2021 season countdown thread

[maryquality]

Oops...I missed yesterday's guys. The best #54's, in my opinion, were Randy White and Chuck Howley!! Currently, we have no #54 as J. Smith changed his number to 9.

 

[maryquality]

53 days. Only former players I can remember who wore #53 were Bob Breunig and Mark Stepnoski...not too shabby. Current player with #53 is Francis Bernard.

 

[Hagman]

 

[Bobhaze]

Oops...I missed yesterday's guys. The best #54's, in my opinion, were Randy White and Chuck Howley!! Currently, we have no #54 as J. Smith changed his number to 9.

Agreed. Randy White and Chuck Howley are two of the best Cowboys to ever wear the Star.

 

[Bobhaze]

Bob Bruenig was a very capable middle LB for about 7 seasons. He had big shoes to fill taking over for Lee Roy Jordan and did so more than adequately. He made the Pro Bowl 3 times and played in two SBs.

Mark Stepnoski had a great but brief career here. He’s the smallest guy I’ve seen play C that well. I had forgotten that Step was a 3 time ALL PRO. I also had forgotten that after playing for the Oilers/Titans at end of his career, he also played for us again 99-2001, then retired.

 

[Hagman]

In praise of Mike Connelly.....

Mike was drafted out of Utah State in 1959 by the Rams with what was known as a future draft pick, which allowed his selection before his college eligibility was up. The Rams cut him after the 1960 preseason, and he was picked up by Dallas. So technically is he an original Cowboy? He was by the time the season stared. He was switched from a backup guard to center in 1961, and started at center for 4 years. He was a weightlifter and was considered the strongest guy on the team. After Dave Manders/Malcolm Walker joined the team, he largely was a backup center/guard, but after Manders got hurt he started at center all of 1967, including the Ice Bowl. He told Landry in 1968 that he only planned to play one more year, so Tom traded him to Washington for kicker Mike Clark.

You see his name on the Players who Wore #54 list, because he did wear 54 in 1960, switching to 53 in 1961 when Chuck Howley came on board.

So here's to you Mike, and the job you did toiling in a line from the brutal expansion years to the NFL championship games against the Packers.

 

[Jake]

In praise of Mike Connelly.....

He told Landry in 1968 that he only planned to play one more year, so Tom traded him to Washington for kicker Mike Clark.

There's a guy I wouldn't have thought of today. Nice find.

Just a minor detail but the trade was with Pittsburgh, not Washington. Clark actually retired in July of '68, but the Cowboys convinced him to continue his career in his home state. They then traded Connelly to the Steelers for the rights to Clark.

 

[Hagman]

There's a guy I wouldn't have thought of today. Nice find.

Just a minor detail but the trade was with Pittsburgh, not Washington. Clark actually retired in July of '68, but the Cowboys convinced him to continue his career in his home state. They then traded Connelly to the Steelers for the rights to Clark.

You are right...it's one of those situations where I was looking right at my source material and still typed it wrong.....getting old sucks, man.

 

[Jake]

53 days to Tampa Bay

 

[Bobhaze]

How long until the last preseason game is over?

 

[maryquality]

52 more days. My favorite former #52 was Dexter Coakley. Current player with #52 is Connor Williams.

 

[Bobhaze]

How about the great Dave Edwards, who played 14 seasons for the Cowboys, played in 18 playoff games including 7 conf championship games, and 5 SBs. He had 13 Int’s in his 14 yr career, including one pick six.

 

[Jake]

52 days to Tampa Bay

 

[Hagman]

 

[Jake]

Billy Cannon Jr.'s career was so short I'm struggling to find a picture of him donning #52 for the Cowboys. Often called a bust, the former first round pick only played 8 games in the NFL, but I'm not sure that's fair since a career-ending neck injury robbed him of his chance. He went on to sue the Cowboys for negligence.

Cannon originally signed with the Yankees out of high school, but some Steinbrenner shenanigans led to the contract being voided. He then chose to play football at Texas A&M after the Cleveland Indians acquired his rights. The rest is history, and I'm sure he's had to wonder how different things may have been had he stuck with baseball.

 

[Hagman]

How about the great Dave Edwards, who played 14 seasons for the Cowboys, played in 18 playoff games including 7 conf championship games, and 5 SBs. He had 13 Int’s in his 14 yr career, including one pick six.

Dave Edwards is another guy who's not gotten the recognition that he deserves from modern fans. OK, he's not Hall of Fame worthy, but he was more than a JAG and his recognition suffered from playing alongside greats like Lee Roy Jordan and Chuck Howley. He was another guy drafted by the AFL (by the Broncos) but chose to sign as a free agent with Dallas in 1962. Started out on the offensive so here's another guy who Landry shifted around to his best fit--in this case the next year at linebacker. (He had been a two-way player at Auburn). He was a key figure of the original Doomsday Defense, and as a strongside linebacker his strength and smarts were respected (he was know to rarely make mistakes or blow assignments) . John Madden told his linebackers to study Edwards' technique at jamming tight ends and at stopping the run. He missed one game in 13 years and helped take Dallas to three NFC championships and victory in Super Bowl VI.

In December 2016 he was scheduled to go get tested for a heart condition, but died before his appointment. His son planned to bury both of his parents ashes together, but some jerk stole his mom's ashes in a house burglary.

So here's to you Dave. You were an important part of creating America's Team.

 

[Hagman]

Billy Cannon Jr.'s career was so short I'm struggling to find a picture of him donning #52 for the Cowboys. Often called a bust, the former first round pick only played 8 games in the NFL, but I'm not sure that's fair since a career-ending neck injury robbed him of his chance. He went on to sue the Cowboys for negligence.

Cannon originally signed with the Yankees out of high school, but some Steinbrenner shenanigans led to the contract being voided. He then chose to play football at Texas A&M after the Cleveland Indians acquired his rights. The rest is history, and I'm sure he's had to wonder how different things may have been had he stuck with baseball.

Billy Cannon.....man what a great name for a football player......another player who wore 52 was Kim Schwantz....sounds like the kind of name that John Madden would have gone crazy over.

 

[Hagman]

Billy Cannon.....man what a great name for a football player......another player who wore 52 was Kim Schwantz....sounds like the kind of name that John Madden would have gone crazy over.

JIM Schwartz…..dam these aging eyes

 

[maryquality]

51 more days. Former player Ken Norton, Jr. comes to mind. Other former players with #51 were Keith Brooking and Kyle Wilber. Current player wearing #51 is Anthony Hines, III.

 

[Hagman]