Whom do you nominate as the most impactful Cowboy rookie in history?

[KJJ]

Best most impactful rookie season in Cowboys history: Bob Hayes in 1965. He was the first skill position star in Cowboys history.

The Cowboys were 7-7 his rookie year. He made a bigger impact in 1966. He had career bests in yards and TDs. The Cowboys won 10 games and made it to a championship game.

 

[Bobhaze]

The Cowboys were 7-7 his rookie year. He made a bigger impact in 1966. He had career bests in yards and TDs. The Cowboys won 10 games and made it to a championship game.

Good points. But his impact echoes today.

I love Tony Dorsett and all the players nominated here. They all have good arguments. I have seen every one of the players listed here and they are good mentions for sure.

But I would still pick Bullet Bob because he changed the game. For the Cowboys and the entire league. Look at what the position of WR was before him. Before Bullet, the prototype NFL receivers were guys like Fred Bilitenakoff, Lance Alworth, “Crazy Legs” Hirtsch. After Bullet Bob the position changed forever.

 

[kskboys]

I appreciate mentioning Lilly, but I’m interpreting the question as which player had the greatest impact their rookie year. In Lilly’s first year, the team still was building, a.k.a. sucked.

The player who was the most impactful as a rookie was Tony Dorsett in 1977. The year before the leading Dallas Cowboys rusher, Doug Dennison, only had 540 yards on the season, and we lost in the first round of the playoffs. In Dorsett’s first year he ran for over 1000 yards snd the Cowboys won the Super Bowl. That’s quite a difference maker for a rookie.

Ah, that's not what you said. You mean most impactful rookie season. That's different.

 

[Thrill99]

This is easy. Anyone who watched the Cowboys before Dorsett and watched them afterwards realized the impact he had. Tony D for sure.

 

[KJJ]

Good points. But his impact echoes today.

I love Tony Dorsett and all the players nominated here. They all have good arguments. I have seen every one of the players listed here and they are good mentions for sure.

But I would still pick Bullet Bob because he changed the game. For the Cowboys and the entire league. Look at what the position of WR was before him. Before Bullet, the prototype NFL receivers were guys like Fred Bilitenakoff, Lance Alworth, “Crazy Legs” Hirtsch. After Bullet Bob the position changed forever.

There’s no argument the impact Hayes made over his career and how he changed the game but you’re missing the point of this thread. We’re talking about who had the biggest impact as a rookie. Dorsett’s impact as a rookie led us to a championship.

 

[Loso86]

Emmitt Smith
Zeke
Dak
Everson Walls
Tyron Smith
Zach Martin
T. Frederick
T. Diggs
D Ware
T Dorsett
Calvin Hill

Zeke

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

The question is impact. Dak’s impact was negligible because we had a better QB on the roster who would have achieved as many wins. Dak had zero impact on that season other than the few games early where Romo was hurt and unable to play.

Tony was on IR, not on the active roster. It wasnt a few games, Romo began practicing at the end of November. At that point Dak was 10-1.

2016 would have been another 5-7 win season if not for Dak. No one else listed in this thread had that level of impact, not close

 

[EPL0c0]

Jimmy Johnson. Technically he was a rookie NFL HC

but as far as players, Dorsett or Emmitt. Maaaaaaaaybe Larry Allen. Played G and T. Such a monster with great flexibility on the OLine

 

[diamonddelts]

Yeah,
I was being sarcastic, lol. I'm no Dak guy. Zeke shoulda got the offensive rookie of the year anyway.

I concur

 

[plasticman]

I interpret the question as meaning which guy in his rookie season was the most impactful for that particular season.\

Logically, I think we would look for that player that was a rookie and made the difference between going to to the Super Bowl or perhaps not going. If such a scenario existed, how could any rookie be more impactful?

The Cowboys shocked the entire NFL in 1975 when they went to the Super Bowl. That was considered a rebuilding year. The Cowboys went 8-6 in 1974 and all the original defensive stars were retiring as well as the offensive line and receivers.

The RB squads had been depleted by the new WFL. They went from having Calvin Hill, Walt Garrison, and Duane Thomas to a 2nd yar back, Robert Newhouse, and a veteran that had been cut by his original team, Preston Pearson.

These two RB's were adequate and that wasn't good enough to keep the Cowboys in the playoffs in 1976. The Cowboys were always a dynamic running team. Average wasn't going to be good satisfactory. The running game needed a good motor.

The Cowboys chose a jet engine. They made a trade with the Seahawks for several players and some other draft picks and moved up to the #2 spot to select Tony Dorsett.

That was the difference in 1977. The defense was becoming elite again with "Doomsday II" but they needed someone to open things up and Dorsett was perfect. If you never saw him play, he was the kind of RB that makes fans of both teams hold their breath.

As a rookie, Dorsett had a thousand yards in a 14 game schedule. He only started 4 games.

In Dorsett's 2nd NFL game he ran 7 times for 62 yards. In his 3rd game he ran 10 times for 72 yards. in his 4th game he ran 14 times for 141 yards.

In Dorsett's 2nd official NFL start, he ran 23 times for 206 yards. He scored the first TD of the game on a 1 yard run and he scored the last TD of the game with an 84 yard run.

In the playoffs the rookie ran 51 times for 220 tards and 4 TD's.

In 1977, Tony's rookie season, the Cowboys went from being an average running team with an average offense to the #1 offense in the league in yardage.

Tony Dorset's won a college national championship his senior year and then a Super Bowl his rookie year in the NFL.

Can anyone name another player whose impact was responsible for winning the Super Bowl during his rookie season? Is there a better example of how to impact the team in a positive way?

