CANTON, Ohio – Add two more Cowboys players to the most prestigious list in football history.
DeMarcus Ware and Chuck Howley were officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, giving the Cowboys now have 17 former players in Canton.
While the wait was certainly different for Ware and Howley, the honor is the same as the two are now surrounded by the best of the best in pro football history.
Ware made the HOF in his second year of eligibility while Howley now gets in after waiting 50 years since he last played in 1973.
Ware played 12 seasons, including the first nine with the Cowboys from 2005-13. During that time, he registered a franchise-record 117 career sacks.
After Ware left the Cowboys, he joined the Broncos for the final three seasons of his career. In Denver, Ware made two more Pro Bowls, but more importantly, helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50 against the Panthers.
When Ware retired following the 2016 season, he ended up signing a contract with the Cowboys to officially retire with the franchise that drafted him.
Howley spent 13 years in Dallas from 1961-73. He made six Pro Bowls and five All-Pro selections. He helped the Cowboys win their first title in Super Bowl VI, but he was also the MVP of Super Bowl V, becoming the first and still only player in NFL history to win the award on the losing team. In that game against the Colts, Howley had two interceptions and a fumble recovery. A year later, in the win over the Dolphins, Howley didn't get MVP but still had an interception and a fumble recovery.
Legendary head coach Tom Landry once described Howley as the "greatest linebacker" he had ever coached.
The 17 players now in the Hall of Fame for the Cowboys, who recognize all players who spent at least five years with the team are:
Troy Aikman, Larry Allen, Tony Dorsett, Charles Haley, Cliff Harris, Bob Hayes, Chuck Howley, Michael Irvin, Bob Lilly, Drew Pearson, Mel Renfro, Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Roger Staubach, DeMarcus Ware, Randy White and Rayfield Wright.
Other Cowboys connections in the Hall of Fame include Gil Brandt, Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson, Tex Schramm and Tom Landry.
