB Don Heinrich, G Buzz Guy, G Al Barry
      – Philadelphia Eagles: TE Dick Bielski, T Jerry DeLucca, LB Bill Striegel
      – Pittsburgh Steelers: WR Ray Mathews, DT/T Ray Fisher, RB Bobby Luna
      – San Francisco 49ers: LB Jerry Tubbs, WR Fred Dugan, DE John Gonzaga
      – St Louis Cardinals: DT Ed Husmann, LB Jack Patera, T Bobby Cross
      – Washington Redskins: LB Tom Braatz, C Joe Nicely, RB Doyle Nix
      – At this time the NFL also assigned the rights to 1960 NFL draft picks Don Meredith (who had been drafted by the Chicago Bears) and Don Perkins (drafted by the Baltimore Colts) to the Cowboys for a couple of future draft picks. Dallas had to give their third-round and ninth-round choices in the 1962 NFL draft to the Bears and Colts respectively.
  • March 19, 1960 – Rangers officially changed their name to the Cowboys. They had planned on using Dallas Rangers, but the baseball team in the area decided not to disband and since they wanted a clear and separate identity.

    Tex Schramm, Bedford Wynne, Clint Murchison and Tom Landry Courtesy Twitter. This would be in 1960, Bedrord was a partial owner. He is Angus Wynne Jr’s brother. Toddie Lee Wynne was also part owner. This first Cowboy headquarters was 4425 N. Central Expressway on the second floor from the first-floor tenant Dallas Automobile Club. Courtesy Dallas Cowboys.

  • After not being able to participate in the 1960 NFL draft during their inaugural year of existence, the Dallas Cowboys traded their first round (who became future 4x Pro Bowler Norm Snead) and sixth round (#72-Joe Krakoski) draft choices in the 1961 NFL Draft to the Washington Redskins in exchange for Eddie LeBaron, convincing him to come out of retirement to become the franchise’s first starting quarterback. He started 10 of 12 games in 1960, with rookie Don Meredith and Don Heinrich starting the other two. He also scored the Cowboys’ first-ever touchdown in their first exhibition game against the San Francisco 49ers, on August 6 in Seattle. He set a record for the shortest touchdown pass in league history, with his throw to receiver Dick Bielski from the 2-inch line against the Redskins on October 9, 1960.
“When I took the job in 1960, I wasn’t worried in the least, mainly because I didn’t plan to stay in football. I had earned a business degree at Texas and had just added a degree in industrial engineering at Houston. I felt it was just a matter of time before I found a good job.”
—Tom Landry, Sporting News, 8/15/81

April 1960: Cowboys set up headquarters at 4425 N. Central Expressway on the second floor from the first-floor tenant Dallas Automobile Club. The Cowboys’ box office is on the first floor. Season-ticket prices were $27.60 for six games.

Second-floor workers consisted of general manager Tex Schramm, Brandt, coach Tom Landry, three assistant coaches, a public relations director, a couple of secretaries and a receptionist.

July 9, 1960: Rookie training camp in Oregon starts

Cowboys held the first part of regular training camp at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore. The second half of camp was at St. John’s Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin, a site handpicked by Milwaukee native Brandt which turned into a disaster as it hadn’t been updated in decades and the rooms were built for youngsters, not very large men

1960-62 seasons: Cowboys primarily practice at Burnett Field, home of minor league baseball’s Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers; The offense met in the first-base clubhouse, the defense in the third-base clubhouse. The training room consisted of a couple of tables and ice tubs crammed into the stadium’s women’s restroom.

Some practices are held at DISD-owned Cobb Stadium when Burnett floods, which technically makes it the Cowboys second practice field

Tom Frankhauser, the first Cowboy to touch the ball. Took the opening kickoff in the first game in preseason and regular season. Courtesy Tom Frankhauser

1960 Season. Ticket sales are slow. “The league has come a long, long way from the days when we used to pay players $5,000 a year and didn’t pay till Tuesday to make sure the checks cleared.” Gil Brandt

Sept 10 1960. Cowboys play first game in their history at Cotton Bowl.

Tom Franckhauser becomes the first Cowboy to ever touch the ball, taking the opening kickoff, which he also did in their preseason.

1960-1971: Cowboys use Cotton Bowl for NFL games

Cowboys end 1960 with no wins and a single tie, 0-11-1

Former Dallas Cowboy and Longhorn Don Talbert, photo courtesy Pinterest. After his All American days, he went to the Cowboys in what was the 8th round back then, 100th overall, same pick would be 3rd round today. Spent his rookie season with Dallas, then called into military service where he was sent to Vietnam where he was an MP in Saigon. Once he got back, he returned to the Cowboys. Selected by the Falcons in the 1966 expansion draft. Came back to the Cowboys and got a Superbowl ring in 1971. Courtesy Internet included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.

1961

  • Training camp moved to St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota
  • Cowboys add a box office at 1509 Elm Street, tickets can also be purchased at Reynolds-Penland and Jas. K. Wilson stores.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19611Bob Lilly HOF13DTTCU
19612E.J. Holub16LBTexas Tech
19613Stew Barber30TPenn St.
19614Sonny Davis44LBBaylor
19617Art Gilmore86BOregon St.
19618Don Talbert100TTexas
19619Glynn Gregory114ESMU
196111Norris Stevenson142BMissouri
196112Lowndes Shingler156QBClemson
196113Don Goodman170BFlorida
196114Billy Shaw HOF184GGeorgia Tech
196115Julius Varnado198TSan Francisco St.
196116Jerry Steffen212BColorado
196117Everett Cloud226BMaryland
196118Randy Williams240BIndiana
196119Lynn Hoyem254GLong Beach St.
196120Jerry Morgan268BIowa St.

Early shot of 6116 N Central, aka Expressway Tower, aka Cowboy Tower. Arrow pointing to the approximate position of the Dallas Cowboy’s third practice facility. Photo courtesy Squire Haskins Special Collections, UTA Libraries  

1962

  • Cowboys owner Clint Murchison Jr. buys property at Yale Boulevard and North Central Expressway from underneath the AFL’s Dallas Texans which included a practice field and field house.
  • The Texans are forced to move to a new field a few blocks away for the 1962 season while the Cowboys move to their 3rd practice field. Today this would be directly below where Murchison built the Cowboys Towers at 6116 N Central, approximately where the former Magnolia Hotel and current Beeman Hotel sits at 6070 N Central and 6060 N Central are today.
  • Training camp moved to Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan
  • Cowboys are approached by a faction of IBM that wants to get into the NFL accounting areas via their computer systems. Instead Schramm flips it on them and asks them to see what they can do about developing a scouting system. A young Salam Qureishi joins forces with Gil Brandt to create pro sports first version of ‘Moneyball’.  They didnt call them ‘analytics’ back then, instead the used the moniker, ‘predictables’
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19622Sonny Gibbs18QBTCU
19623Bobby Plummer39TTCU
19626Donnie Davis74WRSouthern
19626George Andrie82DEMarquette
19628Ken Tureaud102BMichigan
196210John Longmeyer130GSouthern Illinois
196211Larry Hudas144EMichigan St.
196213Bob Moses172ETexas
196214Harold Hays186LBSouthern Miss
196215Guy Reese200DTSMU
196216Bob Johnston214TRice
196217Ray Jacobs228DTHoward Payne
196218Dave Cloutier242DBMaine
196219Paul Holmes256TGeorgia
196220Amos Bullocks270HBSouthern Illinois

Coach Landry and the first starting Cowboy Quarterback, Eddie LeBaron. Courtesy Internet included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.

