Skip to main content
Advertising

Past/Present Blog

Presented by

Past/Present: Top 10 Cowboys & Ravens players

Week3_pastpresent

The Ravens, as great as they have been in recent years with playoffs success that has included two Super Bowls over the last 25 years, are not considered one of the all-time historical teams, since they became a franchise in 1996.

The last time the Cowboys made a Super Bowl, the Ravens didn't even exist as a franchise.

So to think there is a ton of history between the two would be a stretch, considering they've only played six times – and the Ravens own a 5-1 record.

But where there is a connection is some great players who have donned the uniform of both teams.

Here's a few notable players:

Deion Sanders – Arguably the best cornerback of all-time, the Hall of Famer played for five different teams in his career. The Cowboys were his third team, as he played five seasons from 1995-99. But after retiring from the game in 2001, Sanders came back in 2004 to play for the Ravens and promptly wore No. 37 to match his age when he returned to the game.

Dez Bryant – The Cowboys' all-time leader in touchdown catches with 73, Bryant played the majority of his career in Dallas but spent parts of the 2020 season with the Ravens, playing in six games. He had a bizarre moment in pre-game just before a meeting between Baltimore in Dallas in 2020 when he was suddenly taken off the field after testing positive for COVID-19, eliminating his chance to play against his former team.

Brandon Carr – He's the only player who has played at least 45 games for both teams. Carr spent 2012-16 in Dallas and then went to the Ravens in 2017 and played 48 games for the Ravens. He actually returned to the Cowboys briefly in 2020.

Erik Williams – Who knows how good Williams could've been had it not been for a mid-career car injury that perhaps prevented from being a perennial All-Pro. Still, Williams made four Pro Bowls and played 10 years in Dallas and one with the Ravens in 2001.

Andre Gurode – A five-time Pro Bowler for the Cowboys from 2006-10, Gurode is one of the most productive centers in franchise history. He left in 2011 and went to the Ravens for one season.

Chris Canty – Part of the stellar 2005 draft class with the Cowboys, Canty actually played 64 games with the Cowboys, then went to the Giants where he helped them win a Super Bowl. Canty also played 35 games with the Ravens to finish his career in 2015.

Marcus Spears – A first-round pick of the Cowboys in 2005, Spears played eight seasons with the team before the final year of his career with the Ravens.

Vinny Testaverde – During his 21-year career, Testaverde played for eight different teams. His one season with the Cowboys in 2004 saw him start 15 games. He played two years with the Ravens from 1996-97. Testaverde not only is the first starting quarterback in Ravens history, but he scored the team's first touchdown in Week 1 that season with a 9-yard run.

Ken Hamlin - A veteran safety who joined the Cowboys in 2007, Hamlin made the Pro Bowl that year and spent three years in Dallas before going to the Ravens, where he played seven games during the 2010 season.

Randall Cunningham – The long-time Eagles and Vikings quarterback spent 17 years in the league, but he finished it up with a pair of one-year stints, one with the Cowboys in 2000 and then the last with the Ravens in 2001. Cunningham played in six games in each of those two final seasons.

Other notable players who have played for the Cowboys and Ravens include long snapper Dale Hellestrae, kicker Billy Cundiff, tight end Gavin Escobar, wide receiver Billy Davis and wide receiver Terrance Copper.

Related Content

Advertising