The 10 best safeties in the history of the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys' commitment to building elite teams had led to many of the greatest players in NFL history making their names with the iconic star on the side of the helmet. The safety position may not be given the same level of publicity as other defensive spots, but Dallas keeps churning out the best of the best.

Few teams in NFL history can claim to have multiple players at the safety position in the Hall of Fame. Not only can Dallas check that box, but there's a high likelihood that more Cowboys deserve induction into Canton.

These 10 players have already set themselves apart as the best safeties in the history of the Cowboys. The newest crop of Cowboys defensive backs has quite a tall mountain to climb.

Criteria for selection

These safeties were chosen based on a combination of:

• Statistical Achievements
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

The top 10 safeties in Dallas Cowboys history

10. Ken Hamlin

Hamlin only played in Dallas for three seasons, but he is one of just a few players who made it to a pro Bowl on the back of a strong 2007 campaign. Hamlin, who was one of 13 Cowboys to make it to that game, proved to be a solid free agent signing after arriving in Dallas following a departure from Seattle.

Hamlin's legacy in Dallas is complicated. While he was one of the best tackling safeties of the 2000s, his six-year contract quickly proved to be one of the worst contracts in the league after he put pen to paper. The lows were low, but his peak is ultimately what puts the former Arkansas alum on the list.

9. George Teague

Teague's time in Dallas is remembered for one moment that didn't even happen during a live play, as he famously laid out Terrell Owens when the then-49ers receiver started to taunt the Cowboys on their midfield star. That overshadowed a more-than-respectable career in Dallas that lasted five seasons.

Teague never made a Pro Bowl, but he was on some terribly-coached Dave Campo teams. He did tally seven interceptions, 278 tackles, and six forced fumbles in his time with the Cowboys, however. Teague's time in Dallas would have been better if he had actual cohesive defensive structure around him.

8. Mike Gaetcher

Tom Landry's first few Cowboys teams were wretched, and very few players from that area managed to stick around when they got good. Gaetcher is one of the few holdovers, as his hard-hitting style of play is everything a former defensive back like Landry wanted to see from his safeties.

Gaetcher started 84 games and recorded 21 interceptions for Dallas, making his mark as one of the more feasrome tacklers of his era. While his prime was solid, an Achilles injury in 1969 ended his career right before Dallas was supposed to take off. Based on his prime, Gaetcher deserves a spot on this list.

7. Michael Downs

Downs never made a Pro Bowl, but the one-time All-Pro should have. A fixture on Landry's teams throughout the 1980s, Downs has 116 starts and 34 interceptions to his name. Together with one of the best cornerback tandems in league history in Everson Walls and Dennis Thurman, Downs created an elite secondary.

Among players who exclusively played safety, Downs' 34 picks ranked second in Cowboys history. Even as the Landry regime started to crumble around him, Downs remained extremely productive and consistent in the Dallas defensive backfield.

6. Cornell Green

Green has a legitimate Hall of Fame case, as he made five Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams in his 13-year career. Green never missed a game during that time, playing eight seasons as a cornerback and moving to safety for the last five years after Gaetcher retired.

Grading him just as safety, Green deserves to be high on this list. Green was a Pro Bowler twice at age 31 and 32, respectively. Green was the picture of consistency and excellence in the defensive backfield.

Green, the younger brother of Red Sox infielder Pumpsie Green, was a basketball player drafted by the NBA's Chicago Zephyrs in 1962. He never played a down in college football, but the 6-3 safety was a premium athlete who became one of the great Cowboys ever.

5. Charlie Waters

Another ironman who played every game except for his 1979 injury mulligan, Waters was a Pro Bowler every year between 1976 and 1978. One of the greatest winners in NFL History, Waters never suffered through a losing season in his time with the Cowboys.

Waters and Cliff Harris formed one of the greatest safety tandems in NFL history, and there's a case to be made for them being at the top of the list. With two rings to his name, Waters was a key cog in the "Doomsday" defense that reversed Dallas' run of bad luck in the playoffs.

Dallas' No. 41 may not be a Hall of Fame player, but he is a first ballot Hall of Very Good name. His 41 interceptions rank third in Cowboys history and first among players who played most of their career at safety.

4. Roy Williams

Nope, this isn't the former Lions receiver who couldn't catch a cold in Alaska barefoot when he was in Dallas. This is a Pro Bowl safety who remains one of the greatest injury "what-ifs" in Cowboys history. Williams made five consecutive Pro Bowls between the 2003 and 2007 seasons, narrowly missing out on Defensive Player of the Year in '03.

Williams tallied 17 interceptions and 6.5 sacks in his first six years with the Cowboys, all while making a name for himself as a hard-hitting veteran who took no prisoners for a hard-nosed coach like Bill Parcells.

Between a falling out with Wade Phillips and conseuctive forearm injuries for Dallas and Cincinnati limiting him to just seven games in a two-year span, Williams' career was cut short. He's as high as he is because of his prime, as he was arguably the best non-Brian Dawkins safety in the NFC during this time.

3. Mel Renfro

Renfro could be No. 1 on this list based on his combined exploits as a cornerback and safety. However, even looking only at the five years in which the Hall of Fame defensive back played safety before he moved to cornerback to prolong his career, Renfro is clearly one of the best to ever do it in Cowboys history.

Renfro's first five seasons in the league were spent at safety, and he made the Pro Bowl in all of them. Renfro amassed 21 interceptions in those five years and was twice named an All-Pro player. His best years would come after moving to cornerback in 1969, but going five-for-five in Pro Bowl nods after playing running back in college is impressive.

2. Cliff Harris

Anyone with a trophy named after them has to have been an amazing athlete. The D-II and below best defensive player in the country wins the Cliff Harris Award, as the former Ouachita Baptist star has a resume that deservedly put him in the hallowed halls of Canton after defining Tom Landry's defense.

Harris only played 10 years in the NFL, but he made the Pro Bowl in each of his final six seasons. He was a first-team All-Pro player three times and teamed with Waters to win two Super Bowls under Landry's watch.

Harris didn't get in the Hall of Fame until 2020, which was long overdue. Picking between him and No. 1 was a toss-up and it can be easily argued he was more deserving.

1. Darren Woodson

Any list of best players not in the Hall of Fame will certainly include Woodson on it. Woodson may be in the same situation that Bob Kuechenberg of the 70s Dolphins and Andy Russell of the 70s Steelers are in. Some voters might be hesitant to put in every player from dynastic teams, which leaves Woodson on the outside looking in.

Woodson played his entire 11-year career with the Cowboys, starting almost every game on teams that won three Super Bowls in four years. Woodson made five Pro Bowls in a row between 1994 and 1998, making First-Team All-Pro in three of those seasons.

One factor workign against Woodson is the fact many of his best years came after the Cowboys dynasty ended. However, his production and championship pedigree should be more than enough for him to slide into Canton.

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