Cowboy history: Biggest waste of talent (self inflicted)

OmerV

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Thinking about the sad case of Randy Gregory made me remember some of the other Cowboys players over time that were blessed with great talent but had personall issues that seriously damaged their careers and legacies. Here are some that come to mind:

Randy Gregory
- we will never know how good he could have been
David Irvin - another pot casualty. Like Gregory we will never know how good he could have been, but he had great talent.
Duane Thomas - Huge talent with an even bigger chip on his shoulder. Didn't get along with anybody - teammates, coaches, media ...
Lance Rentzel - Star player with a beautiful celebrity wife and a predilection for flashing children.
Hollywood Henderson - a LB and one of the fastest players in the NFL. A true athletic freak. Serious cocaine habit derailed his career
Harvey Martin - Had a very good career anyway, but without the multitude of drugs might be discussed alongside guys like Bruce Smith, Deacon Jones etc ...
 

Doomsday101

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Thinking about the sad case of Randy Gregory made me remember some of the other Cowboys players over time that were blessed with great talent but had personall issues that seriously damaged their careers and legacies. Here are some that come to mind:

Randy Gregory
- we will never know how good he could have been
David Irvin - another pot casualty. Like Gregory we will never know how good he could have been, but he had great talent.
Duane Thomas - Huge talent with an even bigger chip on his shoulder. Didn't get along with anybody - teammates, coaches, media ...
Lance Rentzel - Star player with a beautiful celebrity wife and a predilection for flashing children.
Hollywood Henderson - a LB and one of the fastest players in the NFL. A true athletic freak. Serious cocaine habit derailed his career
Harvey Martin - Had a very good career anyway, but without the multitude of drugs might be discussed alongside guys like Bruce Smith, Deacon Jones etc ...

I would add Leon Lett to that list.
 

KJJ

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Thinking about the sad case of Randy Gregory made me remember some of the other Cowboys players over time that were blessed with great talent but had personall issues that seriously damaged their careers and legacies. Here are some that come to mind:

Randy Gregory
- we will never know how good he could have been
David Irvin - another pot casualty. Like Gregory we will never know how good he could have been, but he had great talent.
Duane Thomas - Huge talent with an even bigger chip on his shoulder. Didn't get along with anybody - teammates, coaches, media ...
Lance Rentzel - Star player with a beautiful celebrity wife and a predilection for flashing children.
Hollywood Henderson - a LB and one of the fastest players in the NFL. A true athletic freak. Serious cocaine habit derailed his career
Harvey Martin - Had a very good career anyway, but without the multitude of drugs might be discussed alongside guys like Bruce Smith, Deacon Jones etc ...

I wouldn’t be listing Harvey Martin he had a great career with the Cowboys. I believe it was later in his career when drugs and alcohol became a problem. Michael Irvin had his issues too.
 

Doomsday101

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I debated on that. He had a good career, but I agree he was his own greatest obstacle to a much better one.

He had a good career that could have been so much better, but getting suspended time after time took away several prime years he had. I think Lett could have been a HOF type player had he been able to stay on the field instead of getting suspensions.
 

OmerV

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I wouldn’t be listing Harvey Martin he had a great career with the Cowboys. I believe it was later in his career when drugs and alcohol became a problem. Michael Irvin had his issues too.
Did you read my comment? I said he had a great career, but it could have been so much better. He had the kind of talent that could have resulted in him being widely thought of in the same way as the best of the best of the best pass rushers ever. Bruce Smith, Deacon Jones - any of them. Red carpet to the Hall of Fame. He declined way too fast because of personal problems (marital problems and drug abuse).

I guess, however, it isn't fair to say his talent was "wasted", but it sure wasn't maximized like it could have been.
 

KJJ

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Did you read my comment? I said he had a great career, but it could have been so much better. He had the kind of talent that could have resulted in him being widely thought of in the same way as the best of the best of the best pass rushers ever. Bruce Smith, Deacon Jones - any of them. Red carpet to the Hall of Fame. He declined way too fast because of personal problems (marital problems and drug abuse).

I guess, however, it isn't fair to say his talent was "wasted", but it sure wasn't maximized like it could have been.

I read your comment you said he had a “very good” career. He played 11 seasons, far longer than the other players you mentioned. He was drafted in 1973 and by 1977 he put up 20 sacks. In 1978 he had 14.5 sacks. In 1980 had 12.5 sacks. He never had fewer than 8 sacks until his final season in 1983. I don’t see where he declined real fast. Deacon Jones and Bruce Smith were on another level than Harvey Martin. It had nothing to do with drugs and alcohol. You could very well spin the same thing about Michael Irvin that he would’ve been thought of in the same light as Jerry Rice had it not been for his marital problems and drugs.
 

blueblood70

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I wouldn’t be listing Harvey Martin he had a great career with the Cowboys. I believe it was later in his career when drugs and alcohol became a problem. Michael Irvin had his issues too.
very similar to Aldon smith in many ways so its just perspective..soemone might see it as waste as they didn't finish the way they could have
 

Doomsday101

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Yea was so quick to answer did not read the whole title ...... my bad.

But you are right, Lee was outstanding player but injured killed his career. Man had a mind for the game, he knew what was coming before the offense ran it.
 

CWR

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Thinking about the sad case of Randy Gregory made me remember some of the other Cowboys players over time that were blessed with great talent but had personall issues that seriously damaged their careers and legacies. Here are some that come to mind:

Randy Gregory
- we will never know how good he could have been
David Irvin - another pot casualty. Like Gregory we will never know how good he could have been, but he had great talent.
Duane Thomas - Huge talent with an even bigger chip on his shoulder. Didn't get along with anybody - teammates, coaches, media ...
Lance Rentzel - Star player with a beautiful celebrity wife and a predilection for flashing children.
Hollywood Henderson - a LB and one of the fastest players in the NFL. A true athletic freak. Serious cocaine habit derailed his career
Harvey Martin - Had a very good career anyway, but without the multitude of drugs might be discussed alongside guys like Bruce Smith, Deacon Jones etc ...

In recent memory I have to go with David Irving. Gregory had great potential but Irving had a couple games of being unstoppable. It's a shame he didn't work to hone his craft, because there aren't many special 3techs and he could've been one.
 
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