4 former Cowboys who deserve to be added to the Ring of Honor
There are many former Dallas Cowboys players who are in the Hall of Fame and have done amazing things for the sport of football. But, only 22 former Cowboys are in the “Ring of Honor.” The Ring of Honor contains former players and coaches who made an incredible impact on the organization. Owner Jerry Jones was once quoted saying the Ring of Honor “stands for men who built this franchise and it had it call America’s Team.”
The elite group was created by Tex Schramm and its first member, Bob Lilly, was inducted on November 23, 1975. Since then, 18 other players, two executives, and one coach have joined Lilly. The ring includes (in chronological order from past to present):
- Bob Lilly, DT
- Don Meredith, QB
- Don Perkins, RB
- Chuck Howley, LB
- Mel Renfro, CB
- Roger Staubach, QB
- Lee Roy Jordan, LB
- Tom Landry, Head Coach
- Tony Dorsett, RB
- Randy White, DT
- Bob Hayes, WR
- Tex Schramm, GM
- Cliff Harris, S
- Rayfield Wright, OT
- Troy Aikman, QB
- Michael Irvin, WR
- Emmitt Smith, RB
- Drew Pearson, WR
- Charles Haley, DE
- Larry Allen, OT
- Darren Woodson, S
- Gil Brandt, VP of Player Personnel
This is an incredibly prestigious group of people, 17 of whom are also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But are there other now-retired Cowboys who deserve to be added? Here are a few players Jerry Jones should consider.
4 former Cowboys that Dallas should consider adding to the Ring of Honor
4. Nate Newton, OT/G, 1986-1998
Nate Newton is the most obvious missing member you won’t find on this list. At this point, he is far enough removed from his career with the team and his 13 years in a Cowboys uniform speak for themselves.
Newton is a 6x Pro Bowler and 2x All-Pro who helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls in their prime. He was part of what became known as “The Great Wall of Dallas” from 1992 to 1995 alongside Erik Williams, Mark Tuinei, Mark Stepnoski, John Gesek, and Kevin Gogan,
The only Cowboys offensive linemen with more Pro Bowl appearances are Larry Allen, Zack Martin, and Tyron Smith. Newton is tied with Rayfield Wright and John Niland at six nods. Without Newton, Aikman and Smith likely wouldn’t have had a lot of the offensive success they did. He was a mauler, protector, and space maker for the team.