Welcome back to The Landry Hat's series on the best Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
As we inch toward the end of the 20s, we've got a special entry here for the penultimate player of the bunch at No. 28, one who survived a record number of head-coaching changes to become one of the top defensive players in Dallas history. But before we get to the reveal (as if you don't already know who it is), let's first have a look at everyone who's worn the number for America's Team.
- Alvin Blount, RB
- Norm Granger, RB
- Malik Hooker, S
- Felix Jones, RB
- Shavon Revel Jr., CB
- Rashard Robinson, CB
- Curtis Stewart, RB
- Tyson Thompson, RB
- Darren Woodson, S
- Daryl Worley, CB
As you can see, not many have sported the digit over the years, and it actually took until the franchise's 25th season for anyone to wear it (at least during the regular season), with running back Norm Granger becoming the first to do so in 1984.
Another running back is the runner-up choice here in the form of Felix Jones, who rushed for 2,728 yards and 11 touchdowns in his five-year run with the Cowboys from 2008 to 2012. But the easy call, of course, is safety Darren Woodson.
Darren Woodson played for five different Dallas Cowboys head coaches during his 12-year career
After a stellar career at Arizona State, where he played outside linebacker, Woodson was taken by the Cowboys in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft with the 37th overall selection.
Joining a Dallas defense that was becoming one of the best in the league from an overall standpoint, Woodson was moved to safety, and while he spent the vast majority of his rookie campaign in a backup role on defense, he was one of the Cowboys' best on special teams, leading the team with 19 tackles in that regard during the regular season and tacking on a few more during Dallas' run to the franchise's third Super Bowl victory.
The Phoenix native worked his way into the starting defensive lineup in his second season and certainly made the most of the opportunity, recording 155 total tackles to finish second on the team behind only Pro Bowl linebacker and Second-Team All-Pro selection Ken Norton Jr.
And after not recording a single interception during his first two regular seasons, he picked off the first pass of his career off the arm of Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre in the Divisional Round of the '93 playoffs. The Cowboys, of course, ultimately went on to win a second straight Super Bowl and then won a third in four seasons following the 1995 campaign, at which point Woodson had become one of the top safeties in the NFL.
In the five-season stretch from 1994 to 1998, he earned five consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl and three First-Team All-Pro selections. And while every other member of that '90s Dallas dynasty disappeared, Woodson was the last one standing, ultimately retiring in December 2004 after being unable to play in one game that season after undergoing surgery to remove a herniated disc.
To this day, Woodson remains the team's all-time leading tackler and ranks second in franchise history in tackles on special teams. While not generally a ballhawk kind of a safety during his career, his 23 interceptions are good for 11th in team history. While not the kind of team record any player wants to have, Woodson is the only player in Cowboys history to play for five different head coaches while with the team, suiting up for Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, and Bill Parcells.
While he hasn't yet earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which many believe he should, Woodson was enshrined in the famed Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2015, becoming just the second safety in team history to earn the honor, joining Cliff Harris.
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
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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