News: DMN: Babe Laufenberg: Top receiver in Cowboys' history? Here's the forgotten man who was one...

[NewsBot]

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[dguinta1]

"Thrill" Hill Had one of his jerseys! Amazed this thread is quiet!

 

[big dog cowboy]

Hayes.

He changed the way defense is played.

You can't be more impact than that.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

Hayes.

He changed the way defense is played.

You can't be more impact than that.

I don't know. Can you maybe be more impactful by being generally acknowledged as the emotional leader of a dynasty and one of the most consistent chain movers the game has known?

 

[BAT]

Hayes.

He changed the way defense is played.

You can't be more impact than that.

Yep, NFL teams had to create zone coverage to defend his unbelievable speed. Terrell Owens should also get some love. Short timer as Cowboy but was THE playmaker on offense every year in Dallas. And everyone always forgets Frank Clarke, the original #82. Still shares a record with 3 of the all time great Cowboys WRs (Bullet Bob Hayes, Terrell "T.O." Owens and Dez Bryant), 7 consecutive games with a TD reception. Meredith's first deep ball threat.

Converted to TE in second half of his career and was an all-pro at the position.

 

[Reality]

"Thrill" Hill Had one of his jerseys! Amazed this thread is quiet!

There were a lot of great players to like on both sides of the ball on those teams back then, but Tony Hill was my favorite Cowboys player. Back then I was really fast and loved to catch the ball on the run especially on deep routes. Later on, I got moved to defense and became a huge Darren Woodson fan, who is still my all-time favorite Cowboys player.

 

[percyhoward]

Laufenberg should know that you can't simply look at yardage and TD totals to compare Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, because they played in different eras. Pearson was one of the best WR of the bump-and-run era, was a 3-time All-Pro, and made the HOF All-Decade 1st Team in the 70s. He should probably be in the Hall of Fame.

Tony Hill was a good player who went to as many Pro Bowls as Drew, but who never made All-Pro. By the time Hill became a starter, defenders were no longer allowed to make contact past five yards. Hill got a lot of catches and yards, but so did everybody else.

Top 10 Seasons
Pearson (10)
receptions - 3
yards - 5
TD -2

Hill (6)
receptions - 1
yards - 3
TD - 2

Top 5 Seasons
Pearson (5)
receptions - 2
yards - 3

Hill (1)
TD - 1

 

[DandyDon1722]

What about Mike Benfro?

Just kidding - but that guy had great hands!

 

[Gameover]

Laufenberg should know that you can't simply look at yardage and TD totals to compare Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, because they played in different eras. Pearson was one of the best WR of the bump-and-run era, was a 3-time All-Pro, and made the HOF All-Decade 1st Team in the 70s. He should probably be in the Hall of Fame.

Tony Hill was a good player who went to as many Pro Bowls as Drew, but who never made All-Pro. By the time Hill became a starter, defenders were no longer allowed to make contact past five yards. Hill got a lot of catches and yards, but so did everybody else.

Top 10 Seasons
Pearson (10)
receptions - 3
yards - 5
TD -2

Hill (6)
receptions - 1
yards - 3
TD - 2

Top 5 Seasons
Pearson (5)
receptions - 2
yards - 3

Hill (1)
TD - 1

They played together. You acting like Hill played in 2000's. Defense was still allowed when Hill played.

 

[percyhoward]

They played together. You acting like Hill played in 2000's. Defense was still allowed when Hill played.

You're generalizing instead of looking closely at their careers and the history of the game. The 5-yard chuck rule was instituted in 1978. So was the rule change that allowed blockers to extend their arms and open their hands. Those two changes revolutionized the game overnight, giving an advantage to speedier but less physical receivers, and turning the NFL into a passing league.

Pearson earned all three of his All-Pro selections before 1978. Hill didn't start until 1978. If you don't think era affected their career numbers, then I'm looking forward to your explanation of how Hill was able to average slightly more receptions and yards per game than Pearson, but had far fewer top-5 and top-10 seasons.

 

[Longboysfan]

I don't know. Can you maybe be more impactful by being generally acknowledged as the emotional leader of a dynasty and one of the most consistent chain movers the game has known?

No. At the time all defenses went one on one coverage.
Bob Hayes speed made NFL Defenses come up Zone and deep safeties.

 

[mrmojo]

How Drew isn't in the HOF is beyond me. Anyone who watched him play knew if you needed a 1st down or clutch TD it was going to Drew and he never dissapointed. For a man of slight build he proved his worth during the pre-Mel Blount rule days.

 

[CF74]

Tony Hill truly the forgotten WR.. A great one..

 

[Bullflop]

Pretty sure all of these guys that were mentioned have a special place in the hearts of their fans. They all certainly did (and still do) to me. Each was extremely special in his own way.

Actually, Bob Hayes was exceptionally so to me because he was mainly responsible for me becoming a diehard Cowboys fan. His nickname, "Bullet Bob," fit him to a "T" as he was widely considered the fastest man alive at the time and went about the business of proving it from the get-go.

He routinely made DBs look as though they were standing still. 1965 was a very special year to me -- it was his inaugural season and mine as well as a diehard Cowboys fan. I had been watching them casually since their birth in 1960 but his introduction into the Cowboys lineup sealed my fandom.

 

[Jarv]

How Drew isn't in the HOF is beyond me. Anyone who watched him play knew if you needed a 1st down or clutch TD it was going to Drew and he never dissapointed. For a man of slight build he proved his worth during the pre-Mel Blount rule days.

Agreed ^^^^

No love for Golden Richards here? I thought he had a cool name...lol

 

[FaSho]

Hayes.

He changed the way defense is played.

You can't be more impact than that.

Olympic speed helps!

 

[Doomsday101]

I think had Butch Johnson did a better job of staying out of Landry dog house he would have seen a lot more playing time than he did. Guy was a big time playmaker.

 

[plasticman]

Tom Landry was very conservative when designating starters. He valued experience and some great players reallyvhad to waittbeir turn.

Not so with Tony Hill. He beat out Golden Richards in his 2nd year and was always a highly dependable target.

Tony Hill caught Roger Staubach'a last regular season pass, TD that beat the Commanders by one point in the last second and eliminated them from the playoffs.

Hill was a great WR, very underrated.

 

[KJJ]

Tony Hill was a terrific receiver who got overshadowed by Drew Pearson and all the clutch plays he made.

 

[KJJ]

What about Mike Benfro?

Just kidding - but that guy had great hands!

You mean Renfro. He did have some great hands spending most of his career in Houston. His TD (or what should have been a TD) vs Pittsburgh in the 1979 AFC title game is what got the wheels rolling for instant replay. He reminded me a little of Golden Richards who had excellent hands.