Welcome back to our series covering the greatest Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
After featuring one of the team's top defensive players from the 1970s in our last entry at No. 43, we've got another top talent from that era here at No. 44, only this particular player comes from the other side of the football.
But, as per usual, before we break things down, let's first have a look at everyone who's worn No. 44 for America's Team over the years.
- Francis Bernard, LB
- Don Bishop, CB
- Michael Brooks, DB
- Tyler Clutts, FB
- Lincoln Coleman, FB
- Vince Courville, WR
- Cornell Gowdy, DB
- Chris Gronkowski, FB
- Jake McQuaide, LS
- Robert Newhouse, FB
- Trent Sieg, LS
- Robert Thomas, FB/LB
The winner was always going to be an easy call, but there is a solid runner-up here as well in Don Bishop, who converted from running back to cornerback when he joined the Cowboys in their first year of existence in 1960 and tallied 22 interceptions in six seasons with the club, all of which came in the first four years, as injuries limited him to just nine games over his final two years.
But again, this was always going to be an easy choice, as the clear call here is fullback Robert Newhouse.
Undersized fullback Robert Newhouse still owns the sixth-most rushing yards in Dallas Cowboys history
After setting all sorts of rushing records at the University of Houston, where he was a Second-Team All-American in 1971, Newhouse was taken by Dallas in the second round of the 1972 NFL Draft with the 35th overall selection.
While the Texas native was a natural running back, the Cowboys were set at that position with Calvin Hill at the time, so Newhouse opted to switch to fullback despite being a bit undersized for the position at 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds.
But make no mistake about it; while he may not have had the size of the typical NFL fullback, he undoubtedly had the power to play the position, as his ridiculous 44-inch thighs enabled him to take plenty of punishment and keep moving forward.
Newhouse didn't get a ton of touches in his first two seasons, tallying just 112 carries, but he got more opportunities in his third season, carrying the ball 124 times for 501 yards and three touchdowns.
And in 1975, with Hill no longer with the club, he became the lead back, rushing for a career-high 930 yards and two touchdowns and adding another 275 yards on 34 receptions.
Injuries hindered his 1976 campaign a bit, but in 1977, despite the emergence of superstar rookie running back Tony Dorsett, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year with 1,280 total yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns, Newhouse still had a strong season of his own, rushing for 721 yards and three touchdowns and catching 16 passes for 106 yards and a score.
That 1977 campaign, of course, resulted in Dallas lifting the Lombardi Trophy for the second time, and Newhouse had himself a strong postseason that year, first scoring a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings and then throwing a 29-yard touchdown pass to Golden Richards in the Cowboys' 27-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 12, also rushing for 55 yards in that victory.
After three more solid seasons, the three that followed weren't nearly as productive, as he was simply surpassed on the depth chart as he got older. Newhouse ultimately retired following the 1983 season, having rushed for 4,784 yards, which remain the sixth-most in franchise history.
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
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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