1963

  • 1963-1989: Training camp moved to California Lutheran in Oxnard
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19631Lee Roy Jordan6LBAlabama
19633Jim Price34LBAuburn
19634Whaley Hall48TMississippi
19637Marv Clothier90GKansas
196310Rod Scheyer132TWashington
196311Ray Schoenke146GSMU
196312Bill Perkins160HBIowa
196313Paul Wicker174TFresno St.
196314Lou Cioci188LBBoston Col.
196315Jerry Overton202DBUtah
196316Dennis Golden216THoly Cross
196317Ernie Parks230GMcMurry
196318Bill Frank244TColorado
196319Jim Stiger258HBWashington
196320Tommy Lucas272ETexas

1964

  • February 5, 1964: Clint Murchison signs Tom Landry to the longest contract in sports history, a 10 year agreement.

    1964 Dallas Cowboy coaching staff. Dick Nolan, Red Hickey, Tom Landry, Jim Myers and Ermal Allen. Courtesy Internet included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.

  • June 22, 1964: Cowboys move to their second, albeit temporary headquarters, 5738 N. Central Expressway (between Mockingbird and Yale, approximately where Mockingbird Station is now), with plans to move again in 1966 to a nearby office tower being constructed by Murchison. The temporary office is about 3 blocks south of the practice field.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19641Scott Appleton4DTTexas
19642Mel Renfro HOF17DBOregon
19644Perry Lee Dunn45RBMississippi
19646Billy Lothridge73DBGeorgia Tech
19646Jim Curry82ECincinnati
19646Jim Evans83WRTexas-El Paso
19647Bob Hayes HOF88SEFlorida A&M
19648Al Geverink101HBUCLA
19649Jake Kupp116GWashington
196410Roger Staubach HOF129QBNavy
196411Bob Crenshaw144GBaylor
196412Johnny Norman157E 
196413Jerry Rhome172QBTulsa
196414Jim Worden185LBWittenberg
196415Bill Van Burkleo200BTulsa
196416Paul Cercel213CPittsburgh
196417Bud Abell228LBMissouri
196418Theophile Viltz241DBUSC
196419H.D. Murphy256BOregon
196420John Hughes269LBSMU

1965

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19651Craig Morton5QBCalifornia
19652Malcolm Walker19CRice
19654Jimmy Sidle47RBAuburn
19654Bob Svihus53TUSC
19655Roger Pettee61LBFlorida
19656Sonny Utz75FBVirginia Tech
19657Brig Owens89DBCincinnati
19658Russell Wayt103LBRice
19659Jim Zanios117FBTexas Tech
196510Gaylon McCollough131CAlabama
196511Jethro Pugh145DTElizabeth City St.
196512Ernie Kellermann159DBMiami (OH)
196513Jack Schraub173ECalifornia
196514Garry Porterfield187DETulsa
196515Gene Foster201RBArizona St.
196516Doug McDougal215EOregon St.
196517Mitch Johnson229TUCLA
196518Marty Amsler243DEEvansville
196519Marv Rettenmund257HBBall St.
196520Don Barlow271TKansas St.

1966

  • Lamar Hunt had moved the Dallas Texans to Kansas City in 1963 as the NFL was simply too strong, the current owners were too wealthy. And then the Giants approached Bills kicker Pete Gogolak and they signed him and all hell broke loose. The AFL started to fight back, signing current NFL players like Roman Gabriel to futures contracts. The bidding wars were causing contracts to run too high. Secret meetings authorized by Pete Rozelle were held between old friends, Lamar Hunt and Tex Schramm. On June 8 1966, the AFL-NFL merger was announced. Common schedules came into play in 1970 
  • Cowboys began an NFL-record streak of 20 consecutive winning seasons. That streak included 18 years in the playoffs, 13 divisional championships, five trips to the Super Bowl and victories in Super Bowls VI and XII.
  • Cowboys won Division title but lost in the NFL championship to Green Bay
  • Dec. 19, 1966: Thirteen days before hosting the Packers in the NFL Championship Game, Cowboys move into their third headquarters in the new offices at 6116 N. Central Expressway, taking over the 11th floor of a 15-story, $7 million Expressway Tower built primarily for Murchison’s marine construction company, Tecon. The office overlooks the team’s practice field.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19661John Niland5GIowa
19662Willie Townes22DETulsa
19665Walt Garrison79RBOklahoma St.
19666Bob Dunlevy86EWest Virginia
19667Arthur Robinson100EFlorida A&M
19668Don Kunit116HBPenn St.
19669Darrell Elam130EWest Virginia Tech
196610Mason Mitchell146HBWashington
196611Austin Denney160TETennessee
196612Les Shy173RBLong Beach St.
196612Craig Baynham176HBGeorgia Tech
196613Ron Lamb190RBSouth Carolina
196614Lewis Turner206HBNorfolk St.
196615Mark Gartung220TOregon St.
196616Tom Piggee236HBSan Francisco St.
196617George Allen250TWest Texas A&M
196618Steve Orr266TWashington
196619Byron Johnson280TCentral Washington
196620Lou Hudson296FLMinnesota

1967

  • June 1967: Cowboys lease 3.5 acres near Forest Lane and Abrams Road and begin construction of a training facility and practice fields, which they move to in October and this becomes their fourth practice facility
  • Cowboys won Division title but lost in the NFL championship to Green Bay
  • George Allen was coaching the Los Angeles Rams in 1967 when the first Allen-Dallas dustup occurred. Cowboy exec Tex Schramm said a suspicious vehicle had been parked near the team’s practice field. Alert and inquisitive, he alleged a license plate check traced the car rental to Johnny Sanders, head scout of the Rams.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19673Phil Clark76DBNorthwestern
19674Curtis Marker103GNorthern Michigan
19676Sims Stokes157WRNorthern Arizona
19677Rayfield Wright HOF182TFort Valley St.
19678Steve Laub208QBIllinois Wesleyan
19679Byron Morgan234DBFindlay
196710Eugene Bowen260HBTennessee St.
196711Pat Riley285FLKentucky
196712Harold Deters312KNorth Carolina St.
196713Al Kerkian338DEAkron
196714Tommy Boyd364GTarleton St.
196715Leavie Davis390DBEdward Waters
196716Paul Brothers416QBOregon St.
196717George Adams442LBMorehead St.

1968

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19681Dennis Homan20WRAlabama
19682Dave McDaniels45WRMiss. Valley St.
19683Ed Harmon71LBLouisville
19684John Douglas97LBMissouri
19685Blaine Nye130GStanford
19686D.D. Lewis159LBMississippi St.
19687Bob Taucher185TNebraska
19688Frank Brown211DTAlbany St.
19689Ken Kmiec241DBIllinois
196810Ben Olison266FLKansas
196811Ron Shotts292RBOklahoma
196812Wilson Whitty321LBBoston Univ.
196813Carter Lord347FLHarvard
196814Ron Williams373DBWest Virginia
196815Tony Lunceford402KAuburn
196816Larry Cole428DEHawaii
196817George Nordgren454RBHouston

1969

  • Cowboys win the Capital Division. They lose to the Cleveland Browns in the Eastern Championship 38-14

Bill Bragg’s press passes that he donated to Memories Inc. From 1969 when he was cameraman for CBS. Courtesy Bill Bragg 

You want to know about ‘luck of the draw’? As the AFL-NFL merger approached in 1969-70 The AFC teams quickly decided on a divisional alignment but the NFC had a lot of infighting. They had gone to 4 team divisions in 1967 but nobody wanted to be in the same divisions as the Cowboys or Vikings. Everyone wanted the Saints as they were the worst team in football The final five proposals were as follows: PLAN 1: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, ATL, MIN; Central: CHI, GB, DET, NO; West: LA, SF, DAL, STL. PLAN 2: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, MIN; Central: ATL, DAL, NO, STL; West: LA, SF, CHI, GB, DET. PLAN 3: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, DAL, STL: Central: CHI, GB, DET, MIN; West: LA, SF, ATL, NO. PLAN 4: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, STL, MIN; Central: CHI, GB, DET, ATL; West: LA, SF, DAL, NO. PLAN 5: East: NYG, PHI, WAS, DET, MIN; Central: CHI, GB, DAL, STL; West: LA, SF, ATL, NO. These five combinations were written up on slips of paper, sealed into envelopes and put into a fish bowl (other sources say a flower vase), and the official NFC alignment ‘Plan 3’ was pulled out by Rozelle’s secretary, Thelma Elkjer.

