SFloridaCowboy
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It was a long time ago, but I remember it well. It was 1974 and the Cowboys had the #1 pick in the entire draft as well as the #1 in the third round, all courtesy of the Houston Oilers.
I was then and I still am a die hard Cowboy fan, ridiculed by the Craig Morton blooper bowl in January 1971 and electrified by Roger the Dodger winning 10 games in a row and the Super Bowl in January 1972. The team was getting old and needed new blood. The 73-77 drafts were dynamite in turning the team around, transitioning from the old to the new.
The 1973 draft saw Bily Joe Dupree the TE taken fist , speedy WR Golden Richards in the 2nd and Harvey Martin, DE extarordinaire, NFL Defensive MVP 1977 with 23 sacks in 14 games, taken inthe 3rd round.
In the fall of 1973, The Cowboys traded Tody Smith, a bust DE and Billy Parks, a good WR to Houston for its #1 and #3 picks, a heist galore.
In that fall of 1973, the word was spreading across America. A giant of a defensive end was looming over the horizon. The Sporting News showed the Tennessee State giant towering over an opposing QB. He looked 10 feet tall. Thus, the larger than life Too Tall Jones was thrust over America. Teams wee drooling to get him in the draft. Houston kept losing, and the Boys were just smiling hoping their highway robbery from Houston would net them a literal giant superstar. In high school, I kept metioning Too Tall Jones, as I fantasized how great it would be to get such a supernatural power.
I even was called Too Tall on my high school team whenever I made a great play. I actaully made quite a few.
In late January 1974, a weekday in a midtown Manhattan hotel, I went to the NFL Draft, knowing the Boys had the giant in the bag. All the sports personalities were there, Pat Summeral, Howard Cosel, Frank Gifford. Many famous sports writers as well.Cameras were rolling. I got a seat in perhaps the 15th row. It was an electrifying day, knowing your team has the #1 pick. I was so excited.
When Too Tall Jones was selected, I felt electricity going through my arms. My fantasy, my dream, of seeing that giant towering over a opposing QB in that Sporting News cover, it was now reality. Ed Too Tall Jones was now a Cowboy!!
Around 1:00, the crowed thinned out, as people went for lunch. Those days did not attract 10,000 people. I rushed with my friend and we took front row seats, at the same level as the media and all the NFL teams. Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustarted was close by and we talked about the players selected. About 2:30 in the afternoon, the place got fully crowded again.
Suddenly, many TV cameras and people were coming toward me, me, really me. I could not figure it out. Then, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle comes with a chair and sits 3 feet from me, and it appeared he wanted to interview me. He did. The lights were shining on me. What a great moment in my young life!!!
Pete asks me how I am doing. I responded I was in heaven as a Cowboy die-hard fan, in ecstasy over the Too Tall Jones selection. I said this will rejuvenate the team as Bob Lilly was about to retire, and rookie Harvy Martin will get his bookend. I was thinking how proud my Mom and Dad would be to see me on TV. It was a great day. A day to always remember.
P.S. The first pick in the 3rd round, the Boys selected college star Danny White, QB Arizona State, 6'2" 175 lbs (no typo 175 lbs.)
I was then and I still am a die hard Cowboy fan, ridiculed by the Craig Morton blooper bowl in January 1971 and electrified by Roger the Dodger winning 10 games in a row and the Super Bowl in January 1972. The team was getting old and needed new blood. The 73-77 drafts were dynamite in turning the team around, transitioning from the old to the new.
The 1973 draft saw Bily Joe Dupree the TE taken fist , speedy WR Golden Richards in the 2nd and Harvey Martin, DE extarordinaire, NFL Defensive MVP 1977 with 23 sacks in 14 games, taken inthe 3rd round.
In the fall of 1973, The Cowboys traded Tody Smith, a bust DE and Billy Parks, a good WR to Houston for its #1 and #3 picks, a heist galore.
In that fall of 1973, the word was spreading across America. A giant of a defensive end was looming over the horizon. The Sporting News showed the Tennessee State giant towering over an opposing QB. He looked 10 feet tall. Thus, the larger than life Too Tall Jones was thrust over America. Teams wee drooling to get him in the draft. Houston kept losing, and the Boys were just smiling hoping their highway robbery from Houston would net them a literal giant superstar. In high school, I kept metioning Too Tall Jones, as I fantasized how great it would be to get such a supernatural power.
I even was called Too Tall on my high school team whenever I made a great play. I actaully made quite a few.
In late January 1974, a weekday in a midtown Manhattan hotel, I went to the NFL Draft, knowing the Boys had the giant in the bag. All the sports personalities were there, Pat Summeral, Howard Cosel, Frank Gifford. Many famous sports writers as well.Cameras were rolling. I got a seat in perhaps the 15th row. It was an electrifying day, knowing your team has the #1 pick. I was so excited.
When Too Tall Jones was selected, I felt electricity going through my arms. My fantasy, my dream, of seeing that giant towering over a opposing QB in that Sporting News cover, it was now reality. Ed Too Tall Jones was now a Cowboy!!
Around 1:00, the crowed thinned out, as people went for lunch. Those days did not attract 10,000 people. I rushed with my friend and we took front row seats, at the same level as the media and all the NFL teams. Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustarted was close by and we talked about the players selected. About 2:30 in the afternoon, the place got fully crowded again.
Suddenly, many TV cameras and people were coming toward me, me, really me. I could not figure it out. Then, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle comes with a chair and sits 3 feet from me, and it appeared he wanted to interview me. He did. The lights were shining on me. What a great moment in my young life!!!
Pete asks me how I am doing. I responded I was in heaven as a Cowboy die-hard fan, in ecstasy over the Too Tall Jones selection. I said this will rejuvenate the team as Bob Lilly was about to retire, and rookie Harvy Martin will get his bookend. I was thinking how proud my Mom and Dad would be to see me on TV. It was a great day. A day to always remember.
P.S. The first pick in the 3rd round, the Boys selected college star Danny White, QB Arizona State, 6'2" 175 lbs (no typo 175 lbs.)
