Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a National Football League team based in the city of Irving, in Dallas County, Texas. The Cowboys joined the NFL as a 1960 expansion team. The team is sometimes referred to colloquially as America's Team due its having a large number of fans who live outside its immediate local area (the term itself is derived from the title of the team's 1979 highlight film). The Cowboys are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NFL, holding the record for the most Super Bowl appearances (8), and tie the San Francisco 49ers with the most Super Bowl wins (5).

Franchise history

1960s

The city of Dallas, Texas, was granted an NFL franchise on January 28, 1960. Clint Murchison, Jr. and Bedford Wynne were the team owners and they immediately hired Tex Schramm to be the general manager and Tom Landry to be the head coach. In the Cowboys' first season, they finished winless with a 0-11-1 record. The following year, the Cowboys made their first NFL Draft selection, selecting Bob Lilly with the 13th pick in the draft. The year 1961 also saw the Cowboys' first victory, a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 17.

Related Topics:
Dallas, Texas - January 28 - 1960 - Clint Murchison, Jr. - Bedford Wynne - Tex Schramm - Tom Landry - Bob Lilly - 1961 - Pittsburgh Steelers - September 17

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During the 1960s, the Cowboys continued to improve their team. Quarterback Don Meredith and running back Don Perkins joined the team and by 1966, the Cowboys had their first winning season (10-3-1; they would not have another losing season until 1985) and their first playoff appearance: a 34-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers. By this time, the Cowboys had become a powerful force in the NFL, sending eight players to the Pro Bowl including Cowboy legends like Bob Hayes, Chuck Howley, Bob Lilly, Don Meredith, Don Perkins and Mel Renfro.

Related Topics:
1960s - Quarterback - Don Meredith - Running back - Don Perkins - 1966 - 1985 - Green Bay Packers - Pro Bowl - Bob Hayes - Chuck Howley - Mel Renfro

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Similarly, the Cowboys were becoming an important part of the people of Dallas. For their first years, the Cowboys were always playing second fiddle to Lamar Hunt's Dallas Texans of the AFL because the Texans were the more established team and had the better record. But in 1963 when the Texans moved to Kansas City and became the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cowboys became the only professional football draw in town. By 1969, ground was being broken on a new stadium for the Cowboys to replace the Cotton Bowl. Texas Stadium in Irving, a Dallas County suburb, would be completed for the 1971 season. Since they didn't leave Dallas County, there were no moves to change the name of the team.

Related Topics:
Lamar Hunt - Dallas Texans - AFL - 1963 - Kansas City - Kansas City Chiefs - 1969 - Cotton Bowl - Texas Stadium - Irving - Dallas County - 1971

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In 1967, the Cowboys finished with a 9-5 record and had their first playoff victory: a 52-14 affair over the Cleveland Browns. They went on to face the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship game. The game, which happened on December 31, 1967 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, turned out to be one of the coldest NFL games on record (about -13° F with a -40° wind chill). The Cowboys lost 21-17 on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Packers quarterback Bart Starr. The game would later come to be known as the "Ice Bowl."

Related Topics:
1967 - Cleveland Browns - Green Bay Packers - December 31 - Lambeau Field - Green Bay - F - Wind chill - Quarterback sneak - Bart Starr - Ice Bowl

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1970s

In the 1970s, the NFL underwent many changes as it absorbed the AFL and became a unified league, but the Cowboys also underwent many changes. Meredith and Perkins retired in 1969 and many new players were joining the organization, like Cliff Harris, Lee Roy Jordan, Rayfield Wright, Dan Reeves, Mike Ditka and Roger Staubach. Led by quarterback Craig Morton, the Cowboys made it to their first Super Bowl, a mistake-filled Super Bowl V, where they lost 16-13 to the Baltimore Colts courtesy of a field goal by Colts' kicker Jim O'Brien as time expired. However, the disappointing Super Bowl loss was made up for the next year when the Cowboys, led by Staubach, won their first NFL championship in 1971, Super Bowl VI, a 24-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Related Topics:
1970s - 1969 - Cliff Harris - Lee Roy Jordan - Rayfield Wright - Dan Reeves - Mike Ditka - Roger Staubach - Craig Morton - Super Bowl - Super Bowl V - Baltimore Colts - Field goal - Jim O'Brien - Super Bowl VI - Miami Dolphins

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The Cowboys were now beginning to grow in popularity not just in Dallas, but nationwide. Their televised appearances on Thanksgiving Day games beginning in 1966 helped bring the Cowboys to a nationwide audience. Under Tom Landry, the so-called "Doomsday Defense" became a powerful and dominating force in the NFL and their offense was also exciting to watch.

