Ranking the greatest players in Dallas Cowboys history

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Oct 6, 1968; St.Louis, MO, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Bob Lilly (74) in action against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Herb Weitman-USA TODAY Sports /

Pick Analysis. BobLilly. 3. player. Scouting Report. DB. 1961-1974. 123

The very first player ever taken in franchise history was none other than defensive lineman Bob Lilly, which earned him the fitting nickname “Mr. Cowboy.” As if being the very first member of America’s Team wasn’t enough of an honor, Lilly also turned out to be the first member of the organization to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A local product who was born in Texas but moved to Oregon where he was a high school standout, Lilly returned to the Lone Star State to play collegiately as he took a scholarship at TCU. An All-American, Lilly was honored to be the face of the franchise after they made him the 13th overall pick in 1961.

Dallas did a little maneuvering before taking Lilly, trading their original pick to Washington for quarterback Eddie LeBaron and then sending the Browns their first pick in 1962 for the rights to draft Lilly.

Throughout his career, he moved from defensive end to defensive tackle and was the leader of the “Doomsday Defense.” Sacks weren’t an official stat during his day but they have been retroactively added and Lilly was credited with 95.5 in his 14 seasons.

His accolades were plenty and included 11 Pro Bowls (10 consecutive), seven First-Team All-Pro nods, and a Super Bowl championship.

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