Most Underrated Cowboys of all time

[Bay10]

We have always known, now the media is starting to finally catch on!

Better late than never.

 

[burmafrd]

Howley, Martin especially, Harris, Green. Considering their accomplishments backhanded respect at best is what they have gotten.

 

[Bay10]

Howley, Martin especially, Harris, Green. Considering their accomplishments backhanded respect at best is what they have gotten.

Good answers.

 

[RS12]

John Niland, George Andre, Billy Joe Dupree, Tony Tolbert, Thomas Everitt, Kelvin Martin, Mike Hegamin

 

[CowboyGil]

1. Howley
Each year in the regular Hall of Fame voting, a player has to make the preliminary list, then the semi-final list, then the final list, then be one of the seven players who get voted in. Howley was probably a better LB than any of these Hall of Famers, and he never made it past the preliminary list in the voting.

Robinson: 1 AP All-Pro, 2 rings
Jackson: 0 AP All-Pro, 0 rings
Tippett: 2 AP All-Pro, 0 rings
Wilcox: 2 AP All-Pro, 0 rings
Howley: 5 AP All-Pro, 1 ring + SBMVP in a loss, all-time leader in SB takeaways

Everyone (coaches, players, media) considered Howley the best at his position during the time he kept making those All-Pro teams. He is the only eligible player who made at least 5 Pro Bowls, was a Super Bowl MVP, and is NOT in the Hall of Fame. You could make a case that he's the most underrated NFL player ever.

2. Martin
A borderline HOF candidate, Martin was a 3-time Pro Bowler, DPOY in 1977 (when he had 23 sacks before it became an official statistic), and one of only five players left on the HOF Selection Committee's All-Decade Team of the 70's who has never been a finalist for the HOF. He's only even made the preliminary list once (2001), which means he went from being considered one of the 45 best players of his era to not even one of the top 150. That's not just "underrated," it's practically "erased from history."

3. Harris
38 of the top 39 vote-getters for the HOF's All-Decade Teams of the 70s and 80s are in the Hall of Fame. The only exception is Harris, who was one of the top 10 vote-getters for the 70s team. Unlike the first two players I listed, Harris was at least a HOF finalist once. Harris' rejection by the HOF committee in 2004 prompted Paul Zimmerman (no afiliation with Cowboys or Harris) to resign from the committee in protest.

4. Woodson
Should have made the All-90's team ahead of Carnell Lake, and was a semi-finalist in the HOF voting this year. John Lynch, another big hitter, made it past him to the final list, but Woodson was a big hitter who could cover.

5. Pearson
The only one of the 22 position players on the All-70's first team who's never been a HOF finalist, and he's never even been a semi-finalist.

Here Here!!!
The original 54 was the original badass.

 

[jrumann59]

Chad Hennings, Ken Norton - can't believe we let him walk, Stepnoski - another we let walk in his prime.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I think everybody gave those guys there deserved respect.

I don't think everybody has given all those guys their due respect. I think Cowboy fans don't give those guys their due respect. Howley and Martin, for sure.

 

[Bay10]

I don't think everybody has given all those guys their due respect. I think Cowboy fans don't give those guys their due respect. Howley and Martin, for sure.

Maybe not. They may be younger than me and for some reason aren't concerned with the history of this team.

 

[boysfanindc]

Has to be Danny White, the Boys originally drafted him mostly to be a punter.

 

[DenCWBY]

Daryl Johnston and Jay Novacek

We don't beat SF in the 1993 NFC Championship without these 2 IMO.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Jim Jeffcoat

I always thought he was really under-rated but was a dang good player for the Cowboys.

 

[Bay10]

Has to be Danny White, the Boys originally drafted him mostly to be a punter.

I didn't know that.

 

[boysfanindc]

I didn't know that.

Yup and he said no way and went to the WFL.

 

[Bay10]

Yup and he said no way and went to the WFL.

Cool.Thanks for sharing.

 

[dallasdave]

Jay Novacek, Jim Jeffcoat

Yes, you said it, Jay Novacek. He was the guy Troy went to when he had to have a first down or was in trouble. One of the best at clutch plays.

 

[silver]

My picks by decade:

70's Larry Cole
80's Michael Downs
90's Mark Tuinei
00's Andre Gurode
10's Barry Church

 

[CFan_53]

Chuck Howley and Walt Garrison

 

[CF74]

Howley
Martin
Pearson

 

[MWH1967]

OK.... Harvey Martin...

• NAIA All-American (1972)
• LSC defensive player of the decade for the 1970s
• Lone Star Conference’s 75th Anniversary football team
• 4× Pro Bowl selection (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979)
• 1× First-team All-Pro selection (1977)
• 3× Second-team All-Pro selection (1976, 1979, 1982)
• NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
• NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1977)
• 3× NFC Champion (1975, 1977, 1978)
• Super Bowl champion (XII)
• Super Bowl XII Co-MVP

Career NFL statistics
Sacks:114
Games:158
Stats at NFL.com

No "Ring of Honor" and no HOF.......I don't get it.

 

[Satchel89]

Tony Hill. When I first started watching the Cowboys in 1978, He was instantly my favorite. He's never mentioned that much it feels like to me but 'The Thrill' was big time. He and Pearson each had 1,000 yards receiving in 1979. What an offense that was with Dorsett and Staubach too. I just know Hill was fast, explosive, and fun to watch