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19691Calvin Hill24RBYale
19692Richmond Flowers49DBTennessee
19693Thomas Stincic68LBMichigan
19693Halvor Hagen74GWeber St.
19695Chuck Kyle125LBPurdue
19696Rick Shaw152FLArizona St.
19697Larry Bales180FLEmory & Henry
19698Elmer Benhardt205LBMissouri
19699Claxton Welch230RBOregon
196910Stuart Gottlieb258TWeber St.
196911Sweeny Williams283DEPrairie View
196912Bob Belden308QBNotre Dame
196913Rene Matison336FLNew Mexico
196914Gerald Lutri361TNorthern Michigan
196915Bill Justus386DBTennessee
196916Floyd Kerr414DBColorado St.
196917Bill Bailey439DTLewis & Clark

1970

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19701Duane Thomas23RBWest Texas A&M
19702Bob Asher27TVanderbilt
19702Margene Adkins49WRHenderson JC
19703Charlie Waters66DBClemson
19703Steve Kiner73LBTennessee
19703Denton Fox75DBTexas Tech
19704John Fitzgerald101CBoston Col.
19706Pat Toomay153DEVanderbilt
19707Don Abbey179LBPenn St.
19708Jerry Dossey205GArkansas
19709Zenon Andrusyshyn231PUCLA
197010Pete Athas257DBTennessee
197011Ivan Southerland283TClemson
197012Joe Williams309RBWyoming
197013Mark Washington335DBMorgan St.
197014Julian Martin361WRNorth Carolina Central
197015Ken DeLong387TETennessee
197016Seabern Hill411DBArizona St.
197017Glenn Patterson438CNebraska

1971

  • January 17, 1971 – Cowboys go to Superbowl, losing to Baltimore on a last second TB in Superbowl V.
  • October 24, 1971: After playing their first two home games in 1971 at the Cotton Bowl, the Cowboys opened Texas Stadium in Irving
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19711Tody Smith25DEUSC
19712Ike Thomas51DBBishop
19713Sam Scarber69RBNew Mexico
19713Bill Gregory77DEWisconsin
19714Joe Carter80TEGrambling St.
19714Adam Mitchell103TMississippi
19715Ron Kadziel129LBStanford
19716Steve Maier155WRNorthern Arizona
19717Bill Griffin181TCatawba
19718Ron Jessie206WRKansas
19719Honor Jackson233DBPacific
197110Rodney Wallace259TNew Mexico
197111Ernest Bonwell285DTLane
197112Steve Goepel311QBColgate
197113James Ford337RBTexas Southern
197114Tyrone Covey363DBUtah St.
197115Bob Young389TEDelaware
197116John Brennan415TBoston Col.
197117John Bomer440CMemphis

1972

  • January 16 1972 Cowboys win their first Superbowl 24-3 over the Miami Dolphins in Superbowl VI

    Cowboys win the Super Bowl! Landry hoisted to his players shoulders. Courtesy Internet included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19721Bill Thomas26RBBoston Col.
19722Robert Newhouse35RBHouston
19722John Babinecz39LBVillanova
19722Charlie McKee52WRArizona
19723Mike Keller64LBMichigan
19723Marv Bateman78PUtah
19724Tim Kearney83LBNorthern Michigan
19724Robert West90WRSan Diego St.
19724Charlie Zapiec93LBPenn St.
19726Charles Bolden156DBIowa
19728Ralph Coleman208LBNorth Carolina A&T
19729Roy Bell234RBOklahoma
197210Richard Amman260DEFlorida St.
197211Lonnie Leonard286DENorth Carolina A&T
197212Jimmy Harris312WROhio St.
197213Jean Fugett338TEAmherst
197214Alan Thompson363RBWisconsin
197215Carlos Alvarez390WRFlorida
197216Gordon Longmire416QBUtah
197217Alfonso Cain442DTBethune-Cookman

1973

  • Redskins spies are noticed by hotel employees at the hotel overlooking the Cowboy Forest lane practice field. 
  • In our interview with Charlie Waters, he told me that the Cowboys moved their practice during Redskin week to the Cotton Bowl, making it the fifth practice facility. 
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19731Billy Joe DuPree20TEMichigan St.
19732Golden Richards46WRBYU
19733Harvey Martin53DETexas A&M-Commerce
19734Drane Scrievener98DBTulsa
19735Bruce Walton126TUCLA
19736Bob Leyen151GYale
19737Rodrigo Barnes176LBRice
19738Dan Werner204QBMichigan St.
19739Mike White229DBMinnesota
197310Carl Johnson254LBTennessee
197311Gerald Caswell282GColorado St.
197312Jim Arneson307GArizona
197313John Smith332WRUCLA
197314Bob Thornton360GNorth Carolina
197315Walt Baisy385LBGrambling St.
197316John Conley410TEHawaii
197317Les Strayhorn438RBEast Carolina

1974

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19741Too Tall Jones1DETennessee St.
19741Charley Young22RBNorth Carolina St.
19743Danny White53QBArizona St.
19743Cal Peterson72LBUCLA
19744Ken Hutcherson97LBWest Alabama
19744Andy Andrade101RBNorthern Michigan
19745John Kelsey126TMissouri
19746Jimmy Bright151DBUCLA
19747Raymond Nester176LBMichigan St.
19748Mike Holt205DBMichigan St.
19749Bill Dulin230TJohnson C. Smith
197410Dennis Morgan255RBWest. Illinois
197411Harvey McGee280WRSouthern Miss
197412Keith Bobo309QBSMU
197413Fred Lima334KColorado
197414Doug Richards359DBBYU
197415Bruce Craft384TGeneva
197416Gene Killian413GTennessee
197417Lawrie Skolrood438TNorth Dakota

1975

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19751Randy White HOF2DTMaryland
19751Thomas Henderson18LBLangston
19752Burton Lawless44GFlorida
19753Bob Breunig70LBArizona St.
19754Pat Donovan90TStanford
19754Randy Hughes96DBOklahoma
19755Kyle Davis113COklahoma
19756Rolly Woolsey148DBBoise St.
19757Mike Hegman173LBTennessee St.
19758Mitch Hoopes200PArizona
19759Ed Jones226DBRutgers
197510Dennis Booker252RBMillersville
197511Greg Krpalek278COregon St.
197512Chuck Bland304DBCincinnati
197513Herbert Scott330GVirginia Union
197514Scott Laidlaw356RBStanford
197515Willie Hamilton382RBArizona
197516Pete Clark407TEColorado St.
197517Jim Testerman434TEDayton

