Dallas Cowboys: 15 best draft-day steals of all-time
By Brad Weiss
Best draft-day steals by the Dallas Cowboys of all-time: 9. Leon Lett
1991 NFL Draft: Round 7, Pick No. 173
While Leon Lett is known by most NFL fans as the guy who nearly scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl, but had the ball stripped before crossing the goal-line, the fact is, he was one of the better defensive linemen in football for a while.
Lett famously fumbled away a chance to have the longest fumble recovery for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, but he redeemed himself by sacking Frank Reich to end the game.
A seventh-round pick of the Cowboys back in 1991, Lett would go on to spend 10 seasons with the team, before finishing out his career in 2001 with the Denver Broncos. His career did not get off to the hottest start, as he landed on the injured reserve before his rookie season even began. However, he would come around to be a dominant force on some incredible Cowboys teams.
Lett played his college ball at the NAIA level, which is likely the reason he was not picked until the seventh round back in 1991. After being activated in November as a rookie, he became a key player in year two. By the time his career with America’s Team was done, he had turned himself into a Pro Bowl player.
The winner of three Super Bowl rings as a member of the Cowboys, Lett was affectionately known as “Big Cat” to his teammates, who were impressed with the kind of agility a man his size could possess. A menacing presence on the defensive line, Lett found himself double-teamed quite a bit during his career, but still managed to make a difference whenever he was on the field.
He dealt with his fair share of suspensions during his career, but when he was available, he was one of the more dominant defensive tackles in team history.