News: BTB: How Often Do The Dallas Cowboys Draft Hall of Famers?

[NewsBot]

Blogging The Boys thought it was fitting during the NFL Draft season to show how often the Cowboys draft Hall of Famers.

Right in the middle of the NFL Draft season the Cowboys are looking for their future stars but are there any Hall of Famers among them? It is far too early to tell, but here is a look at how well the Cowboys have drafted in terms of how many the Cowboys have drafted prior to 1998:

The Cowboys have the highest frequency rate of any franchise drafting a Hall of Famer every 3.2 drafts. The Pittsburgh Steelers come in second with 3.7. This should come as no surprise considering the two franchises have 11 Lombardi Trophies between them.

Cowboys Hall of Famers

Bob Lilly "Mr. Cowboy"

The Dallas Cowboys first HOF inductee and also the first ever draft selection by the organization. He was inducted in 1980. He played for the Cowboys from 1961-1974.

Roger Staubach "Captain Comeback" "Captain America"

The Heisman Trophy winner was drafted by the Cowboys in 1964 but wouldn't make his debut for America's team until 1969 after he completed his service in the Navy. Staubach played until concussions forced his retirement in 1979. He would be inducted in 1985.

Tony Dorsett

Dorsett was a very costly running back to obtain. It cost the Cowboys four draft picks to be in position to draft him. Dorsett is best known for his 99 yard touchdown run on Monday Night Football against the Vikings. The Cowboys ony had 10 players on the field for that score. He was inducted in 1994 after donning the blue and silver from 1977-1987.

Randy White "The Manster"

Often referred to as half man half monster, White was the 1978 Defensive Player of the Year. That was the same season that he registered 16 sacks before it was an official stat. White played from 1975-1988. Just like Dorsett, White was inducted in 1994.

Mel Renfro

Renfro didn't originally come to the Cowboys as a defensive back. In fact he was a highly touted running back out of Oregon. He made the switch to safety tallying 52 interceptions and 10 Pro Bowl appearances. In the 1971 Pro Bowl Renfro returned two punts for scores. He played in 14 seasons from 1964-1977 and Renfro was inducted in 1996.

Troy Aikman

It would be 10 years between Cowboys Hall of Fame inductees. Aikman would the first of the triplets to be inducted. He was the the Super Bowl XXVII MVP throwing four touchdowns in the 52-17 romping of the Buffalo Bills. When he retired, Aikman was the franchise leader for passing yards (32,942) and passing touchdowns (165) which he remained until this past season when Tony Romo took over the career yardage mark. Aikman played from 1989-2000 and he was inducted in 2006.



Rayfield Wright

Wright played a few positions early on in his career. He took over as right tackle in 1970 and was named to six Pro Bowls and participated in five Super Bowls. Wright played from 1967-1979 and was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 alongside Troy Aikman.

Michael Irvin "The Playmaker"

The man known as the playmaker was the last first round selection of Tom Landry's. He played 12 seasons before his career was cut short when a horrific spinal injury forced him into retirement. Irvin was the all-time leader in receptions as a Cowboy (750) which was later surpassed by Jason Witten. Irvin is still the leader in receiving yards (11,904). He played from 1988-1999 and was inducted in 2007.

Bob Hayes "Bullet"

The original 22 was indeed a bullet. Hayes finished his career with a 20 yards per reception average and 71 touchdowns. Also known as The World's Fastest Human, he played for the Cowboys from 1965-1975 and was inducted in 2009.

Emmitt Smith

A decade after his retirment you will find plenty of Smith's jerseys still being worn everywhere. His toughness and heart were unmatched. Many times you would find him diving over the top for a touchdown. The All-Time Leader in rushing yards excited fans for years. He played for the Cowboys for 13 years from 1990-2002 and was inducted in 2010.

Larry Allen

Allen was very soft spoken and a man of few words. He didn't really need to say anything because Allen's play did all the talking. During many broadcasts John Madden would highlight his play and mainly his pancake blocks. Allen was a monster and to this day future stars try to pattern themselves after him. Allen played 12 seasons for the Cowboys before joining the 49ers late in his career. He was inducted in 2013.

One cannot bring up the Hall of Fame without mentioning the man in the funny hat. Tom Landry made many of the these selections into the Hall of Famers that they eventually became. With that in mind, Landry may deserve the biggest recognition among this list of Cowboys greats.

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