Best Dallas Cowboys player to wear No. 98 wasn't wanted by fans of America's Team

Welcome back to our series covering the best Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.

We're obviously so very close to the end of our journey, and the penultimate entry here at No. 98 highlights a defensive player who certainly wasn't the first choice of Cowboys fans when he was drafted back in the late 1990s but went on to have a solid career that saw him become one of the franchise's all-time leaders in sacks.

But before we break things down, let's first have a look at everyone who's worn No. 98 for America's Team over the years.

Quinton Bohanna, DT
Shante Carver, DE
Tyrone Crawford, DE/DT
Carl Davis, DT
Greg Ellis, DE/LB
Curtis Johnson, DE
Orie Lemon, LB
Godfrey Myles, LB
Jordan Phillips, DT
Brady Poppinga, LB
Marcus Spears, DE
Ken Tippins, LB
Payton Turner, DE
Mitch Willis, DT

Just as choosing the winner here was an easy call, picking the runner-up was simple as well, with that honor going to Tyrone Crawford. Yes, we're certain you noticed Marcus Spears on the list, but as he only wore No. 98 for one season, moving away from his more familiar No. 96 in 2011 before going back to it in 2012, he was never in consideration here.

A third-round pick of the Cowboys in 2012, Crawford spent the entirety of his nine-year NFL career in Dallas, although he only played eight seasons, as he suffered a torn Achilles on the first full day of training camp in 2013. Switching back and forth between defensive tackle and defensive end, Crawford ultimately tallied 194 total tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 65 QB hits, and 25.0 sacks.

But the easy call here, of course, is Greg Ellis.

Greg Ellis recorded 84.0 sacks in his 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys

A three-time First-Team All-ACC selection and a two-time All-American at the University of North Carolina, Ellis was taken by Dallas in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft with the eighth overall selection.

Now, we're pretty sure it's safe to say that most Cowboys fans back then wanted the team to take Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss, who one Dallas scout had actually called "the most gifted prospect in football history."

Moss had grown up rooting for the Cowboys, but as he was dealing with some legal issues at the time, Jerry Jones obviously passed on him, and he ultimately fell all the way to No. 21, where he was taken by the Minnesota Vikings. He, of course, went on to torch the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day of that 1998 season and went on to become one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.

Ellis obviously can't claim to be one of the best of all time at his position, but again, he put together a solid career, one that spanned a dozen seasons, 11 of which were spent sporting a star on the side of his helmet.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder cracked the starting lineup at right defensive end as a rookie and remained in that role for two years before switching to the left side of the line in 2000. He played one more year on the right side in 2005 before moving to outside linebacker in 2006 when Bill Parcells transitioned to a 3-4 scheme.

Ellis was having another strong season in '06, but his year came to an abrupt end roughly midway through the year, as he suffered a torn Achilles. But he came back strong in 2007 with the best overall season of his career, recording a career-high 12.5 sacks in just 13 games to earn his first and only trip to the Pro Bowl.

He also became the first, and still the only, Cowboys player ever to win Comeback Player of the Year. He played one more season in Dallas before closing out his career playing one year with the Oakland Raiders.

In his 11 seasons with the Cowboys, Ellis amassed 502 total tackles, 75 tackles for loss, 77.0 sacks, 21 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown, 41 passes defended, and four interceptions, returning one of those for a score as well. His 77.0 sacks are currently good for the ninth-most in franchise history.

So, while Ellis may not be Moss, he was a strong player for a long time, and he easily takes this title of the best Cowboys player to wear No. 98.

Other Dallas Cowboys jersey honorees

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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Greg Ellis recorded 84.0 sacks in his 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys

Other Dallas Cowboys jersey honorees

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