Dallas Cowboys: 30 greatest players in franchise history

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25 Oct 1992: Defensive lineman Charles Haley of the Dallas Cowboys moves down the field during a game against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Cowboys won the game, 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Ste /

Charles Haley. 16. player. 123. . Defensive End. (1992-1996)

Defensive end Charles Haley may have had a relativity short stint with the Dallas Cowboys. But man, did he make the most of it. Traded to the Cowboys from the San Francisco 49ers in 1992 for a second and third-round pick, Haley is seen as the final puzzle piece that allowed Dallas to win three Super Bowls in four years.

Originally drafted by the Niners in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft out of James Madison, Haley would lead San Francisco in sacks for each of his first six seasons in the league. He also helped the 49ers secure Super Bowl titles in both 1988 and 1989.

In 1992, Haley joined a Cowboys team that went 11-5 the previous season but lost in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Detroit Lions. That also happens to be the last time Detroit actually won a game in the postseason. The presence of the dominant pass rusher is seen as the catalyst that got those young Cowboys of the 1990s over the championship hump.

By the end of his 12-year career, Haley had racked up 100.5 sacks and a then-record five Super Bowl victories. He was twice named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a five-time Pro Bowler, and twice an All-Pro.

Charles Haley only played for the Cowboys for five years. But in that span, he helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls. For that, Haley is a member of the Cowboys Ring of Honor. And in 2015, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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