Texas_OutLaw7 Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Roy Williams will forever be one of my favorite players. The man was so clutch. A bone-crushing hit. A turn over. And his love of cupcakes was the death of him. (and the loss of Woody) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingmonkey30 Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 #49 - Billy Joe Dupree, TE 1973 - 1983 | Accolades: 267 Receptions | 41 Receiving TDs | 4X Pro Bowl | 1X Super Bowl Champion Billy Joe Dupree may have entered the league a couple decades too early for his skills to be fully appreciated. A first round draft pick tasked with taking over for all-time great Mike Ditka, Dupree was one of the first tight ends known for his pass catching, rather than just as a blocker (although he was a highly touted blocker as well). In fact, Dupree was Dallas' all time leader in receiving touchdowns by a tight end until Jason Witten broke the record in 2012. Dupree was also a reliable and durable player, never missing a game in his 11 year career. The Michigan State product retired in 1984, passing the torch to the great Doug Cosbie, who was being groomed as the tight end of the future. He finished his career with over 3,500 receiving yards and 42 total touchdowns, and three of his four pro bowl appearances were consecutive. He played in three Super Bowls, but only took home the trophy once (and he was the leading receiver for the Cowboys in that game as well). Dupree's legacy is an interesting one, as he started to pave the way for more athletic tight ends who could do more than just block. He was so athletic that he even notched 26 carries for nearly 200 yards and a touchdown for his career as well. I can't help but wonder, though, what kind of numbers a guy like Dupree would put up in today's NFL. Nevertheless, he deserves some credit as a pioneer for the position. In a Few Words: "The original Dallas Cowboy TE, Dupree was ahead of his time. In an era where the TE was essentially an extra blocker, Dupree legitimized the position as a receiving threat." - Desperado82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plan9misfit Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 This is awesome. By the time this Top 50 list is complete, we’ll BE in our 50s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingmonkey30 Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 4 hours ago, plan9misfit said: This is awesome. By the time this Top 50 list is complete, we’ll BE in our 50s. It's not my fault you're already old. I'll only be in my 30's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D82 Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 6 hours ago, plan9misfit said: This is awesome. By the time this Top 50 list is complete, we’ll BE in our 50s. If yinz would keep this **** posted to the top maybe we'd remember Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D82 Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 #48 - Ralph Neely, T 1965-1977 | Accolades: 2x Pro Bowl Selection | 3x All-Pro Selection | 2x Super Bowl Champion | NFL 1960s All-Decade Team Originally drafted by the Houtson Oilers in the AFL Draft and the Baltimore Colts in the NFL Draft, Neely ended up as a Cowboy after the Colts traded his rights to the team. Neely accepted the Oilers offer at first, but soon after learning that his rights to negotiate to Dallas, returned his check to Houston and signed with Dallas. The Governor's Cup stemmed from this incident. A stalwart on the Cowboys offensive line for thirteen seasons, Neely used his amazing quickness to dominate opposing defensive lineman, in an era which saw him go up against the likes of Deacon Jones, Carl Eller, Fred Dryer, and LC Greenwood just to name a few. He spent most of his career at right tackle and saw some action at right guard during 1970, before taking over the left tackle position from Tony Liscio which he manned until the end of his career in 1977. For his amazing success during his career, Neely was named to the 1960s All-Decade Team by the NFL following his retirement. In a Few Words: "One of the best linemen of the 60's and 70's, Neely was the blindside protector for a pair of Super Bowl winning teams. He was one half of one of the best bookends in franchise history, along with Rayfield Wright." - Flyingmonkey30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingmonkey30 Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 #47 - Travis Frederick, C 2013 - Present | Accolades: 4X Pro Bowl | 1X First Team All-Pro | 2X Second Team All-Pro | 80 Career Starts Travis Frederick was drafted in 2013 after the Cowboys traded back from 18 to 31, and most of Cowboys nation was ready to burn the city down in rage. The pick was largely criticized by the media for being a reach, with Mike Mayock famously chastising the Cowboys for spending a first round pick on a third round player. Four Pro Bowls later, and Frederick is widely regarded as one of, if not the best Center in the NFL, and a stalwart as the centerpiece of the Great Wall of Dallas. He was recently rewarded for his performance with a contract that made him the highest paid Center in league history. Frederick is durable as well, starting all 80 games he could've possibly played in since being drafted. Frederick's career is of course still being written. But as it stands now, it was an easy decision to include him in our top 50, with a bump into the top 35 almost a certainty by the time his career is over. Des is a little more bullish on Frederick's career than I am as you'll see in a moment, but it won't be out of the question if Frederick ends up the most decorated Center of his generation. We'll see if he's able to continue to reach the high bar he's set for