Welcome back once again to The Landry Hat's series highlighting the greatest Dallas Cowboys players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
We've hit the fifth entry of the 80s, and as luck would have it, we've got a five-time Pro Bowler to spotlight here at No. 84. But despite those accolades, this player still sometimes seems like a forgotten star of the Dallas dynasty of the early-to-mid 1990s, a dynasty that, of course, resulted in three Super Bowl victories.
But before we break everything down, let's first run through our usual routine of looking at every player who's worn No. 84 for America's Team over the years.
- Rich Borresen, TE
- Doug Cosbie, TE
- Patrick Crayton, WR
- Jean Fugett, TE
- Joey Galloway, WR
- James Hanna, TE
- Kelvin Harmon, WR
- Keith Jennings, TE
- Mike Lucky, TE
- Sean McKeon, TE
- Pettis Norman, TE
- Jay Novacek, TE
- Gary Wisener, DB
Just as picking the winner here was an easy call, so too was choosing the runner-up, an honor that goes to tight end Doug Cosbie, who got stuck in between the two Dallas dynasties but still put together a solid 10-year career, racking up 300 receptions for 3,728 yards and 30 touchdowns from 1979 to 1988, earning three Pro Bowl selections.
But the clear-cut call here, of course, is another tight end, that being the great Jay Novacek.
Jay Novacek earned five Pro Bowl selections and a pair of All-Pro nods in six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys
A First-Team All-WAC selection and a consensus All-American in 1984 at the University of Wyoming, where he also earned All-American honors in track and field in the decathlon, Novacek was taken by the then-St. Louis Cardinals in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL Draft with the 158th overall selection.
While he spent five years with the organization and was with the team upon its move to Arizona, the Cards simply never quite used him correctly, as the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder tallied just 83 receptions for 1,054 yards and eight touchdowns from 1985 to 1989.
Left unprotected in what was then called Plan B free agency, Novacek signed with the Cowboys ahead of the 1990 season and promptly had the best season of his career up to that point, catching 59 passes for 657 yards and four touchdowns.
And he only got better from there.
As Dallas became one of the top teams in the NFL, Novacek became one of the top tight ends in the league as well. In the five-season stretch from 1991 to 1995, the South Dakota native tallied 280 receptions, 172 of which went for first downs, for 2,919 yards and 18 touchdowns and earned five consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl and a pair of All-Pro selections, receiving Second-Team honors in 1991 and First-Team honors in 1992. And that was only during the regular season.
Appearing in 13 playoff games for Dallas, he ranks third in franchise postseason history in receptions with 62, fourth in receiving yards with 645, and third in receiving touchdowns with six. So, he got it done all the time, but his contributions often get overlooked, given the absurd amount of superstars on those teams, a list obviously highlighted by the famed "Triplets" trio of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin. Make no mistake about it, though; he was a big reason for the Cowboys' success.
Sadly, a degenerative disc in his back cut his career short. After missing the entire 1996 season, Novacek retired just ahead of training camp in 1997.
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
- No. 65: Is a forgotten five-time Pro Bowler
- No. 66: Stepped up when it mattered most
- No. 67: Belongs to an exclusive O-line club
- No. 68: Allowed the team to trade an all-time great
- No. 69: Was the largest player in his draft class
- No. 70: Will soon join the second-best in Canton
- No. 71: Went to high school with Barack Obama
- No. 72: Had the most appropriate nickname ever
- No. 73: The strongest player in NFL history
- No. 74: Was the first member of the Ring of Honor
- No. 75: Was consistently robbed of accolades
- No. 76: Highest offensive line draftee in Cowboys history
- No. 77: Has a historic connection to Jerry Jones
- No. 78: Isn't remembered for his Super Bowl heroics
- No. 79: Holds a unique piece of Super Bowl history
- No. 80: Helped America's Team make history
- No. 81: Was hated before coming to America's Team
- No. 82: Owns an absurd amount of franchise records
- No. 83: Was with Bill Parcells on two teams
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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