Welcome back to The Landry Hat's 100-part series covering the best Dallas Cowboys players ever to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
After kicking off the 20s with a pair of Hall of Fame defensive backs, we've got a third consecutive Canton enshrinee here at No. 22, and there's really no need to create any sort of buildup here, as everyone knows this slot can only belong to the NFL's all-time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith.
But just for kicks—and because we've been doing this with every other entry—let's still have a look at every other player who's donned the digit for America's Team over the years.
- Amos Bullocks, HB
- Bill Butler, S
- "Bullet" Bob Hayes, E/WR
- Wade Manning, CB
- George Peoples, RB
- Victor Scott, DB
- Emmitt Smith, RB
Naturally, we feel absolutely terrible that we can't include "Bullet" Bob Hayes anywhere on this list, as he's one of the most unique athletes in sports history, what with being the only man ever to win an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl, helping the Cowboys to their first title in 1971.
In 10 seasons with Dallas from 1965 to 1974, the Florida A&M alum caught 365 passes for 7,295 yards and 71 touchdowns, with those numbers currently placing him in ninth, seventh, and third, respectively, in Cowboys history. Inducted into the team's Ring of Honor in 2001 and into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009, Hayes could easily be the call in so many other slots on this list.
Just not this one.
Emmitt Smith is the only player in Dallas Cowboys history ever to win NFL MVP
A unanimous All-American and the SEC Most Valuable Player at the University of Florida in 1989, Smith was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft with the 17th overall selection and made an immediate impact at the professional level, rushing for 937 yards and 11 touchdowns and adding another 228 yards on 24 receptions en route to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, also earning the first of eight trips to the Pro Bowl. And that was obviously just the beginning.
In 1991, Smith led the NFL in rushing, gaining 1,563 yards. The following year, in helping the Cowboys to the first of three Super Bowl wins in four seasons, he was again the league's leading rusher, setting a new franchise record with 1,713 yards, also leading the league in rushing touchdowns with 18.
And in 1993, despite sitting out the first two games of the regular season due to a contract dispute, he again led the NFL in rushing, racking up 1,486 yards on the ground while also adding a career-high 414 as a receiver en route to becoming the first Cowboys player ever to win NFL MVP. And after tallying 132 yards and two touchdowns in Dallas' Super Bowl 28 victory over the Buffalo Bills, he added a Super Bowl MVP to his trophy case.
Two years later, during the Cowboys' 1995 Super Bowl-winning season, Smith led the league in rushing for the fourth and final time with a career-high 1,773 yards, also setting a new NFL record for rushing scores in a single season with 25, a mark that's since fallen.
The five-time All-Pro ultimately hit the 1,000-yard mark in 11 straight seasons from 1991 to 2001, and while he didn't do so in his final year with Dallas in 2002, he did become the NFL's all-time leading rusher that season, surpassing the great Walter Payton during a Week 8 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Smith also scored the 150th rushing TD of his career in that game. Smith was sadly released following the season and ended his career playing two years with the Arizona Cardinals.
In 13 years with the Cowboys, Smith recorded 17,162 yards and 153 touchdowns on the ground, adding 3,012 yards and 11 scores on 486 receptions. Tack on what he did with the Cards, and he ended his career with 18,355 rushing yards, 3,224 receiving yards, and 175 total touchdowns during the regular season, adding 1,586 rushing yards, 342 receiving yards, and 21 total touchdowns during the postseason.
Smith was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor alongside fellow "Triplets" members Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin in 2005 and was then enshrined the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2010.
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
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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