himself. In a Few Words: "Frederick was viewed by many as a reach when he was selected by the Cowboys, but after essentially cementing himself as a top center early in his career and now arguably the best in the league at his position I would say it's safe to say Frederick has more than justified his selection. If he keeps it up, it wouldn't surprise me to see him enshrined in Canton one day." - Desperado82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardHawk Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 ^ First one I'd disagree with. Low for Frederick despite relatively small sample size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingmonkey30 Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 38 minutes ago, WizardHawk said: ^ First one I'd disagree with. Low for Frederick despite relatively small sample size. I think that's fair. It gets tough when it comes to guys who are currently playing. You don't want it to be a recency bias thing, and I feel like that might've affected where we put him as a result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D82 Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 11 hours ago, flyingmonkey30 said: I think that's fair. It gets tough when it comes to guys who are currently playing. You don't want it to be a recency bias thing, and I feel like that might've affected where we put him as a result. Possibly. It gets difficult comparing players from different eras. Who's to say how they really would have performed had all opportunities been equal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resilient part 2 Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 I'll go on record and say making this list is a gargantuan task that is nearly impossible to even make accurate, with all the different ERAs etc.. But good luck and will e looking forward to see how this all turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingmonkey30 Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 19 hours ago, resilient part 2 said: I'll go on record and say making this list is a gargantuan task that is nearly impossible to even make accurate, with all the different ERAs etc.. But good luck and will e looking forward to see how this all turns out. Our list is already in place, I'm just bad at doing the write ups in a timely manner lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D82 Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 #46 - Walt Garrison, RB/FB 1966-1974 | Accolades: 1X Pro Bowl | 1X Super Bowl Champion | "If it was third down, and you needed four yards, if you'd get the ball to Walt Garrison, he'd get ya five." - Don Meredith A fifth round draft choice from Oklahoma State by the Cowboys in 1966, Garrison took over the fullback position following the retirement of Don Perkins in 1968 and endeared himself to fans with his tough, hardnosed style of play. Over his nine year career, Garrison missed just seven games in his career due to injury, remarkable considering he saw dual action playing both fullback and running back and also spent his off-seasons on the professional rodeo curcuit. Fun fact, Garrison's signing bonus when he was drafted by the Cowboys in '66 included a horse trailer. Walt still ranks sixth in Cowboys history with 3,886 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns and was a vital contributor in the Cowboys making their first Super Bowl appearance, having a key touchdown catch in the 1970 Championship Game win over the 49ers. Sadly, Garrison's career was cut short due to injuries he sustained both in football and on the rodeo. In A Few Words: "A Cowboy in every sense of the word, Garrison was one of the toughest backs to ever play the game. Dallas has a long lineage of star running backs, and Garrison was one of the first." FlyingMonkey30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resilient part 2 Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 I will be interested to see if stepnowski ranks highest at Center because of his success or if he even makes this list at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingmonkey30 Posted July 23, 2018 Author Share Posted July 23, 2018 #45 - Mark Tuinei, OT 1983 - 1997 | Accolades: 3X Super Bowl Champion | 2X Pro Bowl | 195 Games Played Mark Tuinei went from an undrafted defensive tackle out of the University of Hawaii to eventually protecting the blindside of Troy Aikman en route to three Super Bowl championships. The first three years of Tuinei's career were spent on special teams and on the defensive side of the ball, until injuries forced him to move to offensive line - and he held down that job until 1997. A crucial member of "the Great Wall of Dallas", Tuinei's strength and toughness made him one of the best left tackles in the league, despite limited experience. He was part of a historic line in 1995 that paved the way for 25 rushing touchdowns and nearly 1,800 yards, and allowed only 18 sacks. The aforementioned toughness is a key reason he played in 195 games in Dallas despite consistent knee injuries. In fact, he is tied with Bill Bates and Ed "Too Tall" Jones for the longest tenured Cowboy in franchise history at 15 seasons. Many members of the 1990's Cowboys will tell you that Tuinei was one of the most underrated players in the NFL during his tenure. His work ethic and toughness were lauded by teammates and opponents alike. Tuinei unfortunately passed away in 1999 at the age of 39. "Tuinei has always struck me as one of the more underrated players as part of the Great Wall of Dallas. It’s a shame his life ended early and I would love to see him in the Ring of Honor one day." - D82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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