Welcome back to The Landry Hat's series covering the greatest Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
There haven't been many players to sport No. 17 over the years, but quite a few notable names have donned the digit for Dallas, even if some of those names turned out to be more known as coaches than players. Here's a quick look at everyone who's worn the number for the Cowboys.
- Brandon Aubrey, K
- Harold Carmichael, WR
- Quincy Carter, QB
- Mike Clark, K
- Jason Garrett, QB
- Dwayne Harris, WR
- Dennis Houston, WR
- Sam Hurd, WR
- Allen Hurns, WR
- Don Meredith, WR
- Kellen Moore, WR
- Malik Turner, WR
As you can see, both Jason Garrett and Kellen Moore wore the number as players before beginning their respective coaching careers. Another name that stands out is Quincy Carter, who had the unenviable task of having to be the quarterback to take over for the legendary Troy Aikman, ultimately going 16-15 in 31 starts in his three seasons with the club from 2001 to 2003.
And, of course, we absolutely mention the man currently wearing it, kicker Brandon Aubrey, who has set all sorts of franchise and league records in his first few years in the league.
But while Aubrey is the easy call for the runner-up in this slot, the obvious winner here has to be Don Meredith, who was the first genuine franchise quarterback in Cowboys history and helped turn the team into contenders during the first decade of the club's existence.
Don Meredith helped the Dallas Cowboys to two appearances in the NFL Championship Game
A two-time First-Team All-American at SMU, Meredith made his way to the Cowboys in quite the unique manner. You see, when the 1960 NFL Draft took place in November 1959 (yeah, it was crazy early back then), the Cowboys hadn't yet been officially admitted to the NFL. So, the team's first owner, Clint Murchison, signed the QB to a five-year personal services contract through another one of his businesses, with the contract stating that Meredith would play for Dallas if and when the club became part of the league.
To assist in the process, Chicago Bears owner George Halas, who played a massive part in getting the Cowboys approved, drafted Meredith in the third round of that 1960 draft with the 32nd overall pick. Once Dallas gained admittance in January 1960, the NFL honored the contract Meredith had signed with Murchison, and all the Cowboys had to give Halas' Bears in return was a third-round pick in the 1962 draft.
Despite the local ties and the hoopla surrounding him, Meredith wasn't the Cowboys' starting QB when they played their first game in 1960, as that honor went to veteran Eddie LeBaron, who'd earned three Pro Bowl selections with Washington in the 1950s. And he ultimately only started a handful of games over his first couple of years, finally getting more time in 1962 before becoming the full-time starter in 1963.
Over the next few years, Meredith became one of the top QBs in the league and helped turn the Cowboys into a legitimate contender. In 1965, the team had its first non-losing season in history, going 7-7 to finish in second place in the Eastern Conference, with Meredith throwing for 2,415 yards and 22 touchdowns, good for seventh and third in the league, respectively.
In 1966, Meredith earned his first Pro Bowl selection, a Second-Team All-Pro nod, and a third-place finish in the NFL MVP voting after finishing with 2,805 yards and 24 touchdowns and leading the Cowboys to a 10-3-1 record and a spot in the NFL Championship Game to decide who would represent the NFL in the very first edition of what we now call the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Dallas took a 34-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers, who went on to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL-NFL World Championship Game.
In 1967, Meredith again earned a trip to the Pro Bowl and took the Cowboys back to the NFL title game, only to once again lose to the Packers in the famous "Ice Bowl" showdown at Lambeau Field. He earned a third straight trip to the Pro Bowl in 1968 but after an abysmal showing in the postseason against the Cleveland Browns, Meredith abruptly retired.
In his nine years with Dallas, Meredith threw for 17,199 yards and 135 touchdowns, both of which are still good for sixth in franchise history. He was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1976.
More Dallas Cowboys jersey honorees
- No. 0: Well, there's literally only one option here
- No. 1: Quietly one of Dallas' better special teams weapons
- No. 2: He once stood alone in the record books
- No. 3: This player needed just one season to make his mark
- No. 4: This is a no-brainer
- No. 5: This player has the third-most points in Cowboys history
- No. 6: The winner here just edged out a Pro Bowl history maker
- No. 7: Fizzled fast after his big payday
- No. 8: Member of an elite Super Bowl club
- No. 9: Doesn't get the credit he deserves
- No. 10: Also played professional basketball
- No. 11: No, it's not Micah Parsons
- No. 12: Didn't begin his Hall of Fame career until age 27
- No. 13: Was a solid WR2 (until he wasn't)
- No. 14: Led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl appearance
- No. 15: Won multiple titles in another sport
- No. 16: Helped a legend score his first NFL TD
This list will be updated daily until all 100 entries are complete, so please be sure to check back in with The Landry Hat for updates.
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