Was Larry Allen or Bob Lilly the greatest cowboy

[OmerV]

He was a freak of nature. Defiantly a generational talent. he is in content but didn't have enough seat time to be "greatest" .

I assume you are talking about not having enough time with the Cowboys to be considered the greatest Cowboy. In that context I agree.

But the other poster said there was a stretch where he was the most dominant player in the history of the game. I think it would be reasonable to call him the greatest cover CB of all time, but as talented as he was, I don't see him as having the same dominance as Jim Brown, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor and a few others.

 

[Ranching]

I was, and am, a big Randy White fan. I know he hated being nicknamed the "Manster", but on the football field it fit him perfectly. A few years ago my daughter and I went to see the Cowboys and Steelers play. Part of the group package was to meet a couple of Cowboys legends. Randy White was one of the legends. My daughter could not wait to met him as she only knew of him through my tales of the 70-80's Cowboys. The guy was a TRUE gentleman to my daughter. He joked with her and said things like she was a smart woman following her dad's love of the Cowboys. Took multiple pictures with her and gave her his opinion of the current Cowboys team (he had a few misgivings of certain players). Class guy. So besides Roger Staubach he is my favorite Cowboys player ever.

That's awesome! I wish I had taken my daughter to meet Randy.
When I had my BBQ, Teague asked me who made all the sides. Potato salad, Charro beans and rice. It was enough for about 150 hungry coaches. I told him my wife had made it all. He yelled WHAT??? He called Larry Brown and Solomon Paige over and told them. They all took pictures of the spread and said they were going to show them to their wives. Lol! They stuck around for a few hours and played dominos with a bunch of the guys. A couple of the others were in the bar watching the softball college world series with some of the guys. I like to share these stories, because it shows them to be regular guys. We usually only hear the bad stuff.

 

[Ranching]

And the crime of crimes committed by Booger was his treatment of the old guard of the Dallas Cowboys and Randy was one of the most vocal ones about how they were treated. It was as if they were all part of the Landry Clan, that he treated with total disrespect when he took over. I think a lot of the Landry guys started off with a chip on their shoulder over that and it never got knocked off.

I got the same vibe from Bob Lilly the times I got to visit the him, which was only two. He said one time the new regime isn't interested in the old Cowboys.

I'm not surprised, but we old folks will never forget those guys.

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

I know the QB's and a running back or two, maybe even a CB and safety would inter into this discussion, but theses two were world class.

who you got? it's the offseason for us at least.

Discuss.

I assume you're talking talent level . There is no way to measure that against each other. Might have been cool to see them do one on one's in the pit.

I love Larry Allen's play. He was an unreal talent and played for our team 14 years, just like Mr. Lilly. But as noted above Mr Cowboy was on the original team in 1960.

And all things equal, being that both were great. Bob Lilly was a Texan . . . played HS ball in this great state, college ball here, and of course pro ball. He is a Son of Texas. He lives in Georgetown today. The only stain he has is moving to and living in New Mexico for 5 years in the 1980's.

Now I agree with adopting Larry Allen into our great state and making him an honorary Texan.

There, that's my say on the greatest but to be clear . . . ALL Cowboys . . . players, coaches, and fans are the greatest. That's why I was hurt deep in my heart when Alicia Landry said she and Tom were NY Giant fans in the end.

Go Cowboys . . . forever !!!!!!

 

[CouchCoach]

I assume you are talking about not having enough time with the Cowboys to be considered the greatest Cowboy. In that context I agree.

But the other poster said there was a stretch where he was the most dominant player in the history of the game. I think it would be reasonable to call him the greatest cover CB of all time, but as talented as he was, I don't see him as having the same dominance as Jim Brown, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor and a few others.

You gave the clue in your description "cover" corner. He was not the complete CB, there were better ones that played all of the aspects of the position. He was a great cover guy, probably the best, and he had excellent ball skills.

He is a player I do not associate with any team, the first pure mercenary in the game and would seek out the next ranch to sell out his gun to because he knew they would pay the most money. ATL to SF to DAL to WAS, the pattern developed. He was Mr. All About Himself.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Bob Lilly

 

[CouchCoach]

I'm not surprised, but we old folks will never forget those guys.

