2021 season countdown thread

[Jake]

22 days to Tampa Bay

No disrespect to guys like Victor Scott, but there are two 22s who stand above all of the others. I don't have to tell their stories. Anyone who frequents this place knows all about Bob Hayes and Emmitt Smith. Hayes is still the only athlete to win Olympic gold and a SB ring, and Emmitt is still the NFL's all time leading rusher (and a 3 time SB champ).

 

[Motorola]

You guys are on top of the countdown today!!! Nice job!!! No better player to wear #22 than E. Smith!! No current player wears #22, and most likely, no future player ever will.

Emmitt - 4x NFL rushing yards leader, 3x NFL rushing TDs leader, 1st all-time in rushing TDs, 2nd all-time in total TDs, Member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, Member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

 

[Motorola]

22 days to Tampa Bay

No disrespect to guys like Victor Scott, but there are two 22s who stand above all of the others. I don't have to tell their stories. Anyone who frequents this place knows all about Bob Hayes and Emmitt Smith. Hayes is still the only athlete to win Olympic gold and a SB ring, and Emmitt is still the NFL's all time leading rusher (and a 3 time SB champ).

Hayes is the second Olympic Gold medalist in the Pro Football HOF (Jim Thorpe was the first).

 

[Thomas82]

Emmitt - 4x NFL rushing yards leader, 3x NFL rushing TDs leader, 1st all-time in rushing TDs, 2nd all-time in total TDs, Member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, Member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

The fact that Emmitt Smith's resume is full of the words first, most, greatest, and record-breaking still doesn't impress a whole lot of these "experts" who crave flashier and more dynamic players. Here is a look at everything Emmitt did in his career to become the most accomplished running back in football history:

-NFL All-Time Leading Rusher
-NFL All-Time Leading Postseason Rusher
-Monday Night Football All-Time Leading Rusher
-Dallas Cowboys Ring Of Honor (2005)
-Pro Football Hall Of Fame (2010)
-NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
-8x Pro Bowl Selection (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999)
-4x First Team All-Pro (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
-Second Team All-Pro (1991)
-3x Super Bowl Champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
-Super Bowl XXVIII MVP
-1990 NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year
-1993 NFL MVP
-1993 PFWA NFL MVP
-1993 TSN NFL MVP
-1993 Miller Lite Player Of The Year
-1994 TSN Sportsman Of The Year
-2x NEA NFL MVP (1991, 1992)
-1993 Bert Bell Award
-5x Galloping Gobbler Award
-3X First Team All-SEC (1987, 1988, 1989)
-1989 SEC Player Of The Year
-1989 First Team All-American
-1987 SEC Freshman Of The Year
-1987 National Freshman Of The Year
-Gator Football Ring Of Honor
-College Football Hall Of Fame (2006)
-Florida High School All-Century Team
-Florida High School Athletic Association Player Of The Century
-1986 USA Today High School Player Of The Year
-1986 Parade Magazine High School Player Of The Year

NFL Records
-Most rushing yards in a career (18,355)
-Most rushing touchdowns in a career (164)
-Most rushing attempts in a career (4,409)
-Most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (11)
-Most 1,000-yard seasons in a career (11)
-Most 100-yard games in a career (78)
-Most games in a season with a touchdown (15 in 1995)
-Most games in a season with a rushing touchdown (15 in 1995)
-Most rushing yards after turning 30 years old (5,789)
-Most playoff rushing yards in a career (1,586)
-Most playoff rushing touchdowns in a career (19)
-Most playoff total touchdowns in a career (21 - tied with Thurman Thomas)
-Most consecutive playoff games with a rushing touchdown (9)
-Most 100-yard playoff games (7 - tied with Terrell Davis)

Accomplishments
-Only running back in football history to be his state's all-time leading rusher in high school, school's all-time leading rusher in college, and the NFL's all-time leading rusher.
-Only running back in NFL history to win a rushing title, MVP, Super Bowl, and Super Bowl MVP in the same season
-Only running back (since the merger) to lead the NFL in carries, rushing yards, all-purpose yards, rushing touchdowns, and total touchdowns in the same season
-First running back in NFL history to win a rushing title and Super Bowl in the same season
-First running back to rush for 1,400+ yards in 5 straight seasons
-One of 2 non-kickers in NFL history to score over 1,000 points in a career (Jerry Rice)
-One of 5 players with 10,000 rushing yards and 400 receptions in a career
-One of 3 running backs to start their careers with 7 straight 10-touchdown seasons (Jim Brown, LaDanian Tomlinson)

 

[Motorola]

Bullet Bob Hayes! The OG #22! He was literally my first Cowboys hero as a kid.

His first two years as a Cowboy are still eye popping. In a running game era, and in a 28 game span over 65-66, Bullet Bob scored 26 TDs, had over 2,200 yards receiving and struck absolute terror in the hearts of every defense he faced.

How about this: he averaged a whopping 20 yards per catch- FOR HIS CAREER! And he had 6 TDs of over 80 yards, including a 90 yard punt return TD. He had 71 TD receptions in his 10 yrs with the Cowboys, and 76 total TDs including returns and rushes. To this day, Hayes STILL holds ten regular-season receiving records, four punt return records and 22 overall franchise marks, making him one of the greatest players to ever wear the Star.

Hayes' 20.0 YPC is 6th highest all-time.