1976

  • January 18 1976 In Superbowl X Cowboys lose to Steelers 21-17 on one of the worst no-calls in Superbowl history
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19761Aaron Kyle27DBWyoming
19762Jim Jensen40RBIowa
19762Jim Eidson55GMississippi St.
19763Duke Fergerson73WRSan Diego St.
19763John Smith75RBBoise St.
19763Butch Johnson87WRCalifornia-Riverside
19764Tom Rafferty119CPenn St.
19765Wally Pesuit151GKentucky
19766Greg McGuire181TIndiana
19767Greg Schaum186DEMichigan St.
19767Dave Williams208RBColorado
19768Henry Laws236DBSouth Carolina
19769Beasley Reece264DBNorth Texas
197610Leroy Cook290DEAlabama
197611Cornelius Greene317QBOhio St.
197612Charles McShane346LBCalifornia Lutheran
197613Mark Driscoll374QBColorado St.
197614Larry Mushinskie402TENebraska
197615Dale Curry430LBUCLA
197616Rick Costanzo458TNebraska
197617Stan Woodfill486KOregon

1977

  • Forrest Gregg, Guard/Tackle becomes the first Dallas Cowboy in the NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19771Tony Dorsett HOF2RBPittsburgh
19772Glenn Carano54QBUNLV
19773Tony Hill62WRStanford
19773Val Belcher81GHouston
19774Guy Brown108LBHouston
19775Andy Frederick137TNew Mexico
19776Jim Cooper164TTemple
19777Dave Stalls191DENorthern Colorado
19778Al Cleveland208DEPacific
19778Fred Williams221RBArizona St.
19779Mark Cantrell248CNorth Carolina
197710Steve DeBerg275QBSan Jose St.
197711Don Wardlow305TEWashington
197712Greg Peters332GCalifornia

1978

  • Cowboy All Pro LB Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson destroys Denver Bronco QB in the Super Bowl. January 15 1978. Dallas beats the Broncos 27-10 in Superbowl XII. Photo courtesy Thomas Henderson.

  • Lance Alworth, Flanker, NFL Hall of Fame Class of 1978
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19781Larry Bethea28DTMichigan St.
19782Todd Christensen56TEBYU
19783Dave Hudgens84DTOklahoma
19784Alois Blackwell110RBHouston
19785Rich Rosen138GSyracuse
19786Harold Randolph166LBEast Carolina
19787Tom Randall194GIowa St.
19788Homer Butler222WRUCLA
19789Russ Williams250DBTennessee
197810Barry Tomasetti278GIowa
197811Dennis Thurman306DBUSC
197812Lee Washburn334GMontana St.

1979

  • January 21 1979 Stealers beat the Cowboys 35-31 in Superbowl XIII
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19791Robert Shaw27CTennessee
19792Aaron Mitchell55DBUNLV
19793Doug Cosbie76TESanta Clara
19794Ralph DeLoach109DECalifornia
19795Bob Hukill121GNorth Carolina
19795Curtis Anderson128DECentral State (OH)
19795Ron Springs136RBOhio St.
19796Tim Lavender155DBUSC
19796Mike Salzano160GNorth Carolina
19796Chris DeFrance164WRArizona St.
19797Greg Fitzpatrick191LBYoungstown St.
19798Bruce Thornton219DEIllinois
19799Garry Cobb247LBUSC
197910Mike Calhoun274DTNotre Dame
197912Quentin Lowry329LBYoungstown St.

1980 

  • Bob Lilly, ‘Mr Cowboy’, the Throckmorton DT goes into the NFL Hall of Fame
  • Herb Adderley, CB goes into the NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19803Bill Roe78LBColorado
19803James Jones80RBMississippi St.
19804Kurt Petersen105GMissouri
19805Gary Hogeboom133QBCentral Michigan
19806Timmy Newsome162RBWinston-Salem St.
19807Lester Brown189RBClemson
19808Larry Savage216LBMichigan St.
19809Jackie Flowers246WRFlorida St.
198010Matthew Teague273DEPrairie View
198011Gary Padjen300LBArizona St.
198012Norm Wells330DTNorthwestern

1981

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19811Howard Richards26GMissouri
19812Doug Donley53WROhio St.
19813Glen Titensor81GBYU
19814Scott Pelluer91LBWashington St.
19814Derrie Nelson108LBNebraska
19815Danny Spradlin137LBTennessee
19816Vince Skillings163DBOhio St.
19817Ron Fellows173DBMissouri
19817Ken Miller191DBEast. Michigan
19818Paul Piurowski218LBFlorida St.
19819Mike Wilson246WRWashington St.
198110Pat Graham273DTCalifornia
198111Tim Morrison302GGeorgia
198112Nate Lundy329WRIndiana

1982

  • The drafting of Rod Hill in Round One starts a string of bad draft, with a few exceptions, that continue until Jerry Jones purchases the team.
  • The 1982 NFL strike, which lasted for three months and eight weeks, forced the 1982 season to be shortened to 9 games per team
  • Dallas goes 6-3 and ends the season just missing the Super Bowl.
  • Dallas wins first round over Bucs, round two over Packs and loses NFC championship to Redskins who beat the Dolphins in the Superbowl
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19821Rod Hill25DBKentucky St.
19822Jeff Rohrer53LBYale
19823Jim Eliopulos81LBWyoming
19824Brian Carpenter101DBMichigan
19824Monty Hunter109DBSalem
19825Phil Pozderac137TNotre Dame
19826Ken Hammond143GVanderbilt
19826Charles Daum165DTCal Poly-San Luis Obispo
19827Bill Purifoy193DETulsa
19828George Peoples216RBAuburn
19828Dwight Sullivan221RBNorth Carolina St.
19829Joe Gary249DTUCLA
198210Todd Eckerson277TNorth Carolina St.
198211George Thompson295WRAlbany St.
198211Mike Whiting304RBFlorida St.
198212Rich Burtness332GMontana

1983

  • November 29, 1983: Cowboys break ground on a 30-acre office and training facility in Valley Ranch.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19831Jim Jeffcoat23DEArizona St.
19832Mike Walter50LBOregon
19833Bryan Caldwell77DEArizona St.
19834Chris Faulkner108TEFlorida
19835Chuck McSwain135RBClemson
19836Reggie Collier162QBSouthern Miss
19837Chris Schultz189TArizona
19838Lawrence Ricks220RBMichigan
19839Al Gross246DBArizona
198310Eric Moran273TWashington
198311Dan Taylor300TIdaho St.
198312Lorenzo Bouier331RBMaine

1984

  • Bum Bright purchases the Cowboys for $84 million
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19841Billy Cannon25LBTexas A&M
19842Victor Scott40DBColorado
19843Fred Cornwell81TEUSC
19844Steve DeOssie110LBBoston Col.
19845Steve Pelluer113QBWashington
19845Norm Granger137RBIowa
19846Eugene Lockhart152LBHouston
19846Joe Levelis166GIowa
19847Ed Martin193LBIndiana St.
19848Mike Revell222RBBethune-Cookman
19849John Hunt232TFlorida
19849Neil Maune249GNotre Dame
198410Brian Salonen278LBMontana
198411Dowe Aughtman304DTAuburn
198412Carl Lewis334WRHouston

1985

  • Roger Staubach in ‘his other job as a waiter’, :^), … Courtesy Internet included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.

