Welcome back to our series covering the greatest Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
As we inch toward the end of the 30s, this group at No. 38 certainly isn't the sexiest that we've had, nor is it a lengthy one, but we've still got a job to do, so let's go ahead and have a look for everyone who's donned the digit for America's Team over the years.
- Sam Baker, K/P
- Luq Barcoo, DB
- Alijah Clark, DB
- Ron Francis, DB
- Chris Hall, DB
- Duane Hawthorne, DB
- Jeff Heath, S
- David Lang, RB
- Israel Mukuamu, S
- Lynn Scott, DB
- John Williams, RB
- Roy Williams, S
The most high-profile player on this list is safety Roy Williams, but as the five-time Pro Bowler wore No. 31 for six of his seven seasons in Dallas, only switching to No. 38 in his last year with the team in 2008, we took him out of the running.
Besides, he only played three games during that '08 campaign anyway, as he broke his forearm in Week 2, sat out for a month, and then broke it again in his first game back, costing hiim the rest of the season.
Our selection here is a safety, though, but he's nowhere near as high-profile as Williams. Nevertheless, Jeff Heath still deserves his flowers, as he turned a great run at a Division II school into a solid nine-year NFL career.
Jeff Heath played seven solid seasons for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2010s
A Second-Team All-GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) at Saginaw Valley State in 2012, Heath didn't earn an invitation to the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, but after he performed well at the conference's pro day, some believed he might go in the seventh round of the draft.
That ultimately didn't happen, but soon after the draft, he signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent and worked his way onto the 53-man roster after an impressive training camp. And not only did he make the active roster, but he also ended up taking 52 percent of the Cowboys' defensive snaps as a rookie, as well as 67 percent of the snaps on special teams.
Admittedly, he struggled at safety at times, which knocked his playing time down over the next few years, but he continued to thrive on special teams.
Heath continued to work, and in 2017, he earned the starting spot at strong safety and had the best overall campaign of his career, recording 85 total tackles, good for the fifth-most on the teamtwo forced fumbles, tying him for the second-most on the squad, five passes defended, tying for the fifth-most on the team, and a team-high three interceptions.
He followed up in 2018 with a career-high 85 total tackles, good for the third-most on the team, a career-best six of which resulted in a loss, and also added another interception. While he failed to pick off a pass in 2019, he did tally a career-high seven passes defended, the third-most among all Dallas defenders.
That turned out to be Heath's final season with the Cowboys, as he spent one season with the Las Vegas Raiders and one year with the New Orleans Saints before calling it a career.
In seven seasons with the Cowboys, Heath tallied 346 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, one sack, five forced fumbles, 24 passes defended, and eight interceptions. Not bad for a Division II guy who went undrafted, wouldn't you say?
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)
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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