Welcome back to our series on the best Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
Our selection here at No. 27 may not be the most recognizable name, but he was a pivotal piece of the Dallas defense in the early days of the franchise. But before we break that down, let's first have a look at every player who's worn the number for the Cowboys over the years.
- Courtney Brown, DB
- Trevon Diggs, CB
- Mario Edwards, DB
- Thomas Everett, DB
- Ron Fellows, DB
- Eric Frampton, DB
- Mike Gaechter, DB
- Eddie George, RB
- Cletis Gordon, DB
- Tommy Haynes, DB
- Jayron Kearse, S
- Keylon Kincade, RB
- Jourdan Lewis, CB
- Singor Mobley, DB
- Amani Oruwariye, CB
- Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, DB
- Curvin Richards, RB
- Reddy Steward, CB
- Bill Thomas, RB
- Greg Tremble, DB
- Marvin White, DB
- J.J. Wilcox, S
There are certainly some players here that fans of America's Team will recognize, including Trevon Diggs, who wore No. 27 as a rookie before switching to No. 7 in that incredible sophomore season in which he tied a team record with 11 interceptions en route to earning First-Team All-Pro honors.
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Eddie George donned the digit during his one season in Dallas in 2004, and Jourdan Lewis wore it for the first three of his eight years with the club.
But the call here, as mentioned above, goes back to the early days of the franchise in the form of safety Mike Gaechter.
Mike Gaechter had the longest interception return in Dallas Cowboys history for nearly half a century
Undrafted in 1962 out of the University of Oregon, where he teamed with future Cowboys legend and Hall of Famer Mel Renfro, both in football and track, Gaechter signed with Dallas as a free agent and worked his way into the starting lineup at cornerback as a rookie, albeit due to injuries to other players.
No matter the circumstance, the California native made the most of his opportunity by tallying five interceptions, good for second on the team behind only Pro Bowler Don Bishop's six. And one of those picks turned out to be historic.
Facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5, Gaechter picked off a pass from the Birds' backup quarterback, King Hill, on the goal line late in the fourth quarter and ran it back 100 yards for a touchdown, providing the final score outside of Sam Baker's extra-point attempt in an easy 41-19 win.
For 48 years, that play stood as the longest interception return in Cowboys history until Bryan McCann recorded a 101-yarder in 2010 during a Week 10 win over the New York Giants. To this day, those are the only triple-digit INT returns Dallas has ever had.
Gaechter switched to safety in his second season and added another three interceptions, one of which he returned 86 yards, which still stands as the eighth-longest return in team history. So, the guy had some skills (and speed).
During his eight-year run with the Cowboys, Gaechter tallied 21 interceptions, and had he not ruptured an Achilles in a Dallas defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in the meaningless Playoff Bowl at the end of the 1969 season (the NFL had a third-place game back then), he undoubtedly would have had more. After sitting out the entire 1970 campaign, he was traded in 1971 to the team now known as the Washington Commanders, who released him before the regular season began, thus ending his career.
Again, Gaechter may not be the most recognizable name, but he undoubtedly deserves this slot as the best Cowboys player to wear No. 27.
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
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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