That's what made me a fan. Coach, I can still see the trenches of the Ice Bowl, those Cowboys linemen, their fingers bandaged with frozen blood on them, putting them on the ground again and again in the greatest football game I ever saw.

All of that "finesse" talk about the Cowboys subsided on that day and the fans in GB were as impressed with the toughness of the Cowboys as much as they were with their own team. I worked with a guy that was there with his father on that day and his old man hadn't given the Cowboys much of a chance under those conditions and all he and his buddies could talk about after the game was the toughness of the Cowboys. New respect.

They lost that game and I had never been prouder of any team in my life.

 

[cowboyec]

So Brady isn't Mr. Patriot, then who is?

john hannah.

 

[Ranched]

I believe each position holds the greatest player. Singling out one player is simply impossible.

 

[RoboQB]

They called him Captain America. Fearless leader of America's Team.
Any other name mentioned is just for the sake of arguing.

With that being said, Mr. Cowboy is deserving of mention.
Also, seeing Randy White included reminds me of the constant
failed triple team block attempts by NFC East opponents.

As a kid, I felt the two toughest men in the world were my dad
and The Manster, Randy White.

Because my childhood aligns better with him, I'll add Tony Dorsett.
As a young white kid, I was crushed when the local little league team
did not have a #33 jersey (or #12).

Anyway, cool topic. Stirs up old memories. Sure would be great to
make some new ones.

 

[Winonesoon]

The greatest Cowboy of all-time is Roger Staubach.
It really isn't that close.

Lilly and Allen were phenomenal players who set the bar at their positions but Lilly was called Mr Cowboy because he was the franchise's first overall draft pick at a time predating free agency. He was an elite player on a team that built from the mud.
Larry came in and was elite right away for great teams but played a lot of his career on mismanaged and rebuilding squads. He is arguably the greatest LG of all-time.

Roger was America's QB and he was Tom Brady-esque in that he only missed the playoffs ONE TIME as the team's QB1.
Dallas went to 4 Super Bowls in his 9 years.
He was captain comeback and the player every little kid emulated in back yards in the 70s and early 80s.
Staubach was the brand maker.

That's sentimental to you and that's awesome. I have a copy of the "Hail Mary" signed by Roger.

as great as he was and the face of the real "America's Team" , I still have Lilly and Allen more Dominate. it's all good.

 

[ghosttown cowboy]

Captain America

 

[Risen Star]

The greatest Cowboy of all time was Deion Sanders.

 

[Winonesoon]

Gotta go with this guy... but you really should have given us more choices. Harvey Martin, Randy White, Roger Staubach, Emmitt, Dorsett, I could go on and on.

I get it but, these two was all world at their respected positions. Many, Many great cowboys to be thankful for.

 

[ondaedg]

Larrry Allennn!?!?

 

[Turk]

The greatest Cowboy of all time was Deion Sanders.

Yawn.

 

[Jammer]

That's awesome! I wish I had taken my daughter to meet Randy.
When I had my BBQ, Teague asked me who made all the sides. Potato salad, Charro beans and rice. It was enough for about 150 hungry coaches. I told him my wife had made it all. He yelled WHAT??? He called Larry Brown and Solomon Paige over and told them. They all took pictures of the spread and said they were going to show them to their wives. Lol! They stuck around for a few hours and played dominos with a bunch of the guys. A couple of the others were in the bar watching the softball college world series with some of the guys. I like to share these stories, because it shows them to be regular guys. We usually only hear the bad stuff.

I agree. I lurk in the background most of the time, but I do love hearing your stories.

 

[Risen Star]

Yawn.

Greatest ever at his position. Something no other Cowboy can claim so definitively.

 

[Jammer]

And the crime of crimes committed by Booger was his treatment of the old guard of the Dallas Cowboys and Randy was one of the most vocal ones about how they were treated. It was as if they were all part of the Landry Clan, that he treated with total disrespect when he took over. I think a lot of the Landry guys started off with a chip on their shoulder over that and it never got knocked off.

I got the same vibe from Bob Lilly the times I got to visit the him, which was only two. He said one time the new regime isn't interested in the old Cowboys.

Sad thing is, if it wasn't for the old regime there wouldn't be the current regime.

 

[Winonesoon]

The greatest Cowboy of all time was Deion Sanders.

Not even you believe that. Can't lay your head down and close your eyes with that on bated breath. Thanks for the hard work.