Twitter: ESPN Sports Center ranks their all time Dallas Cowboys top 10

Dont necessarily agree with the order but I am shocked Chuck Howley made it as he probably should have.

Any list that does not have Roger Staubach at number one is just wrong

As is any list that does not have Mel Renfro

Emmit #1? No way, and I love me some Emmit.

This is more like a list of the most popular.

kskboys said:

Emmit #1? No way, and I love me some Emmit.

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Emmitt does have more individual achievements than anyone to ever wear the star.

How Dexter Coakley didn't make this list is beyond me.

Kudos for the inclusion of Howley.

Tyron Smith? Probably a top 5 player at his position ever even when injured. Seems more of a popularity contest.

MY top 10 All time Cowboys list:

1 Emmitt Smith
2 Michael Irvin
3 Larry Allen
4 Randy White
5 Roger Staubach
6 Bob Hayes
7 Demarcus Ware
8 Tony Dorsett
9 Erik Williams
10 Troy Aikman

i have to take my Cowboys list just as the Ring of Honor and the only reasons why i'm hesitant to add Deion Sanders and Charles Haley
as such is because they are not Grass Root Cowboys - they did not origin as Cowboys.

if i went further Rayfield Wright, Darren Woodson and Tony Romo would have been next ups.

How does d-where end up above Aikman

The Natural said:

How does d-where end up above Aikman

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I love Troy but D-Ware is a more accomplished individual player. Cowboys sack leader, 4x all pro, top 10 all time in sacks as well.

Ware was a better pass rusher than Aikman was a QB. Both are great though.

It’s a strong list obviously. I think Troy and Michael are probably on the edge (that’s not even a bad thing, just how many great players played for the franchise) but so would the guys you bump them for. I doubt there was any true criteria for this list so it’s just people’s opinion.

robjay04 said:

I love Troy but D-Ware is a more accomplished individual player. Cowboys sack leader, 4x all pro, top 10 all time in sacks as well.

Ware was a better pass rusher than Aikman was a QB. Both are great though.

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I know the 1970s were a long time ago, but I'm not sure that I could put Ware ahead of Harvey Martin as a pass rusher.

Ware did finish with more sacks (in more seasons and more games), and played on lesser defenses.

So tough to call.

I think Randy White has to be on the list.

And yea—Emmitt at the top?.....I’d have to go Roger.

I’d have Larry Allen top 5. God that dude was unreal.

Howley was before my time, so I can’t really say. Just like Lilly. I saw Manster, Too Tall and Harvey go after it....heck—all 3 of them should share #10.

Year after year, the Cowboys and Tom Landry were labeled by the media and by fans. They earned it. This was the team that couldn't "win the big one". Many times, they were considered by everyone as the better team, with their more dominating regular season but then.....

The two losses to the Packers, both within the last few seconds of the game.

Next followed two of the most dominant seasons in their history....followed by two humiliating losses to the Cleveland Browns.

Then, the following season, the Cowboys finally make it to the Super Bowl.....and lose in the last few seconds by a field goal from a rookie kicker

Now, it's 1971 and Tom Landry can't decide on a QB, despite the fact that Staubach was clearly the winner. The Cowboys were 4-3 by the time Landry decided on Staubach. They didn't lose another game that year including their first Super Bowl championship.The SB MVP was Roger Staubach.

Roger Staubach only started for 9 seasons. He was the NFL's top passer in four of them, including his last season. He took the Cowboys to a total of four SB's, winning two of them. He led them to six NFC championship games, winning four of them.

Roger Staubach retired in 1979 as the leading passer in NFL history. He won 72% of all games he started.

Love Emmitt, there is no shame to him being #2, none at all when the #1 player is Roger Staubach.

Hagman said:

Any list that does not have Roger Staubach at number one is just wrong

As is any list that does not have Mel Renfro

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I must agree, you have to include Mel Renfro, the Cowboys all time defensive playmaker #1 in Cowboy interceptions.

If a player was never involved heavily in the playoffs then they can't make the list because they never got the opportunity to earn a place on the list.

The best Dallas Cowboys players are remembered for how they performed in the games that will be remembered. DeMarcus Ware was a great player, the Cowboys had so many of them. However, his play was never elevated to the place it had to be to dominate in a playoff game. Where was that dominating game during a playoff run? When did he take over an elimination game with everything on the line? Four sacks in three playoff games

Chuck Howley made game changing plays in championship games. He had interceptions and fumbles returned for TD's or long gains in playoff games. When we talk about greatness, regular season games are just qualifying matches, save for a few iconic moments.

DeMarcus Ware....0 INT's in the playoffs?....a linebacker?.....only 3 in his entire career?

Again, Ware was a great player but the Cowboys have at least ten that were better and one of them is Mel Renfro, ten time Pro Bowler.

RS12 said:

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I know Deion Sanders wasnt a popular player for some people in Dallas. But to not put him in this list is ridiculous.

Seems more like the list of the "10 most popular Cowboys" rather then greatest.

big dog cowboy said:

Kudos for the inclusion of Howley.

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Agreed. He's still the only player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl MVP on a team that lost.

TwentyOne said:

I know Deion Sanders wasnt a popular player for some people in Dallas. But to not put him in this list is ridiculous.

Seems more like the list of the "10 most popular Cowboys" rather then greatest.

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Deion wasn't a Cowboy. He was a merc. He didn't care what team he was on, as long as he got paid.