Related Topics:
Thanksgiving Day - 1966

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The Cowboys faltered slightly in 1974, missing the playoffs for the first time in eight years. However, the Cowboys drafted well following the season, adding new legends like Randy White and Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. The fresh influx of talent helped the Cowboys to Super Bowl X, where the Cowboys lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-17. But the Cowboys would again taste Super Bowl victory, defeating the Denver Broncos 27-10 in Super Bowl XII. Bob Ryan, an NFL films editor, would dub the Cowboys "America's Team" following this season, a nickname that stuck through both the good and bad times to come.

Related Topics:
1974 - Randy White - Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson - Super Bowl X - Pittsburgh Steelers - Denver Broncos - Super Bowl XII

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The glory days of the Cowboys in the 1970s were coming to an end. They would reach one final Super Bowl, Super Bowl XIII, losing once again at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, 35-31, despite a last-minute effort by Staubach which failed. Roger Staubach retired following the 1979 season (replaced by punter Danny White, who did double-duty as quarterback and punter for a few years) and the Cowboys began declining in the NFL.

Related Topics:
Super Bowl XIII - 1979 - Danny White

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1980s

In the 1981-1982 NFC Championship game, the Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers on a last-second touchdown pass from Joe Montana to Dwight Clark. Clark's famous leap in the end zone would come to be known as "The Catch" and represented a changing of the guard in the NFC from the dominant Cowboys teams of the 1970s to the dominant 49ers teams of the 1980s.

Related Topics:
1981 - 1982 - NFC Championship game - San Francisco 49ers - Touchdown - Joe Montana - Dwight Clark - 1980s

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In 1984, H.R. "Bum" Bright purchased the Dallas Cowboys from Murchison, but following seasons that were getting progressively worse (1985: 10-6; 1986: 7-9; 1987: 7-8; 1988: 3-13), Bright sold the Cowboys to Jerry Jones on February 25, 1989. Jones promptly fired the only coach the Cowboys had ever known and replaced him with University of Miami head coach, Jimmy Johnson. This also led to the retirement of quarterback-punter Danny White, whom, like Roger Staubach, worked closely with Tom Landry. With the first pick in the draft, the Cowboys selected quarterback Troy Aikman and traded away veteran running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five veteran players and eight draft choices. The Cowboys finished the 1989 season with a 1-15 record, the worst record since the team's inception, but the foundations for the Cowboys' return to glory had been set.

Related Topics:
1984 - H.R. "Bum" Bright - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - Jerry Jones - February 25 - 1989 - University of Miami - Jimmy Johnson - Danny White - Troy Aikman - Herschel Walker - Minnesota Vikings

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1990s

In 1990, the Cowboys drafted Emmitt Smith and the trifecta of Aikman, Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin was now set. The Cowboys finished 7-9, but Smith was named NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year and Jimmy Johnson was selected as Coach of the Year. By 1991, the Cowboys finished with an 11-5 record, making the playoffs for the first time in six years.

Related Topics:
1990 - Emmitt Smith - Wide receiver - Michael Irvin - 1991

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In 1992, the Cowboys finished 13-3 (second best in the league) and exacted their revenge on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, 30-20. The Cowboys went on to defeat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, 52-17. The following season, the Cowboys went 12-4, again defeating the 49ers in the NFC Championship and again defeating the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl, this time 30-13 in Super Bowl XXVIII. The Cowboys sent a record 11 players to the Pro Bowl: Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Thomas Everett, Daryl Johnston, Russell Maryland, Nate Newton, Ken Norton Jr, Jay Novacek, Mark Stepnoski and Erik Williams.

Related Topics:
1992 - Buffalo Bills - Super Bowl XXVII - Super Bowl XXVIII - Thomas Everett - Daryl Johnston - Russell Maryland - Nate Newton - Ken Norton Jr - Jay Novacek - Mark Stepnoski - Erik Williams

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However, Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones had a falling out and Johnson left the organization prior to the 1994 season. Jones hired former University of Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer to be the team's new head coach. The Cowboys would finish 12-4, but lost in the NFC Championship game to the 49ers, 38-28. But another 12-4 season in 1995 got the Cowboys to the playoffs once again where they eventually defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 in Super Bowl XXX, getting revenge against the Steelers for the two four-point losses in Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII.