    August 27, 1985: Players and coaches move to the new Valley Ranch facility.
  • Front office personnel move in several weeks later, marking the first time since 1967 that the team’s practice facility and office complex are in the same area.
  • Valley Ranch becomes the sixth Cowboy practice facility.
  • Roger Staubach inducted into NFL Hall of Fame at QB
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19851Kevin Brooks17DTMichigan
19852Jesse Penn44LBVirginia Tech
19853Crawford Ker76GFlorida
19854Robert Lavette103RBGeorgia Tech
19855Herschel Walker114RBGeorgia
19855Matt Darwin119CTexas A&M
19856Kurt Ploeger144DEGustavus Adolphus
19856Matt Moran157GStanford
19857Karl Powe178WRAlabama St.
19857Jim Herrmann184DEBYU
19858Leon Gonzalez216WRBethune-Cookman
19859Scott Strasburger243LBNebraska
198510Joe Jones270TEVirginia Tech
198511Neal Dellocono297LBUCLA
198512Karl Jordan324LBVanderbilt

1986

  • In a Brad Sham book ‘Stadium Stories’ Tex Schramm says that in the Spring of 1986 Bum Bright, Tex Schramm and Landry agree that Landry will retire at the end of the season. According to Tex, the NFL has moved past him and he will not adapt. Paul Hackett is brought in from San Francisco to take over for Landry and revive the stagnating offense
  • Landry refuses to let Hackett run the offense and blends the West Coast offense with his old one
  • He does not retire at the end of the year as he agreed to.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19861Mike Sherrard18WRUCLA
19862Darryl Clack33RBArizona St.
19863Mark Walen74DTUCLA
19864Max Zendejas100KArizona
19866Thornton Chandler140TEAlabama
19866Stan Gelbaugh150QBMaryland
19866Lloyd Yancey158GTemple
19867Johnny Holloway185DBKansas
19868Topper Clemons212RBWake Forest
19869John Ionata242GFlorida St.
198610Bryan Chester269GTexas
198611Garth Jax296LBFlorida St.
198612Chris Duliban307LBTexas
198612Tony Flack322DBGeorgia

1987

  • Brad Sham “Landry then decides, without telling anyone, he is not going to quit.”  In the Spring, Landry had a press conference.  Schramm had Marty Schottenheimer in town, looking at houses.  He thought he was going to hire Marty Schottenheimer to replace Tom Landry, who was going to retire.  Landry comes and has a press conference, and that’s when Schramm finds out that Landry is not quitting.
  • Tex will still not fire him as Gil, Tex and Tom were hired together and would leave together.
  • This is the strike year. Replacements go 2-1. Regulars go 5-7.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19871Danny Noonan12DTNebraska
19872Ron Francis39DBBaylor
19873Jeff Zimmerman68GFlorida
19874Kelvin Martin95WRBoston Col.
19875Everett Gay124WRTexas
19876Joe Onosai151GHawaii
19877Kevin Sweeney180QBFresno St.
19878Kevin Gogan206GWashington
19879Alvin Blount235RBMaryland
198710Dale Jones262LBTennessee
198711Jeff Ward291KTexas
198712Scott Armstrong318LBFlorida

1988

  • Possibly Landry’s worst year. He can no longer relate to the players, the NFL has long since figured out the Flex defense and the Cowboys have expected him to retire for the past two years. Both Bum Bright and GM Tex Schramm are furious with him. They go 3-13
  • Mike Ditka goes into NFL Hall of Fame at TE
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19881Michael Irvin HOF11WRMiami (FL)
19882Ken Norton Jr.41LBUCLA
19883Mark Hutson67GOklahoma
19884Dave Widell94CBoston Col.
19886Scott Secules151QBVirginia
19887Owen Hooven178TOregon St.
19888Mark Higgs205RBKentucky
19889Brian Bedford232WRCalifornia
198810Billy Owens263DBPittsburgh
198811Chad Hennings290DTAir Force
198812Ben Hummel317LBUCLA

1989

  • Feb 25, 1989 – Bum Bright sells the team. He has had several offers, however he wasn’t going to sell to anyone that was going to keep Landry. Landry must be fired for the deal to be done.
  • There is a rumor that a group of Japanese investors are wanting to purchase the Cowboys and possibly move them to Los Angeles as the Rams are about to move to St. Louis.
  • But Bright does not take the highest two offers, instead he goes with the charismatic Jerry Jones for $170 million.
  • “Our agreement on the purchase of the Dallas Cowboys was finalized with a few notes on a napkin and a handshake,” Jones said in a statement. “With Bum, his word meant everything. LA Times
  • Jones is the the majority partner, with five minority owners, including Ed Smith of Houston, who had 27 percent under Bright’s ownership. The other minority owners include Charles Wily, Sam Wily and Evan Wily, who are affiliated with U.S. Cafes, owners of the Bonanza Steakhouse chain, and Russell Glass.
  • So Landry gets the word that he is getting terminated at Valley Ranch. Tom is in a meeting with newly hired QB Coach Jerry Rhome. Rhome told me, “We were in the video room watching film, Tex sticks his head in the door and calles Tom out in the hall. Then he comes back in and tells me ‘So sorry I got you into this. They just fired me.’ ” And Landry left the video room and the Valley Ranch facility, flying to Austin. (confirmed with WFAA, Dallas Morning News and a phone call to Jerry Rhome.)
  • Brad Sham; “So, Bum Bright says to Jerry Jones, ‘I’ll fire him for you.’  And Jerry says ‘No, no, I’m going to fly down and tell him face to face.’  Well, people don’t want to hear that, because that doesn’t make Jerry a villain.” At this point, they didnt know that Schramm had already given him the news.
  • Announcement of the sale, rumored since Thursday, came at a news conference 8:22 p.m. Saturday at Valley Ranch. The news conference was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., but was delayed because Jones and club president Tex Schramm flew in Jones’ private jet to Austin. Schramm’s voice broke and tears welled in his eyes as he talked of the visit with Landry. “It was a very difficult meeting, difficult and sad,” said Schramm, who will retain his role with the Cowboys.  “It’s tough when you break a relationship that you have had for 29 years. But I am glad the ownership problem has been cleared up. It’s good for the ballclub,” Schramm said. (The Oklahoman)
  • Bright says later that his biggest regret during his Cowboy tenure was not firing Landry himself.
  • Jones offers Landry a position with the Cowboys that Tom declines.
  • Jones hires Jimmy Johnson, his Arkansas teammate as Head Coach. He will serve from 1989-1993. He supervises the 1989 Draft
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19891Troy Aikman HOF1QBUCLA
19892Steve Wisniewski29GPenn St.
19892Daryl Johnston39RBSyracuse
19893Mark Stepnoski57CPittsburgh
19893Rhondy Weston68DEFlorida
19894Tony Tolbert85DETexas-El Paso
19895Keith Jennings113TEClemson
19895Willis Crockett119LBGeorgia Tech
19895Jeff Roth125DTFlorida
19897Kevin Peterson168LBNorthwestern
19898Charvez Foger196RBNevada
19899Tim Jackson224DBNebraska
198910Rod Carter252LBMiami (FL)
198911Randy Shannon280LBMiami (FL)
198912Scott Ankrom308WRTCU
  • October 12, 1989, a trade occurs centered on sending running back Herschel Walker from the Dallas Cowboys to the Minnesota Vikings. Including Walker and a transaction involving the San Diego Chargers, the trade eventually involved 18 players and draft picks. This gave Dallas the ammunition to win the three Super Bowls of the 1990s

“There is no right way to fire Tom Landry.  Yet it was what everybody wanted done, and what everybody agreed had to happen. They just wanted him to step away gracefully, but he didn’t want to.
The great irony to me is that is what he did with his players.  He intentionally did not have close personal relationships with most of his players while he was playing because he knew there would be a day when he would have to cut them. And all of his players, 85-90%, didn’t like him when they played for him. But they looked back after they played for him, and said “Wow.”   He cared about them deeply, but felt, this is the way I have to run this business.  Then it happened to him, and he didn’t like it.” Brad Sham courtesy Peter King podcast.