 

[Thomas82]

 

[Thomas82]

Bob Hayes was one of 3 Hall Of Famers drafted by the Cowboys in 1964 (Mel Renfro, Roger Staubach). The team used a future pick on Hayes, allowing them to draft him before his college eligibility was up, gambling on an Olympic sprinter with raw football skills in hopes that he could excel as a wide receiver in the NFL. He might not have been the first Olympian to play in the NFL, but no other one has made the kind of impact he did. He forced the NFL to develop different types of zone defenses and the "bump and run" coverage in attempts to contain him. When the rest of the NFL saw how he was stretching defenses and forcing them to come up with new ways to try to stop him, general managers started combing through track & field magazines and flocking to tracks in an effort to find the next Bob Hayes, the only man to ever win an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring, but there has never been another one.

 

[Motorola]

Both of the Cowboys' legends were born and raised in extreme Northern Florida-
Hayes in Jacksonville, on the Atlantic Coast, and Smith in Pensacola, on the Gulf Coast.
Fun facts: Both players' colleges have orange as one of the two primary school colors.
Both of their universities have a reptile that represents their football (and other athletic) teams.

 

[Motorola]

WOW - great photographs of our fabled 22s in action. Brings back memories.
CZoner comrades - I appreciate you posting them.

 

[Thomas82]

WOW - great photographs of our fabled 22s in action. Brings back memories.
CZoner comrades - I appreciate you posting them.

You got it!! I'll have some more for you tonight.

 

[ArtClink]

Bullet Bob Hayes! The OG #22! He was literally my first Cowboys hero as a kid.

His first two years as a Cowboy are still eye popping. In a running game era, and in a 28 game span over 65-66, Bullet Bob scored 26 TDs, had over 2,200 yards receiving and struck absolute terror in the hearts of every defense he faced.

How about this: he averaged a whopping 20 yards per catch- FOR HIS CAREER! And he had 6 TDs of over 80 yards, including a 90 yard punt return TD. He had 71 TD receptions in his 10 yrs with the Cowboys, and 76 total TDs including returns and rushes. To this day, Hayes STILL holds ten regular-season receiving records, four punt return records and 22 overall franchise marks, making him one of the greatest players to ever wear the Star.

Amazing stats for Haze and IMO changed the game much more than #22 Emmit Smith (who is also one of the all-time great RBs). Hayes' speed is also interesting because some have postulated that Hayes' times in the Olympics were not on the same type of track that Bolt ran on and comparably, Hayes in his prime might have been able to give Bolt a run for his money if they were running on the same type of track!

Hayes is just one of the many Cowboys that I looked up to as a kid and I still love old #22.

 

[ArtClink]

Bob Hayes was one of 3 Hall Of Famers drafted by the Cowboys in 1964 (Mel Renfro, Roger Staubach). The team used a future pick on Hayes, allowing them to draft him before his college eligibility was up, gambling on an Olympic sprinter with raw football skills in hopes that he could excel as a wide receiver in the NFL. He might not have been the first Olympian to play in the NFL, but no other one has made the kind of impact he did. He forced the NFL to develop different types of zone defenses and the "bump and run" coverage in attempts to contain him. When the rest of the NFL saw how he was stretching defenses and forcing them to come up with new ways to try to stop him, general managers started combing through track & field magazines and flocking to tracks in an effort to find the next Bob Hayes, the only man to ever win an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring, but there has never been another one.

Great pic, great post!

 

[ArtClink]

Are we to Doug Denison yet?

 

[mrmojo]

Curvin Richards is best remembered in these parts for being unceremoniously cut by Jimmy after the last game of the 1992 season. Richards was giving Smith a rest with the playoffs looming, Dallas won the game 27-14 over Chicago anyway, but Richards committed the cardinal sin of fumbling twice. He was cut the next day, despite it being too late to replace him on the roster and having to still pay him. Richards was fortunate to "win" a Super Bowl ring that season from the comfort of his living room.

He has another distinction, having been born in Trinidad & Tobago. Richards was the first Trinidadian to play in the NFL. He left college as Pitt's second leading all time rusher, behind Dorsett, despite only playing three years. After being cut by Dallas, the Lions gave him a chance to be Barry Sanders' backup in '93. He was cut after one game and never played in the NFL again.

That pic isnt Curvin, its Thomas Everett whom the Cowboys got from Pittsburgh, he took Curvin's number after he got cut and was a big contributor to the 92 and 93 SB championship teams...

 

[Bobhaze]

Are we to Doug Denison yet?

Tomorrow Artie!

 

[Motorola]

You got it!! I'll have some more for you tonight.

Looking forward to viewing them!
Not only the uniforms back then... but the determination and grit in Hayes' and Smith's faces - still stirs my sports soul.

 

[Motorola]

Great pic, great post!

Hayes is blocking on that play I believe.

 

[Motorola]

Tomorrow Artie!

Denison was a fan favorite. Never attended a game back then. But just watching on TV - the fans in attendance showed their adulation for the players...and the applause and cheers came through the set.

 

[Hagman]

The Cowboys are weird when it come to numbers. Numbers are never retired, it's just that nobody is every allowed to use them again--8 12, 22, 74. Other numbers of past greats are given to outstanding prospects--88. Others like the 54 worn by Howley and White are give the the Jaylon Smith's of the world....grrrrrr.

So today's computer generated list has Kneau Neal wearing 22, even though my google search indicates that he was made to change to 42, so ignore that part of the list.. LOL.

Even so, given the respect that 22 has not a lot of Cowboys have worn it.

 

[Reid1boys]

Got my tickets for the Charger's game yesterday.