Welcome back to The Landry Hat's 100-piece series covering the best Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
This is one of those entries where we actually feel a bit bad that we have to pick a winner, as No. 43 is one of the few numbers that has been worn by multiple members of the team's famed Ring of Honor.
But before we break things down, let's quickly run through our normal process of looking at every player who's donned this digit for America's Team over the years.
- Greg Briggs, DB
- Corey Clement, RB
- Malik Davis, RB
- Kemon Hall, CB
- Cliff Harris, S
- Azur Kamara, LB
- Elvis Patterson, DB
- Don Perkins, FB/HB
- Izell Reese, DB
- Gerald Sensabaugh, S
- Ito Smith, RB
- Malcolm Smith, LB
Since we can only choose one winner, the call here at runner-up is fullback Don Perkins, who joined the Cowboys in their first year of existence in 1960 but was forced to sit out his rookie campaign after suffering a broken foot during training camp.
He finally took the field in 1961 and quickly established himself as one of the best backs in the league, and that trend continued throughout the decade, as he earned six trips to the Pro Bowl and a pair of All-Pro selections before abruptly retiring following the 1968 season.
In his eight seasons with the Cowboys, Perkins rushed for 6,217 yards, which would ultimately stand as the third-highest total among all players during the 1960s, trailing only Jim Brown and Jim Taylor.
Those 6,217 rushing yards are still good for the fourth-most in Dallas history, and his 42 rushing touchdowns still rank fifth. Perkins was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1976.
Again, it's sad that we can't give him the featured spot, but it is what it is, as the clear-cut winner here at No. 43 is safety Cliff Harris.
Cliff Harris was the anchor of the 1970s Dallas Cowboys defense
While a standout player at NAIA Ouachita Baptist in his home state of Arkansas, earning All-AIC (Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference) in 1968 and 1969, Harris didn't get a ton of attention from the NFL and went unselected in the 1970 draft before signing with Dallas as an undrafted free agent.
He surprisingly beat out third-round rookie Charlie Waters (who was our winner a couple of entries ago) for the starting spot at free safety, and while he missed a chunk of the season due to military service, he returned in time for the playoffs and helped the Cowboys reach Super Bowl 5, where they took a heartbreaking three-point loss to the Baltimore Colts.
Dallas returned to the postseason in 1971, and Harris, who'd recorded two interceptions during the regular season, played a big part in getting the team back to the Super Bowl, getting a pick in each of the team's first two postseason outings and then tying for the team lead with five total tackles in the Cowboys' 24-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl 6.
And his career just took off from there, as he only got better as the years progressed.
From 1974 to 1979, Harris, who gained a reputation for being one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the league but also one of the most well-rounded, earned six consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl, also earning three consecutive First-Team All-Pro nods from 1976 to 1978.
He notched a career-high five interceptions during the '77 season, which ended with the Cowboys raising the Lombardi Trophy for a second time.
Like Perkins, Harris retired at a young age, leaving the game at the age of 31 following the '79 season. In his 10 seasons with Dallas, he tallied 29 interceptions, which remain the ninth-most in team history, and he added another six in the playoffs.
Harris was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2004, and after a long overdue wait, he was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
While other players get a lot more credit, Harris, who was one of a select few to play all five Super Bowls for the team during that decade, was the true anchor of that vaunted Dallas defense in the 1970s, and with all due respect to Perkins, that's why Harris takes this title of the best Cowboys player to wear No. 43.
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)
- No. 37: Showed out in the Super Bowl (twice)
- No. 38: Had a solid career after going undrafted
- No. 39: Was on the wrong end of a famous play
- No. 40: Forced the NFL to change the Pro Bowl
- No. 41: Owns an impressive NFL playoff record
- No. 42: Went from undrafted to a defensive captain
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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