Sports Illustrated cover, March 2th, 1989. Courtesy Sports Illustrated

1990

  • 1990-97: Training camp St. Edwards University in Austin
  • Tom Landry becomes the first Cowboy coach in the NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19901Emmitt Smith HOF17RBFlorida
19902Alexander Wright26WRAuburn
19903Jimmie Jones64DTMiami (FL)
19905Stan Smagala123DBNotre Dame
19909Kenneth Gant221DBAlbany State (GA)
199011Dave Harper277LBHumboldt St.

1991

  • Texas E. Schramm becomes the first Cowboy GM in the NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19911Russell Maryland1DTMiami (FL)
19911Alvin Harper12WRTennessee
19911Kelvin Pritchett20DTMississippi
19912Dixon Edwards37LBMichigan St.
19913Godfrey Myles62LBFlorida
19913James Richards64GCalifornia
19913Erik Williams70TCentral State (OH)
19914Curvin Richards97RBPittsburgh
19914Bill Musgrave106QBOregon
19914Tony Hill108DETenn-Chattanooga
19914Kevin Harris110DETexas Southern
19915Darrick Brownlow132LBIllinois
19916Mike Sullivan153GMiami (FL)
19917Leon Lett173DTEmporia St.
19919Damon Mays235WRMissouri
199110Sean Love264GPenn St.
199111Tony Boles291RBMichigan
199112Larry Brown320DBTCU

1992

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19921Kevin Smith17DBTexas A&M
19921Robert Jones24LBEast Carolina
19922Jimmy Smith36WRJackson St.
19922Darren Woodson37DBArizona St.
19923Clayton Holmes58DBCarson-Newman
19923James Brown82TVirginia St.
19924Tom Myslinski109GTennessee
19925Greg Briggs120DBTexas Southern
19925Rod Milstead121GDelaware St.
19926Fallon Wacasey149TETulsa
19929Nate Kirtman248DBPomona
19929Chris Hall250DBEast Carolina
199210John Terry275GLivingstone
199211Tim Daniel302WRFlorida A&M
199212Don Harris317DBTexas Tech

1993

  • January 31 1993 Dallas destroys Buffalo in XXVII 52-17

Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson celebrating their Super Bowl win. Courtesy Dallas Morning News.

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19932Kevin Williams46WRMiami (FL)
19932Darrin Smith54LBMiami (FL)
19933Mike Middleton84DBIndiana
19934Derrick Lassic94RBAlabama
19934Ron Stone96GBoston Col.
19936Barry Minter168LBTulsa
19937Brock Marion196DBNevada
19938Dave Thomas203DBTennessee
19938Reggie Givens213LBPenn St.

1994

  • 1994: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones plans to expand the 65,000-seat Texas Stadium by 40,000 seats, add retractable roof panels and install a climate-control system to make the stadium a year-round venue for sporting events, including the Super Bowl, concerts, and conventions.
  • January 30 1994 Dallas replays 1993 and take out Buffalo 30-13 in Superbowl XXVIII
  • Tony Dorsett, Cowboy RB goes into the NFL Hall of Fame
  • Randy ‘The Manster’ White goes into the NFL Hall of Fame
  • Jackie Smith goes in NFL Hall of Fame. Only with Dallas one year but famous for dropping the tying TD pass in Super Bowl XIII against the Steelers.
  • March 29, 1994 – a day that will live in Cowboy infamy. At a hotel bar in Orlando, Jerry Jones tells reporters Rick Gosselin and Ed Werder, “There are 500 coaches who could have won the Super Bowl with our team.”
  • A week later Jerry and Jimmy part ways. Barry Switzer is hired as head coach
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19941Shante Carver23DEArizona St.
19942Larry Allen HOF46GSonoma St.
19943George Hegamin102TNorth Carolina St.
19944Willie Jackson109WRFlorida
19944DeWayne Dotson131LBMississippi
19946Darren Studstill191DBWest Virginia
19947Toddrick McIntosh216DEFlorida St.

1995

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19952Sherman Williams46RBAlabama
19952Kendell Watkins59TEMississippi St.
19952Shane Hannah63GMichigan St.
19953Charlie Williams92DBBowling Green
19954Eric Bjornson110TEWashington
19954Alundis Brice129DBMississippi
19954Linc Harden130LBOklahoma St.
19955Edward Hervey166WRUSC
19955Dana Howard168LBIllinois
19957Oscar Sturgis236DENorth Carolina

1996

  • January 28 1996 Dallas wins it’s 5th Superbowl over the Steelers, 27-17
  • Me Renfro joins the Hall of Fame at as a Cowboy S and CB
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19962Kavika Pittman37DEMcNeese St.
19962Randall Godfrey49LBGeorgia
19963Clay Shiver67CFlorida St.
19963Stepfret Williams94WRLa-Monroe
19963Mike Ulufale95DTBYU
19965Kenneth McDaniel157TNorfolk St.
19965Alan Campos167LBLouisville
19966Wendell Davis207DBOklahoma
19967Ryan Wood243RBArizona St.

1997

  • 1997–2000: The Cowboys hold preliminary talks with Arlington officials about building a stadium there. The team also publicly discusses a $260 million plan to upgrade Texas Stadium. In 2000, the Cowboys compile a list of potential stadium sites, which include Grapevine, Coppell, and Arlington. The team continues negotiating with Irving to renovate Texas Stadium.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19971David LaFleur22TELSU
19973Dexter Coakley65LBAppalachian St.
19973Steve Scifres83GWyoming
19973Kenny Wheaton94DBOregon
19974Antonio Anderson101DTSyracuse
19974Macey Brooks127WRJames Madison
19974Nicky Sualua129RBOhio St.
19976Lee Vaughn187DBWyoming
19977Omar Stoutmire224DBFresno St.

1998

  • 1998-2001: Training camp moved to Midwestern State in Wichita Falls
  • however in 2001, River Ridge Playing Field in Oxnard shared training camp
  • Tommy McDonald, Cowboy WR joins the NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19981Greg Ellis8DENorth Carolina
19982Flozell Adams38TMichigan St.
19984Michael Myers100DTAlabama
19985Darren Hambrick130LBSouth Carolina
19985Oliver Ross138TIowa St.
19986Izell Reese188DBAla-Birmingham
19987Tarik Smith223RBCalifornia
19987Antonio Fleming227GGeorgia
19987Rodrick Monroe237TECincinnati

1999

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
19991Ebenezer Ekuban20DENorth Carolina
19992Solomon Page55GWest Virginia
19993Dat Nguyen85LBTexas A&M
19994Wane McGarity118WRTexas
19994Peppi Zellner132DEFort Valley St.
19996MarTay Jenkins193WRNebraska-Omaha
19997Mike Lucky229TEArizona
19997Kelvin Garmon243GBaylor

2000

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20002Dwayne Goodrich49DBTennessee
20004Kareem Larrimore109DBWest Texas A&M
20005Michael Wiley144RBOhio St.
20006Mario Edwards180DBFlorida St.
20007Orantes Grant219LBGeorgia

2001

  • 2001: Jones says Arlington is a leading contender for a $500 million stadium. The primary site considered is the 2,000 acres (810 ha) Lakes of Arlington tract on Farm Road 157. Other cities in the running include Grapevine and Grand Prairie. In October, Jones discusses the new stadium with the mayors of Arlington, Irving, Grapevine, and Dallas.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20012Quincy Carter53QBGeorgia
20012Tony Dixon56DBAlabama
20013Willie Blade93DTMississippi St.
20014Markus Steele122LBUSC
20015Matt Lehr137CVirginia Tech
20016Daleroy Stewart171DTSouthern Miss
20017Colston Weatherington207DECentral Missouri St.
20017John Nix240DTSouthern Miss
20017Char-ron Dorsey242TFlorida St.

