Best Dallas Cowboys player to wear No. 52 owns a little-known franchise record

Welcome back to our series on the best Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.

Our first two entries in the 50s were Pro Bowl linebackers who each won a pair of titles with America's Team, and we've got another linebacker here at No. 52. This one doesn't have the rings that the other two do, but he did earn himself a few trips to the Pro Bowl despite being a bit undersized for the position.

But before we break all that down, let's first have a look at everyone to don the digit for Dallas over the years.

Tyler Booker, G
Billy Cannon, LB
Dexter Coakley, LB
Dan Connor, LB
Chris Duliban, LB
Justin Durant, LB
Dave Edwards, LB
Jim Eidson, C
Andrew Gachkar, LB
Wayne Hansen, LB
K.J. Henry, DE
Jeff Hurd, LB
Al Johnson, C
Scott McLean, LB
Carlos Polk, LB
Mickey Pruitt, LB
Jim Schwantz, LB
Sean Scott, LB
Robert Shaw, C
Connor Williams, G
Leon Williams, LB

This was an extremly tough call, as we took a long look at another linebacker, Dave Edwards, who started 164 regular-season games for the Cowboys from 1963 to 1975 and another 18 in the postseason, including the team's first Super Bowl win to close the 1971 campaign.

Truth be told, this is one of the few times where we've considered a tie, but in the end, we opted to roll with Dexter Coakley.

Dexter Coakley owns one Dallas Cowboys record and used to own another

A three-time SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time First-Team Division I-AA All-American at Appalachian State, Coakley was taken by the Cowboys in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft with the 65th overall selection, thus making him one of Barry Switzer's final picks.

While some considered him a bit too small to play linebacker at the professional level, the 5-foot-10, 230-pounder worked his way into the starting lineup at weakside linebacker and never relinquished the role for the entirety of his eight-year run in Dallas.

Coakley made an immediate impact, earning All-Rookie Team honors and a fourth-place finish in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 1997, and in 1999, after recording a career-high four interceptions, he became the first Cowboys linebacker to make the Pro Bowl since our selection in the entry just before this one, Ken Norton Jr., did so in 1993.

He earned a second trip to the Pro Bowl in 2001, a season during which he tallied two pick-sixes, and then a third in 2003.

Despite being one of the most durable players in the NFL, missing just one game in eight years, and still playing at an extremely high level, Coakley was released following the 2004 campaign.

His salary was part of the issue, as the Cowboys were looking to clear space, but the bigger reason seemed to be that head coach Bill Parcells and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer were wanting to switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4, the latter of which is designed for bigger linebackers.

He didn't stay on the market long, as he was signed by the then-St. Louis Rams the day after being dumped by Dallas and spent three years with the club to close out his career.

Coakley remains the lone player in Cowboys history with seven consecutive seasons of 100 tackles or more, and his five defensive touchdowns (four interception, one fumble recovery) were once good enough for a tie for the most in franchise history alongside Dennis Thurman. DaRon Bland matched both with his ridiculous five pick-sixes in 2023 and then surpassed both with a sixth in 2025.

Nevertheless, Coakley was a solid player for several years and undoubtedly deserves this title of the best in Cowboys history to wear No. 52.

Other Dallas Cowboys jersey honorees

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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Dexter Coakley owns one Dallas Cowboys record and used to own another

Other Dallas Cowboys jersey honorees

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