Welcome back to our series on the best Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
After kicking off the 40s with safety and special teams legend Bill Bates, we've got another defensive back here at No. 41, although our selection sadly comes at the expense of one of the best cornerbacks in Cowboys history.
But before we break things down, let's first have a look at everyone who's worn No. 41 for America's Team over the years.
- Ray-Ray Armstrong, LB
- Markquese Bell, S
- Caelen Carson, CB
- Anthony Coleman, DB
- Wendell Davis, DB
- Pat Dennis, DB
- Donovan Ezeiruaku, DE
- Kareem Larrimore, DB
- Warren Livingston, DB
- Terence Newman, CB
- Reggie Robinson II, CB
- Keith Smith, DB
- Dave Thomas, DB
- Nick Vigil, LB
- Charlie Waters, DB
- Charles Wright, DB
The easy call at runner-up here is two-time Pro Bowl corner Terence Newman, who took second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2003 and ultimately racked up 32 interceptions during his nine-year run in Dallas, putting himself into a tie with Lee Roy Jordan for the seventh-most picks in team history.
But as good as Newman was, the clear-cut call here is fellow defensive back Charlie Waters.
Charlie Waters is tied for the most interceptions in NFL postseason history
A First-Team All-ACC selection as a wide receiver at Clemson in 1969, Waters was taken by the Cowboys in the third round of the 1970 NFL Draft with the 66th overall selection.
Despite his skills as a wideout, Waters was brought to Dallas to be a defensive back, and while he nearly didn't even make it out of training camp, he ultimately started six games at safety as a rookie and tallied a team-high five interceptions in helping the Cowboys reach Super Bowl 5, where they lost to the Baltimore Colts, adding another two the following year in helping Dallas to Super Bowl 6, where they defeated the Miami Dolphins to capture the franchise's first championship.
The Miami native played more cornerback over the next few seasons and performed well, recording 13 interceptions from 1972 to 1974, but after Cornell Green retired following the '74 season, Waters was moved to strong safety and thrived there as well, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 1976 to 1978, also receiving Second-Team All-Pro nods in '77 and '78.
The 1977 season, of course, resulted in the Cowboys' second Super Bowl victory, and in the team's first postseason game that year against the Chicago Bears, Waters became just the second player in NFL history to tally three interceptions in a single playoff game.
His Pro Bowl/All-Pro streak ended after he suffered a season-ending ACL tear during the 1979 preseason, but he came back to play two more years before retiring after the 1981 campaign.
In his 11 years, 12 if you count the one he was forced to sit out, he never experienced a losing season, and his 41 regular-season interceptions are good for the third-most in Cowboys history behind only Mel Renfro's 52 and Everson Walls' 44.
Furthermore, his nine postseason interceptions are tied for the most of any player in NFL history, a record he shares with Bill Simpson, Ronnie Lott, and Ed Reed.
So, again, with all due respect to Terence Newman, you can see why we had to roll with Charlie Waters as the best Cowboys player to wear No. 41.
Other 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
- No. 17: The Cowboys' first true franchise QB
- No. 18: Still holds a team record after 30-plus years
- No. 19: Might surprise some people
- No. 20: The Cowboys' all-time interceptions leader
- No. 21: This player was always 'Prime Time' entertainment
- No. 22: The only NFL MVP in Cowboys history
- No. 23: Was a key role player for Tom Landry
- No. 24: It's not the one who won Super Bowl MVP
- No. 25: Holds a unique place in Cowboys history
- No. 26: Didn't play one down of college football
- No. 27: Held a Cowboys record for nearly 50 years
- No. 28: Holds an odd team record
- No. 29: Was allowed to walk after a historic season
- No. 30: Holds a sad NFL record as a head coach
- No. 31: Got a play banned from the NFL
- No. 32: Was also an actual cowboy
- No. 33: Holds an NFL record that can't be broken
- No. 34: Was drafted into the NBA (but not the NFL)
- No. 35: Has a son who's an NBA Hall of Famer
- No. 36: Was a strong special-teamer (when healthy)
- No. 37: Showed out in the Super Bowl (twice)
- No. 38: Had a solid career after going undrafted
- No. 39: Was on the wrong end of a famous play
- No. 40: Forced the NFL to change the Pro Bowl
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.
Add us as a preferred source on Google