 

[Sarge]

33

 

[75boyz]

I interpret the question as meaning which guy in his rookie season was the most impactful for that particular season.\

Logically, I think we would look for that player that was a rookie and made the difference between going to to the Super Bowl or perhaps not going. If such a scenario existed, how could any rookie be more impactful?

The Cowboys shocked the entire NFL in 1975 when they went to the Super Bowl. That was considered a rebuilding year. The Cowboys went 8-6 in 1974 and all the original defensive stars were retiring as well as the offensive line and receivers.

The RB squads had been depleted by the new WFL. They went from having Calvin Hill, Walt Garrison, and Duane Thomas to a 2nd yar back, Robert Newhouse, and a veteran that had been cut by his original team, Preston Pearson.

These two RB's were adequate and that wasn't good enough to keep the Cowboys in the playoffs in 1976. The Cowboys were always a dynamic running team. Average wasn't going to be good satisfactory. The running game needed a good motor.

The Cowboys chose a jet engine. They made a trade with the Seahawks for several players and some other draft picks and moved up to the #2 spot to select Tony Dorsett.

That was the difference in 1977. The defense was becoming elite again with "Doomsday II" but they needed someone to open things up and Dorsett was perfect. If you never saw him play, he was the kind of RB that makes fans of both teams hold their breath.

As a rookie, Dorsett had a thousand yards in a 14 game schedule. He only started 4 games.

In Dorsett's 2nd NFL game he ran 7 times for 62 yards. In his 3rd game he ran 10 times for 72 yards. in his 4th game he ran 14 times for 141 yards.

In Dorsett's 2nd official NFL start, he ran 23 times for 206 yards. He scored the first TD of the game on a 1 yard run and he scored the last TD of the game with an 84 yard run.

In the playoffs the rookie ran 51 times for 220 tards and 4 TD's.

In 1977, Tony's rookie season, the Cowboys went from being an average running team with an average offense to the #1 offense in the league in yardage.

Tony Dorset's won a college national championship his senior year and then a Super Bowl his rookie year in the NFL.

Can anyone name another player whose impact was responsible for winning the Super Bowl during his rookie season? Is there a better example of how to impact the team in a positive way?

This answers the OP with the best empirical evidence.
Great post.

 

[stinkface]

Dorsett and it’s not really close. Duane Thomas would be up there too. Maybe we should make a move for Jeanty!!

Duane during his rookie year got us to the Super Bowl which we won. He only had a few good years and seem disinterested in football the entire time, but goodness he had talent. Calvin Hill was pretty amazing his rookie year as well.

 

[shabazz]

Tough to judge impact strictly by looking at stats a lot of the time so I probably can't speak too much for the guys before my time, but in my lifetime I think it would have to be Dak. Even if he was a bit of a bus driver his rookie year his efficiency and ability to come through in the clutch was outstanding.

Sounds more like Jayden Daniels rookie year.

Dak was surrounded by All Pros and was 1 and done in the playoffs

Jayden Daniels took a previously 4-13 team to the NFC Championship game almost singlehandedly.....thats CLUTCH

 

[rags747]

Duane during his rookie year got us to the Super Bowl which we won. He only had a few good years and seem disinterested in football the entire time, but goodness he had talent. Calvin Hill was pretty amazing his rookie year as well.

Actually we lost that first SB to the Colts, we did win the following year vs Miami. Duane was instrumental in getting us to both.

 

[Blitzen]

Teams change by more than 1 player year to year. Even the incumbent players mature to their prime or age out of it. Tony alone wasn’t the difference

Dorsett was the difference between a good team that could make the playoffs to a great team that could win a Super Bowl. Obviously, Dallas and team leadership felt that way considering the trade they did to get to get him that draft. The team’s offense was far more explosive and dynamic (both in the running game and screen passing game).

2015-the Cowboys lost Murray in free agency and suffered many injuries apart from just Romo. Dez broke a bone in his foot in week one and never fully recovered. Leary struggled with a groin injury. Darren McFadden got some easy yards in games where Dallas was going to lose anyway. 2016 was basically a resurgence of the running game with Zeke and a healthy offensive line pummeling teams and running RPO with Prescott to Bryant and Witten. Do you recall what the Dallas offense looked like in early 2017 when Zeke served that suspension?

 

[Blitzen]

Tony was on IR, not on the active roster. It wasnt a few games, Romo began practicing at the end of November. At that point Dak was 10-1.

2016 would have been another 5-7 win season if not for Dak. No one else listed in this thread had that level of impact, not close

Matt Cassell could have gotten 9-12 wins with the 2016 rushing offense.

 

[kskboys]

Matt Cassell could have gotten 9-12 wins with the 2016 rushing offense.

Dak had 3,667 yds passing w/ 23 TD's. Those are bus driver numbers.

 

[cmoney23]

Tough to judge impact strictly by looking at stats a lot of the time so I probably can't speak too much for the guys before my time, but in my lifetime I think it would have to be Dak. Even if he was a bit of a bus driver his rookie year his efficiency and ability to come through in the clutch was outstanding.

I think situationally too...

He was a 4th round pick. Should have been 3rd string. To come in and start from day one and succeed is HUGE!!

 

[thunderpimp91]

I thought about that, but I think Zeke actually had the bigger impact.

Thats fair, and its certainly close. To me if there is any debate I'd give the tie to the QB just for positional impact though.

Sounds more like Jayden Daniels rookie year.

Dak was surrounded by All Pros and was 1 and done in the playoffs

Jayden Daniels took a previously 4-13 team to the NFC Championship game almost singlehandedly.....thats CLUTCH

I mean no argument there, but Daniels rookie years was a top impact of all time. Over the last 30 years or so its tough to think of anyone who would come close as a Dallas rookie. One of those guys during 2016 would have to come the closest, even if they still fall well below Daniels.