2021 season countdown thread

[Bobhaze]

70 days until Tampa Bay

Hall-of-Famer Rayfield Wright is a large man (6'6", 270) from a small HBCU (Fort Valley State). Drafted in the 7th round in 1967, Wright played in the Ice Bowl along with 5 NFC championship wins and two SB victories. He did everything there was for an offensive lineman to do for the 70s Cowboys, garnering several Pro Bowl berths and a spot in the Ring of Honor. Released by the Cowboys following the 1979 season, Wright actually signed with the Eagles in April of 1980 before thinking better of it and retiring in July.

He started the Rayfield Wright Foundation and became a philanthropist after his playing career ended, helping inner city youths stay out of trouble and obtain grants to attend college. Sadly, his later years have involved early-onset dementia, likely related to 13 years of head trauma in the NFL.

Rayfield Wright has to be one of THE most underrated Cowboys of all time. He’s in the ROH and HOF, but I would bet 80% of our fan base knows little to nothing about him.

 

[mrmojo]

Only if @Reality (hopefully) deems it so by pinning it.

Next year it would start at 99 days before kickoff. I can almost see Hurvin McCormack now.

Or Kevin Brooks

 

[mrmojo]

It was the holding calls, Im sure it was not as bad as I remember though.

Yes it was, I saw the whole thing, got Danny hurt and cost us the game......plus a couple of false starts....

 

[mrmojo]

Tony Liscio spent 2 stints with the Cowboys, beginning in 1963 and ending in 1971. A member of the team who lost SB V, Liscio wasn't around for the win in SB VI. In May of '71 he was part of the trade with San Diego bringing Lance Alworth to Dallas. "Bambi" helped the Cowboys win the big one while Liscio never played a down for the Chargers. They traded him to Miami for Carl Mauck (who later blocked for Earl Campbell in Houston) but Liscio never played for Miami, either.

Liscio did come back in 71 to play for the Cowboys and did play in SB VI. Landry brought him back after Neely was in a motorcycle accident.

 

[maryquality]

I think we're at 64 days now. All I could think of former players who wore #64 was Tom Rafferty.

 

[Hagman]

I think we're at 64 days now. All I could think of former players who wore #64 was Tom Rafferty.

He's the only one who's memorable, although Liscio is better remembered for wearing #72. It's a busy morning at work, later I'll try to find something interesting about one of these guys.
https://insidethestar.com/tom-rafferty-takes-center-stage-at-64/

The following players have all worn 64 for the Dallas Cowboys:

• Jim Arneson, OG
• Jorge Diaz, OG
• Lavar Edwards, DE
• Bob Grottkau, OG
• Halvor Hagen, OG
• Montrae Holland, OG
• Mitch Johnson, OT
• George Lilja, OG
• Tony Liscio, OT
• Tom Rafferty, OG/C
• Jim Ray Smith, OG
• Daleroy Stewart, DT
• Brian Waters, OG
• Chris Whaley*, DT

 

[Jake]

I think we're at 64 days now. All I could think of former players who wore #64 was Tom Rafferty.

I remember this exact game. 1984, the 7-4 Cowboys went to Buffalo and lost 14-3 to the 0-11 Bills. Dallas would finish 9-7, missing the playoffs by one game.

 

[Hagman]

Rafferty was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round (119th overall) of the 1976 NFL Draft. As a rookie he played behind the great Blaine Nye, but more on one of my favorite lineman in a few days. The next year he started at right guard and also was the team’s long snapper.So he was a key contributor to the Super Bowl champion team that beat the Broncos.

During this period, center John Fitzgerald named the Cowboys offensive line as the "Four Irishmen and a Scott", when it was formed by him, Rafferty, Pat Donovan, Jim Cooper and Herb Scott.

In 1981, he was moved to center after Robert Shaw went down with a career-ending injury. Among his memorable moments, he and Scott teamed on the block that cleared the way for Tony Dorsett's 99-yard run against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football in 1983.

In 1989, he started the first 8 games before rookie Mark Stepnoski took over the center position. He announced his retirement on April 21, 1990. He played in 221 total games for the Cowboys, including 167 consecutive games, which at the time was more than any other Cowboy in history.