Related Topics:
Jimmy Johnson - Jerry Jones - 1994 - University of Oklahoma - Barry Switzer - 1995 - Super Bowl XXX - Super Bowl X - Super Bowl XIII

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But the glory days of the Cowboys were again beginning to fade as free agency and injuries began taking their toll. The Cowboys went 6-10 in 1997 and Switzer was let go. Former Steelers offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was hired to take over head coaching duties. Gailey led the team to a 10-6 record in 1998, but was let go after a 8-8 season in 1999.

Related Topics:
Free agency - 1997 - Chan Gailey - 1998 - 1999

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2000s to present

Defensive coordinator Dave Campo was promoted to head coach, but he could only post three consecutive 5-11 seasons. Many fans and media were beginning to blame Jerry Jones for the team's ills, noting that he refused to hire a strong coach, preferring to hire coaches that didn't want to be involved with personnel duties so that Jones himself could manage them.

Related Topics:
Dave Campo - Jerry Jones

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However, Jones proved them wrong in 2003 by luring Bill Parcells out of retirement to coach the Cowboys. The Cowboys became the surprise team of the 2003 season, posting a 10-6 record with the best overall defense in the NFL. However, the 2004 season was one of turmoil. Injuries and persistent penalty problems hobbled the Cowboys, but a preseason quarterback controversy also caused trouble when Quincy Carter was suddenly terminated for drug use in favor of 40-year-old veteran Vinny Testaverde, brought to the Cowboys from the New York Jets by his former coach in the off-season. The Cowboys started strong, with victories against the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins, but quickly fell off to a 3-5 record by midseason, finishing the season 6-10.

Related Topics:
2003 - Bill Parcells - 2004 - Quincy Carter - Vinny Testaverde - Cleveland Browns - Washington Redskins

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The Cowboys improved their defense over this past year with the additions of first round picks Demarcus Ware and Marcus Spears. Coach Parcells drafted these two in the hopes of jumpstarting the team's transition from a 4-3 defense to one that is based on the 3-4 setup. Jerry Jones also added a number of savvy veteran players. He acquired Nose tackle Jason Ferguson and cornerback Anthony Henry via free agency, and Linebacker Scott Fujita via the Kansas City Chiefs. Each of these players will be a vital key to having success in the 3-4 defense. On offense the Cowboys desperately needed to upgrade there passing game to complement there up and coming star running back. They achieved this by acquiring Quarterback Drew Bledsoe and Wide receiver Peerless Price. This should enable them to spread out the field and open up some running lanes for Running Back Julius Jones.

Related Topics:
Demarcus Ware - Marcus Spears - Nose tackle - Jason Ferguson - Cornerback - Anthony Henry - Linebacker - Scott Fujita - Kansas City Chiefs - Quarterback - Drew Bledsoe - Wide receiver - Peerless Price - Running Back - Julius Jones

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Bill Parcells is publicly known not to like to stay with one team for a long time, and he is not as young as he once was. So he is pushing the Cowboys as far as they can go now. He has attempted this by reuniting with many of his former players including Keyshawn Johnson, Drew Bledsoe, Aaron Glenn, and many more. Hopes are high for the Cowboys this year, with the emergence of 2nd year running back Julius Jones our of Notre Dame. Jones broke his shoulder blade early in the 2004 season, but came back to rush for more than 800 yards in 8 games.

Related Topics:
Bill Parcells - Keyshawn Johnson - Drew Bledsoe - Aaron Glenn - Julius Jones

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In November of 2004, a vote was passed by the City of Arlington in Tarrant County to build a new stadium adjacent to the existing Ameriquest Field in Arlington. The deadline for either the City of Arlington or the Dallas Cowboys to back out of the deal for the new stadium has passed. The team will begin playing at the new site in 2009 after thirty-eight years in the City of Irving, and forty-nine years in Dallas County.

Related Topics:
2004 - Arlington - Tarrant County - Ameriquest Field in Arlington - 2009

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Season-by-season