2002

  • 2002-2003: Training camp at Alamodome in San Antonio
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20021Roy Williams8DBOklahoma
20022Andre Gurode37GColorado
20022Antonio Bryant63WRPittsburgh
20023Derek Ross75DBOhio St.
20024Jamar Martin129FBOhio St.
20025Pete Hunter168DBVirginia Union
20026Tyson Walter179COhio St.
20026DeVeren Johnson208WRSacred Heart
20026Bob Slowikowski211TEVirginia Tech

2003

  • 2003: The Cowboys ask the Irving City Council to extend their lease at Texas Stadium, which expires at the end of the 2008 season, on a year-to-year basis. They narrow their search to sites in Las Colinas and Dallas, and state legislators file bills that would allow Dallas County to increase its hotel occupancy and car rental taxes to pay for a new stadium.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20031Terence Newman5DBKansas St.
20032Al Johnson38CWisconsin
20033Jason Witten69TETennessee
20034Bradie James103LBLSU
20036B.J. Tucker178DBWisconsin
20036Zuriel Smith186WRHampton
20037Justin Bates219GColorado

2004

  • April 2004: Cowboys announce plans to build a $650 million stadium at Fair Park in Dallas. The deal requires $425 million in public financing from a 3% hotel-occupancy tax and a 6% car-rental tax.
  • June 2004; American Airlines Center is a “major obstacle” to building a Dallas Cowboys stadium in Fair Park, Mayor Laura Miller and several City Council members said Wednesday.
    “We should not have structured the deal like we did,” the mayor said, explaining that a noncompete clause in the arena’s contract with the city is complicating negotiations with the Cowboys. “It’s a big problem. American Airlines Center keeps saying, ‘You can’t do this; you can’t do that.’ Our attorneys are going to continue to work on it.”
    The city’s 1998 contract with American Airlines Center says the city cannot participate in the building of a stadium that would seat between 5,000 and 50,000 people and therefore compete with the arena for concerts and family events.
  • The deal falls apart in June when Dallas County commissioners say they cannot justify asking voters to approve the team’s request for $425 million in public funding.
  • Dallas Mayor Laura Miller made a last ditch effort to keep the Cowboys in Dallas offering a hotel tax that matched the one the county turned down. Arlington offered to pay$325 mil for the stadium plus raise other funding and Dallas wouldn’t match. (Ms Miller said they simply didnt have the money) ( Texas Monthly, Feb 2006)
  • In July, the Cowboys and Arlington announce they are negotiating to locate the stadium near Globe Life Park (then Ameriquest Field). In August, the Arlington City Council agrees unanimously to put before voters a tax increase that would fund the city’s $325 million portion of the project. Voters approve the tax increase on November 2.
  • 2004-2006: Training camp at River Ridge in Oxnard, CA
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20042Julius Jones43RBNotre Dame
20042Jacob Rogers52TUSC
20043Stephen Peterman83GLSU
20044Bruce Thornton121DBGeorgia
20045Sean Ryan144TEBoston Col.
20047Nate Jones205DBRutgers
20047Patrick Crayton216WRNW Oklahoma St.
20047Jacques Reeves223DBPurdue

2005

  • 2005: Arlington and the Cowboys choose the site south of Randol Mill Road and east of Collins Street for the new stadium. The city begins notifying residents and property owners of its plans to acquire their property. The Cowboys hire the HKS architectural firm to design the stadium. Early blueprints show 414 luxury suites and a two-panel retractable roof. The city completes its sale of $297.9 million in bonds to pay for its portion of the construction. Demolition of houses begins November 1.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20051DeMarcus Ware11LBTroy
20051Marcus Spears20DELSU
20052Kevin Burnett42LBTennessee
20054Marion Barber III109RBMinnesota
20054Chris Canty132DEVirginia
20056Justin Beriault208DBBall St.
20056Rob Petitti209TPittsburgh
20057Jay Ratliff224DEAuburn

2006

  • January 2006: The Cowboys hired Oklahoma-based Manhattan Construction as the general contractor for the stadium and the city completes its land purchases, although it still faces a number of lawsuits over land acquisition. Later that month, Tarrant County work crews begin demolition of more than 150 Arlington residences and small business structures to make room for the stadium.
  • March 2006: Alliance announced between Manhattan Construction and two general contractors, Rayco Construction of Grand Prairie and 3i Construction of Dallas, to manage the stadium’s construction.
  • April 2006: Excavation begins by Mario Sinacola and Sons Excavating. By August, they had moved over 1.4 million cubic yards of earth, shaping a 13-to-14-acre (5.3 to 5.7 ha) stadium bowl an average of 54 feet (16 m) deep.
  • October 2006: The grass amphitheater on Randol Mill Road is leveled to make way for the extension of Baird Farm Road.
  • December 2006: The stadium’s structure begins to go up and on December 12, Jerry Jones unveils the in-depth plans and designs of the stadium to the public.
  • Troy Aikman goes into NFL Hall of Fame as a Cowboy QB
  • ‘Big Cat’ Rayfield Wright, Cowboy OT goes into NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20061Bobby Carpenter18LBOhio St.
20062Anthony Fasano53TENotre Dame
20063Jason Hatcher92DEGrambling St.
20064Skyler Green125WRLSU
20065Pat Watkins138DBFlorida St.
20066Montavious Stanley182DTLouisville
20067Pat McQuistan211TWeber St.
20067E.J. Whitley224CTexas Tech

2007

  • January 2007: A construction worker is injured in a 20 ft fall.
  • June 2008: Jones commissions the world’s largest 1080 HDTV, to hang above field. An electrician is electrocuted while working on the stadium. Two days before, three people were injured while assembling a crane.
  • Training camp at Alamodome
  • WR Micheal Irvin goes into NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20071Anthony Spencer26DEPurdue
20073James Marten67TBoston Col.
20074Isaiah Stanback103QBWashington
20074Doug Free122TNorthern Illinois
20076Nick Folk178KArizona
20076Deon Anderson195FBConnecticut
20077Courtney Brown212DBCal Poly-San Luis Obispo
20077Alan Ball237DBIllinois

2008

  • 2008 and 2010 Training camp at River Ridge in Oxnard
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20081Felix Jones22RBArkansas
20081Mike Jenkins25DBSouth Florida
20082Martellus Bennett61TETexas A&M
20084Tashard Choice122RBGeorgia Tech
20085Orlando Scandrick143DBBoise St.
20086Erik Walden167DEMiddle Tenn. St.

