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One of the greatest Cowboys of all time has yet to receive the recognition he deserves.
Some of us, by virtue of age, have been fans of the Dallas Cowboys a little longer than others. Those Cowboys fans who are lucky enough to recall the original glory days of the 1970’s have seen many of the heroes of the era inducted into the team's illustrious Ring Of Honor. Landry, Staubach, Dorsett, Harris, Wright, Randy White. All made a lasting impact in Dallas in the decade of disco, and all are immortalized at AT&T Stadium. As summer begins and we move ever closer to football, soon we will find out if the franchise intends to add to it's pantheon pf greats. If the ring is indeed opened to new membership, my I humbly submit one of my childhood favorites.
Tony Hill is one of the lost stars of the NFL. He was part of a Dallas Cowboys team that made the playoffs eight times in his ten seasons. Hill was drafted in 1977 and he soon teamed up with the original #88 Drew Pearson to form one of the most feared receiving tandems in the league. Pearson was one of the undisputed leaders in Dallas in the 70's, and he was also one of the biggest clutch performers in NFL history. Pearson, Michael Irvin, and Dez Bryant are considered to be the three best receivers in Cowboys history, but Hill's career more than stands up to his old teammate's.
Over 11 seasons, Pearson amassed a career stat line that had him atop the Cowboys record books upon his retirement after the 1983 season. He walked away from the game with a final stat line of 489 receptions, 7,822 receiving yards, and 48 touchdown catches. Hill played one fewer season than Pearson but was nearly identical in stats when he retired in 1986. His final totals were 479 catches, 7,988 yards, and 51 scores. Hill was every bit as talented as any receiver in football. He was a three time Pro Bowler, and was part of the Cowboys Super Bowl XII Championship team as a rookie.
Tony Hill doesn't often come up when people talk about the great former players of the Dallas Cowboys. He is overlooked despite the fact that he was a major contributor to the Cowboys success in the 70's and early 80's. His partnership with Drew Pearson formed as prolific a passing attack as there was during their era. If the front office decide to add to the Ring of Honor this fall then Hill should finally take his place among the greatest players to ever wear the star.
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