Welcome back to our series covering the greatest Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
We've seen a plethora of legendary players here in the 50s, and while we can't say we have that here at No. 57, as this particular number simply doesn't carry much historical significance for America's Team, we can at least say that we've got a Super Bowl champ in this slot, one who made a play in the Cowboys' first Big Game win over the Buffalo Bills that often gets forgotten.
But before we break things down, let's first have a look at everyone who's donned the digit for Dallas over the years.
- Kevin Burnett, LB
- Ron Burton, LB
- Victor Butler, LB
- Alan Campos, LB
- Quentin Coryatt, LB
- Kyle Davis, C
- Rashaan Evans, LB
- Luke Gifford, LB
- DeVonte Holloman, LB
- Bruce Huther, LB
- Buddy Johnson, LB
- Mike Keller, LB
- Angelo King, LB
- Louis Mackey, LB
- Jack Sanborn, LB
- Keith Smith, DB
- Vinson Smith, LB
- Jimmie Turner, LB
- Louie Walker, LB
- Malcolm Walker, C
- Damien Wilson, LB
- Barron Wortham, LB
As you can see, with all due respect to those who've sported No. 57, there aren't any genuinely high-profile players on this list.
When our runner-up is center Malcolm Walker, who spent four seasons in Dallas from 1966 to 1969 but only started 28 of his 47 games with the club before being traded to the Green Bay Packers, you kinda see what we're up against here.
Walker got a long look, but in the end, we opted to roll with linebacker Vinson Smith.
Vinson Smith helped the Dallas Cowboys to their first of three Super Bowl wins in the 1990s
After a solid collegiate career at East Carolina, Smith went unselected in the 1988 NFL Draft but signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent.
He appeared in just three regular-season games for Atlanta before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1989, only to have that campaign end before it ever got started after breaking his right foot during the preseason.
While the North Carolina native didn't have much experience, Dallas took a shot and signed him ahead of the 1990 season, and while he only made one defensive start at linebacker, he proved to be a valuable addition to the special teams unit, racking up 22 tackles in that capacity, good for the second-most on the team.
The 1991 season proved to be Smith's breakout year, as he started 12 of the 13 games in which he appeared at weakside linebacker and tallied 71 total tackles, good for the fifth-most on the team behind only Jack Del Rio (130), James Washington (113), Ken Norton Jr. (94), and Tony Tolbert. He also started one of the Cowboys' two postseason games.
Smith moved to strongside linebacker in 1992 and started 13 of 16 games, posting 69 total tackles, including his first career sack, in helping Dallas win its first division title in seven years. He also started all three playoff games, including the Super Bowl 27 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
As the Cowboys ultimately won that game in a walk by a score of 52-17, it's often easy to forget that the game was close for a little while. And with Dallas holding just a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter, the Bills put themselves in position to tie after Jim Kelly hit Andre Reed with a 40-yard pass that put Buffalo in a 1st-and-goal situation at the Dallas 4-yard line.
And after Carwell Gardner rushed for a 3-yard gain, the Bills had three downs to gain just a single yard for a score.
Now, what most people remember about that series is Norton standing up Kenneth Davis on third down and Thomas Everett intercepting Kelly on fourth down.
But what often gets lost is Thurman Thomas having almost a clear path to the end zone on second down before Smith swooped in and tripped him up, thus saving a touchdown and allowing Norton and Everett to make their respective plays.
That ultimately proved to be Smith's last game with the Cowboys, as he was traded to the Chicago Bears just ahead of the 1993 season. He spent four seasons in the Windy City before returning to Dallas for the 1997 campaign and then closed out his career by playing two years with the New Orleans Saints.
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
- No. 43: The true anchor of the 1970s Dallas defense
- No. 44: Wasn't the typical NFL fullback
- No. 45: Lost his job to a future Super Bowl MVP
- No. 46: Was on the wrong side of Super Bowl history
- No. 47: Was an HBCU star before a 7-year NFL career
- No. 48: Was beloved despite not posting big numbers
- No. 49: Was a solid pass blocker and special-teamer
- No. 50: Made an iconic quote about America's Team
- No. 51: Had a father who broke Muhammad Ali's jaw
- No. 52: Owns a little-known franchise record
- No. 53: Was part of the famed 'Dirty Dozen' draft
- No. 54: Owns a special piece of Super Bowl history
- No. 55: Has a special connection to Jerry Jones
- No. 56: Got stuck in between the Cowboys' two dynasties
This list will be updated daily until all 100 entries are complete, so please be sure to bookmark this page or check back in with The Landry Hat for updates.
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