Welcome once again to The Landry Hat's series covering the best Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
To kick off the second half of the 60s, we've got an intriguing entry here at No. 65, with the featured player being one who a little team history as a rookie and then went on to earn more Pro Bowl selections than any center in franchise history.
But before we break all that down, let's first have a look at every player who's worn No. 65 for America's Team over the years.
- Andre Gurode, G/C
- Robert Jones, G
- Ronald Leary, G
- Kurt Petersen, G
- Ray Schoenke, OL
- Dakoda Shepley, OT
- Tony Slaton, C
- Dave Stalls, DL
- Ron Stone, G
- Bob White, C/G
- John Wilbur, OL
As you can see, this particular number hasn't been used all that often, and outside of our pick, there's not a single Pro Bowl player on this list, at least not one who earned a selection while wearing a Dallas uniform.
Guard Ron Stone, who was with the Cowboys for two years in 1994 and 1995, helping the team to a title in the latter campaign, later earned three Pro Bowl nods, two with the New York Giants in 2000 and 2001 and another with the San Francisco 49ers in 2002.
But the lack of individual accolades certainly doesn't mean there aren't other solid players on this list, as guard Kurt Petersen started 66 games for the Cowboys during his six-season run with the club from 1980 to 1985, and fellow guard Ronald Leary played a part in the transition from Tony Romo to Dak Prescott, starting 47 games during his four-year run in Dallas from 2013 to 2016.
At the end of the day, though, the easy call here is Andre Gurode.
Andre Gurode's five Pro Bowl selections are tied for the most of any Dallas Cowboys center in history
A consensus All-American right guard at the University of Colorado in 2001, Gurode was taken by Dallas in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft with the 37th overall selection.
Moved to the middle of the offensive line by head coach Dave Campo, the 6-foot-4, 320-pounder became the first rookie in Cowboys history to start a season opener at center, only to be moved back to right guard later in the year to compensate, as the Dallas offensive line as a whole dealt with injury issues.
When Bill Parcells took over in 2003, he opted to keep Gurode at right guard, where he remained for two years before being moved back to center in 2005, only this time in a reserve role behind Al Johnson.
The Houston native beat out Johnson for the starting job in 2006, which is the same season Romo took over as QB1, and his career took off from there, as he was named to the Pro Bowl five consecutive times from 2006 to 2010, also earning Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2009.
Unfortunately, after undergoing left knee surgery during the 2011 offseason, which forced him to miss all of training camp and three of the Cowboys' four preseason games, he was released after failing to come to terms on a restructured contract and closed out his career with short stints with the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, and Oakland Raiders.
He later returned to Dallas in a coaching capacity, spending the 2019 season as a defensive assistant under Jason Garrett.
While other centers throughout Cowboys history may be more famous, as mentioned, not a single one of them earned more trips to the Pro Bowl than Gurode, with Travis Frederick being the only one to match his five. And that's why he was the easy call to take this title as the best player in Dallas history to wear No. 65.
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
- No. 57: Gets little credit for Super Bowl heroics
- No. 58: Was drafted under fascinating circumstances
- No. 59: Was a Bill Parcells (and fan) favorite
- No. 60: Played his final six seasons after being shot in the chest
- No. 61: One of the best undrafted players in NFL history
- No. 62: Helped bring back a forgotten formation
- No. 63: Doesn't get his 'Doomsday Defense' due
- No. 64: Is a member of a highly exclusive club
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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