2009

  • 2009: The stadium is scheduled for ‘substantial completion’ in June. The artificial-turf field was brought into the stadium in July. The Cowboys played their first pre-season home game on August 21 and their first regular-season home game on Sunday, September 20.
  • May 2, 2009 Rich Behm is paralyzed and 11 others hurt when straightline winds take out a tent at Valley Ranch.
  • May 13, 2009: Jerry Jones announced the official name of the new venue as Cowboys Stadium.
  • 2009 and 2011: Training camp at Alamodome in San Antonio
  • September 20, 2009: The Cowboys played their first NFL regular season game in the new stadium, . The Cowboys lose to the Giants 33–31 on a last second field goal by Lawrence Tynes. It was televised on NBC. This game attracted a record-breaking crowd of 105,121.
  • ‘Bullet’ Bob Hayes finally goes into the NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20093Jason Williams69LBWest. Illinois
20093Robert Brewster75TBall St.
20094Stephen McGee101QBTexas A&M
20094Victor Butler110LBOregon St.
20094Brandon Williams120DETexas Tech
20095DeAngelo Smith143DBCincinnati
20095Michael Hamlin166DBClemson
20095David Buehler172KUSC
20096Stephen Hodge197DBTCU
20096John Phillips208TEVirginia
20097Mike Mickens227DBCincinnati
20097Manuel Johnson229WROklahoma

2010

  • Emmitt Smith, NFL all time rushing leader is a first ballot NFL Hall of Famer
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20101Dez Bryant24WROklahoma St.
20102Sean Lee55LBPenn St.
20104Akwasi Owusu-Ansah126DBIndiana (PA)
20106Sam Young179TNotre Dame
20106Jamar Wall196DBTexas Tech
20107Sean Lissemore234DTWilliam & Mary

2011

  • February 6, 2011: The 2010 NFL Season Super Bowl was hosted at the Cowboys Stadium, which saw the Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. It was in the middle of a sudden snow and ice storm where several guests were struck by ice sliding off the roof. The City of Arlington had no capabilities for ice of this magnitude.
  • Deion ‘Primetime’ Sanders goes into NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20111Tyron Smith9TUSC
20112Bruce Carter40LBNorth Carolina
20113DeMarco Murray71RBOklahoma
20114David Arkin110GMissouri State
20115Josh Thomas143DBBuffalo
20116Dwayne Harris176WREast Carolina
20117Shaun Chapas220RBGeorgia
20117Bill Nagy252GWisconsin

2012

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20121Morris Claiborne6DBLSU
20123Tyrone Crawford81DEBoise St.
20124Kyle Wilber113LBWake Forest
20124Matt Johnson135DBEast. Washington
20125Danny Coale152WRVirginia Tech
20126James Hanna186TEOklahoma
20127Caleb McSurdy222LBMontana

2013

  • July 25, 2013: Jerry Jones announced that the official name of the venue was changed to AT&T Stadium as part of a naming rights deal.
  • Larry Allen, OT and OG for us goes into NFL Hall of Fame
  • Bill Parcells, Cowboys Head Coach goes into NFL Hall of Fame
  • The Star project was announced in 2013 as a partnership between the City of Frisco and the Dallas Cowboys as part of the “$5 Billion Mile” in Frisco Station, Texas. The Ford Center is part of a 91-acre development called The Star that includes the Dallas Cowboys’ team headquarters and training facility which moved from Valley Ranch, Texas, a 300-room Omni Hotel, the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor Walk, and retail and restaurant space. The Ford Center at The Star aside from the main stadium features practice fields and a sports training complex called the “Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research center for sports medicine”
  • The Star becomes the 7th and current practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys.
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20131Travis Frederick31CWisconsin
20132Gavin Escobar47TESan Diego St.
20133Terrance Williams74WRBaylor
20133J.J. Wilcox80DBGeorgia Southern
20134B.W. Webb114DBWilliam & Mary
20135Joseph Randle151RBOklahoma St.
20136DeVonte Holloman185LBSouth Carolina

2014

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20141Zack Martin16GNotre Dame
20142DeMarcus Lawrence34DEBoise St.
20144Anthony Hitchens119LBIowa
20145Devin Street146WRPittsburgh
20147Ben Gardner231DEStanford
20147Will Smith238LBTexas Tech
20147Ahmad Dixon248DBBaylor
20147Ken Bishop251DTNorthern Illinois
20147Terrance Mitchell254DBOregon

2015

  • Charles Haley, DE and LB goes into NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20151Byron Jones27CBConnecticut
20152Randy Gregory60OLBNebraska
20153Chaz Green91TFlorida
20154Damien Wilson127ILBMinnesota
20155Ryan Russell163DEPurdue
20157Mark Nzeocha236OLBWyoming
20157Laurence Gibson243TVirginia Tech
20157Geoff Swaim246TETexas

2016

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20161Ezekiel Elliott4RBOhio St.
20162Jaylon Smith34OLBNotre Dame
20163Maliek Collins67DTNebraska
20164Charles Tapper101DEOklahoma
20164Dak Prescott135QBMississippi St.
20166Anthony Brown189CBPurdue
20166Kavon Frazier212SCentral Michigan
20166Darius Jackson216RBEast. Michigan
20166Rico Gathers217TEBaylor

2017

  • Jerry Jones goes into NFL Hall of Fame as an owner
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20171Taco Charlton28DEMichigan
20172Chidobe Awuzie60CBColorado
20173Jourdan Lewis92CBMichigan
20174Ryan Switzer133WRNorth Carolina
20176Xavier Woods191SLouisiana Tech
20176Marquez White216CBFlorida St.
20177Joey Ivie228DTFlorida
20177Noah Brown239WROhio St.
20177Jordan Carrell246DTColorado

2018

  • WR Terrell Owens goes into NFL Hall of Fame
YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20181Leighton Vander Esch19OLBBoise St.
20182Connor Williams50TTexas
20183Michael Gallup81WRColorado St.
20184Dorance Armstrong Jr.116DEKansas
20184Dalton Schultz137TEStanford
20185Mike White171QBWestern Kentucky
20186Chris Covington193LBIndiana
20186Cedrick Wilson208WRBoise St.
20187Bo Scarbrough236RBAlabama

2019

  • Gil Brandt becomes the first Director of Player Personnel in the NFL Hall of Fame

Gil Brandt inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, courtesy Fox Sports

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20192Trysten Hill58DTCentral Florida
20193Connor McGovern90GPenn St.
20194Tony Pollard128RBMemphis
20195Michael Jackson158CBMiami (FL)
20195Joe Jackson165DEMiami (FL)
20196Donovan Wilson213STexas A&M
20197Mike Weber218RBOhio St.
20197Jalen Jelks241DEOregon

2020

YearRndPlayerPickPosCollege/Univ
20201CeeDee Lamb17WROklahoma
20202Trevon Diggs51CBAlabama
20203Neville Gallimore82DTOklahoma
20204Reggie Robinson II123CBTulsa
20204Tyler Biadasz146CWisconsin
20205Bradlee Anae179DEUtah
20207Ben DiNucci231QBJames Madison

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5 Comments
  1. Mike Rosen

    April 12, 2020

    Only thing missed was the reason the Cowboys got a franchise was because Lamar Hunt after trying for years to get Dallas an NFL franchise started his own league with a team in Dallas.

    • pheckmann

      April 13, 2020

      I considered that Mike but decided this would be about the Cowboys.

  2. Don Davidson

    September 6, 2020

    Such great memories of the history of the cowboys, as a young man living in Pasadena later to move to Dallas. Following the Cowboys not the oilers. I remember watching the Dallas Texans Play in semi pro league against the Pasadena Pistols. Such a great article here much enjoyed memories for the love of the game.

    • pheckmann

      September 6, 2020

      thanks Don. Just added all the Cowboy drafts

  3. Ted Arbuckle

    January 27, 2021

    I was a Chiefs fan early on but still watched the Cowboys. I had the honor to work for them from 1971 through 1976. I took care of the NFL officials on game day and interfaced with many of those great players. My favorites of all time were Bob Lilly and Chuck Howley but Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters made watching the game fun.
    One note worth the read is that George Andrie played on Marquette University’s last football team and made his school proud as a professional.

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