 

[Bobhaze]

Tom Rafferty has some interesting career notes. Played in 3 SBs and is one of only a select few Cowboys players to ever be a starting player for both Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson.

 

[Jake]

63 days to Tampa Bay.

For me, #63 immediately goes to "Zero Club" member DE Larry Cole. Cole was taken in the 16th round of the 1968 draft, the first Cowboy drafted from the University of Hawaii. He's one of two Cowboys to have played for the team in 3 decades, played in 5 SBs, had 3 pick-sixes, and stopped John Riggins for a loss on 3rd down to set up Staubach's final game-winning drive in the last game of the '79 regular season.

G/C John Gesek is next. Gesek only played 4 seasons for the Cowboys, but started two SB victories at different positions. He started at guard in SB XXVII, then replaced injured Mark Stepnoski at center for SB XXVIII.

 

[maryquality]

Our current Cowboys player wearing #63 is Tyler Biadasz.

 

[Bobhaze]

63 days to Tampa Bay.

For me, #63 immediately goes to "Zero Club" member DE Larry Cole. Cole was taken in the 16th round of the 1968 draft, the first Cowboy drafted from the University of Hawaii. He's one of two Cowboys to have played for the team in 3 decades, played in 5 SBs, had 3 pick-sixes, and stopped John Riggins for a loss on 3rd down to set up Staubach's final game-winning drive in the last game of the '79 regular season.

G/C John Gesek is next. Gesek only played 4 seasons for the Cowboys, but started two SB victories at different positions. He started at guard in SB XXVII, then replaced injured Mark Stepnoski at center for SB XXVIII.

Man I loved the great Larry Cole. Very underrated. He made some huge plays in big games. As you stated, his tackle of John Riggins in the 1979 regular season finale on 3rd and 2 with about 2 min left made the great comeback possible. That clinched the NFC East that year. Captain of the great “Zero Club”, lol. Remember his full body roll across the field when Staubach led that great comeback to beat the niners in the ‘72 divisional playoff win?

 

[Hagman]

Larry Cole scored four touchdowns during his career, three on interceptions and one on a fumble recovery. Two of them came his rookie year. But I always remember that all of these were done against the Washington Commanders, and all of them were key components of the Cowboys winning those games. When asked about the 10 year gap between touchdown number three and touchdown number four he said “anybody can have an off decade “

 

[Hagman]

https://www.___GET_REAL_URL___/s/in...cole-to-diamond-larry-cole-is-king-of-63/amp/

The Following Players Have All Worn 63 For The Dallas Cowboys:

• Lester Brinkley, DE
• Jeremy Clark, DT
• Larry Cole, DE
• Ryan Cook, C
• Gennaro DiNapoli, OG
• Mike Falls, OG
• John Flannery, OG
• Ben Gardner*, DE (switched to 93 for the 2015 season)
• John Gesek, OG
• Aaron Gibson, OT
• Mike Kiselak, C
• Kyle Kosier, OG
• Jon Shields, OG
• Glen Titensor, OG

 

[Hagman]

 

[HowardC]

 

[HowardC]

No one had John Fitzgerald's staying power that wore number 62.

 

[Jake]

Interesting thing about Fitzgerald is that he was not snapping the ball to Roger on 4th and 16 or the Hail Mary two plays later. Fitz had an injured elbow and struggled with shotgun snaps all day on that cold, sloppy Minnesota turf. Rookie Kyle Davis replaced him after another errant snap on 3rd and long. The rest is history.

 

[Jake]

No one had John Fitzgerald's staying power that wore number 62.

Indeed. The Cowboys originally tried him at defensive tackle before converting to guard, and ultimately center in 1973. We're now 62 days to Tampa Bay.

 

[JoeKing]

Rayfield Wright has to be one of THE most underrated Cowboys of all time. He’s in the ROH and HOF, but I would bet 80% of our fan base knows little to nothing about him.

That's not underappreciation, it's flat-out ignorance because they are not aware of how great he actually was. A good percentage of our fans place little credibility with the Super Bowls the Cowboys have won because of how long ago they were won. In their minds, if it happened before they were born it may as well of never happened at all.