Rank'Em
Rank’Em: 10 Cowboys With Legit HOF Arguments
After Drew Pearson's recent snub from the Hall of Fame voters, we picked 10 former Cowboys who at least should be in the discussion for a possible call to Canton.
10 – Ed "Too Tall" Jones – It's hard to think of the Doomsday Defense without some of the enforcers such as Jones. While he had the catchy nickname, he was as disruptive as any player on the defense, for a variety of reasons. Ask fans of the NFL to name a few of the great Cowboys players and you'll undoubtedly get several "Too Tall" responses.
9 – John Niland – This one is quite a stretch, considering he doesn't get much recognition for even the Ring of Honor. But he made six Pro Bowls in a row from 1968-73 and when the Cowboys started to turn the corner as a dominant franchise, the offensive line emerged as one of the best in the NFL. Niland was an anchor for that line, along with Rayfield Wright, who of course, is in the Hall of Fame.
8 – Nate Newton – Based off the same criteria as Niland, Newton also made six Pro Bowls and was an anchor to one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Emmitt Smith gives a lot of credit to Daryl Johnston for helping him get the rushing record. Not far behind is that dominating offensive line, where Newton was right in the middle of it from the start.
7 – Harvey Martin – Another player that many Cowboys fans believe should at least be in the team's Ring of Honor at AT&T Stadium. That accomplishment has escaped Martin, although he was the team's all-time leader in sacks until DeMarcus Ware surpassed him in 2013. Martin and "Too Tall" Jones were a dominating pass-rushing duo and the anchors of the line, along with Randy White. Martin and White actually were paired together as the only co-MVPs in Super Bowl history.
6 – Cornell Green – To think that he showed up to the Cowboys without even the slightest understanding about football, and yet he's one of the greatest players in franchise history. The team signed him as a basketball player that could possibly develop into something special. And that's what he did, evolving into a versatile, rangy defensive back who could play either corner or safety. Ask some of the former players, media members and coaches who is the most deserving player to at least get into the Ring of Honor, if not the Hall of Fame, and more than half of them would likely say Green.
5 – Everson Walls – Other than Drew Pearson in 2020, Walls is probably the closest player on this list to get into the Hall of Fame. He was actually invited up to Minnesota as a finalist for the 2018 class. Walls just missed the cut in his final year of eligibility as a modern-day player. He is now in the middle of a deep pool of senior candidates. But he's the only player in NFL history to lead the league in interceptions three times, including his rookie year in 1981 when he had 11, which is also a record for most picks by an undrafted rookie in the Super Bowl era.
4 – Chuck Howley – Here's another answer to a trivia question. No tour conducted at The Star in Frisco is complete without a reference to Howley. But more than just being the only Super Bowl MVP of a losing team, the linebacker was a sideline-to-sideline player who could get himself to the ball on any play, run or pass. Recently, former Cowboys running back Calvin Hill called Howley "the greatest player I've ever played with or against."
3 – Lee Roy Jordan – Right there alongside Howley for most of his career with Jordan, one of the more underrated players to ever wear the star on his helmet. He retired as the Cowboys' all-time leading tackler and that stood for over 25 years until Darren Woodson surpassed him. With 32 career interceptions, Jordan is one of seven linebackers in NFL history with 30 or more picks. Four of those other six are in the Hall of Fame.
2 – Darren Woodson – The Cowboys' all-time leading tackler has the stats, the accolades, the championships and you won't find many media members, if one at all, that doesn't have admiration and respect for Woodson. He has everything needed to be in the Hall of Fame, he's just not there. A five-time Pro Bowler, Woodson is considered one of the best safeties of his era. He helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls and more than all of that, he was a throwback player who could hit like a linebacker, run and cover like a cornerback and that's what made him one of the best safeties of all time. Woodson has been a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame in recent years, making it to the final 25, but hasn't gotten close yet to hearing his name called.
1 – Drew Pearson – The most recent of Cowboys to come so close to the Hall of Fame without getting in. Just last week, Pearson's hopes were higher than ever, as he was one of the finalists for the NFL's Centennial Class of 15 members. Yet, while his teammate Cliff Harris finally made it from the safety position, Pearson was still on the outside looking in. He's now the only player from the All-Decade team of the 1970's that is not in the Hall of Fame. He also helped the Cowboys win, either a Super Bowl in 1977, or two others appearances and several other dramatic moments in the playoffs.
