Welcome back to The Landry Hat's series highlighting the greatest Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
We kicked off the 80s with a pair of wide receivers, first rolling with one of the best wideouts in Cowboys history at No. 80 and following up with one of the best wideouts in NFL history at No. 81.
While we don't have a wideout here at No. 82, what we do have is one of the top tight ends ever to lace up a pair of cleats, one who holds all sorts of franchise records for America's Team
But before we dive into everything, of course, let's first run through our routine of looking at every player who's donned No. 82 for Dallas over the years.
- Chris Brazzell, WR
- Cornell Burbage, WR
- Frank Clarke, E
- Cory Fleming, WR
- Alvin Harper, WR
- Tony McGee, TE
- James McKnight, WR
- Johnny Mitchell, TE
- Jeff Ogden, WR
- Beasley Reece, DB
- Mike Renfro, WR
- Derrick Shepard, WR
- Cleo Simmons, TE
- Jimmy Smith, WR
- Robert Steele, WR
- Otto Stowe, WR
- Jason Witten, TE
Just as picking the winner here was an easy task, so too is choosing the runner-up, as that honor goes to old-school end Frank Clarke, who spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns before joining the Cowboys for their inaugural season in 1960.
In eight seasons in Dallas from 1960 to 1967, Clarke, who led the league in yards per reception in back-to-back years in 1961 and 1962 and and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection in 1964, caught 281 passes for 5,214 yards with 50 touchdowns, with the last two numbers still ranking among the top 10 in franchise history.
But we all know who takes the cake here, as the clear-cut call for the best Cowboys player to wear No. 82 is Jason Witten.
Jason Witten owns all sorts of franchise records for the Dallas Cowboys
A First-Team All-SEC selection at Tennessee in 2002, Witten was taken by Dallas in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft with the 69th overall selection and had a solid first season, earning All-Rookie Team honors after tallying 35 receptions for 347 yards and a touchdown.
More importantly than his simple stats, however, the Washington, D.C. native proved just how committed he was to the team, as he only sat out a single game after suffering a fractured jaw in a Week 5 win over the Arizona Cardinals, a game that's more remembered for Emmitt Smith returning to Texas Stadium for the first time wearing a different uniform.
In 2004, Witten established himself as one of the top tight ends in the league with 87 receptions for 980 yards and six touchdowns en route to earning his first Pro Bowl selection, with those 87 grabs setting a new franchise record for a tight end, which he set again in 2007 and then again in 2012, while also serving as the most of any tight end in the NFC that year.
And his career was off and running from there.
In the six seasons that followed, the 6-foot-6, 265-pounder earned another six trips to the Pro Bowl, a pair of First-Team All-Pro selections, as well as one Second-Team selection.
And after earning no individual accolades in 2011, which was still a solid year, he earned another three consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2012 to 2014, also earning a Second-Team All-Pro nod in 2012, which is when he set the franchise record for receptions by a tight end that still stands to this day with 110 catches.
Witten earned his 11th Pro Bowl selection in 2017, thus giving him the most of any offensive player in Cowboys history, surpassing Nate Newton's 10, and tying him with the great Bob Lilly for the most among every player to ever don a Dallas uniform.
He retired in April 2018 to take a job as an analyst on Monday Night Football but returned in 2019, and in playing all 16 games that year, he set a new team record for games played with 255. He played one more season in 2020 with the Las Vegas Raiders, but it's safe to say that most Cowboys fans like to forget that happened.
Over the course of his 16 seasons in Big D, Witten ultimately set new team records for receptions (1,215) and receiving yards (12,977), and his 72 touchdown catches are good for second behind only Dez Bryant's 73.
If you tack on the little he did for Las Vegas, his 1,228 receptions are currently good for the second-most of any tight end in NFL history, trailing only Tony Gonzalez, his 13,046 receiving yards are good for the third-most, trailing only Gonzalez and Travis Kelce, and his 74 touchdown catches are good for the sixth-most, trailing only Antonio Gates, Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, and Kelce.
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
- No. 41: Owns an impressive NFL playoff record
- No. 42: Went from undrafted to a defensive captain
- No. 43: The true anchor of the 1970s Dallas defense
- No. 44: Wasn't the typical NFL fullback
- No. 45: Lost his job to a future Super Bowl MVP
- No. 46: Was on the wrong side of Super Bowl history
- No. 47: Was an HBCU star before a 7-year NFL career
- No. 48: Was beloved despite not posting big numbers
- No. 49: Was a solid pass blocker and special-teamer
- No. 50: Made an iconic quote about America's Team
- No. 51: Had a father who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw
- No. 52: Owns a little-known franchise record
- No. 53: Was part of the famed 'Dirty Dozen' draft
- No. 54: Owns a special piece of Super Bowl history
- No. 55: Has a special connection to Jerry Jones
- No. 56: Got stuck in between the Cowboys' two dynasties
- No. 57: Gets little credit for Super Bowl heroics
- No. 58: Was drafted under fascinating circumstances
- No. 59: Was a Bill Parcells (and fan) favorite
- No. 60: Played his final six seasons after being shot in the chest
- No. 61: One of the best undrafted players in NFL history
- No. 62: Helped bring back a forgotten formation
- No. 63: Doesn't get his 'Doomsday Defense' due
- No. 64: Is a member of a highly exclusive club
- No. 65: Is a forgotten five-time Pro Bowler
- No. 66: Stepped up when it mattered most
- No. 67: Belongs to an exclusive O-line club
- No. 68: Allowed the team to trade an all-time great
- No. 69: Was the largest player in his draft class
- No. 70: Will soon join the second-best in Canton
- No. 71: Went to high school with Barack Obama
- No. 72: Had the most appropriate nickname ever
- No. 73: The strongest player in NFL history
- No. 74: Was the first member of the Ring of Honor
- No. 75: Was consistently robbed of accolades
- No. 76: Highest offensive line draftee in Cowboys history
- No. 77: Has a historic connection to Jerry Jones
- No. 78: Isn't remembered for his Super Bowl heroics
- No. 79: Holds a unique piece of Super Bowl history
- No. 80: Helped America's Team make history
- No. 81: Was hated before coming to America's Team
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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