Welcome to the second entry in our series on the best player to wear every Dallas Cowboys jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
Our first winner, of course, came by default, as there's only been one player in the 65-plus-year history of America's Team to wear No. 0. But here at No. 1, we now have options. But before we get to our victor, let's first have a look at every Cowboys player who's worn the number over the years.
- Kerry Brady, K
- Efren Herrera, K
- Kelvin Joseph, CB
- Jayron Kearse, S
- P.J. Locke, S
- Mat McBriar, P
- Hunter Niswander, P
- Rafael Septien, K
- Jalen Tolbert, WR
- Ken Willis, K
- Cedrick Wilson Jr., WR
If we were looking at this like an Olympic podium, standing with the bronze medal would be kicker Effren Herrera, who was the second Mexican-born player to be drafted into the NFL and spent four of nine seasons in the league in Dallas from 1974 to 1977, earning First-Team All-Pro honors in that final year to help the Cowboys to their second Super Bowl victory.
The silver medal would go to kicker Rafael Septien, who came to the Cowboys in his second NFL season in 1978 to replace Herrera and remained with the team until being released in January 1987 after pleading guilty to a charge we will not get into here. At the time of his release, the one-time All-Pro was the franchise leader in scoring, and his 874 points are still good for second behind only Emmitt Smith's 986.
In the end, though, the gold medal goes to punter Mat McBriar, who's unequivocally one of the best punters in franchise history.
Mat McBriar was a borderline great punter for the Dallas Cowboys
A two-time All-WAC selection at the University of Hawai'i, McBriar went undrafted in 2003 but was signed by the Denver Broncos, who traded him during the preseason to the Seattle Seahawks, who then cut him before the regular season.
The Australian signed with the Cowboys' practice squad late in that 2003 season, earned the starting job in 2004, and held it until he left the team following the 2011 campaign.
In his eight full seasons in Dallas, McBriar was consistently among the league leaders in average yards per punt and twice led the NFL in that category, averaging 48.2 yards in 2006 and 47.9 in 2010, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl and a Second-Team All-Pro selection both years.
That '06 season included a 75-yard punt in a Week 5 win over the Houston Texans, which, at the time, was tied for the second-longest punt in Cowboys history behind only Ron Widby's 84-yard bomb in 1968. Bryan Anger moved into the second slot with an 83-yarder in 2022, but McBriar still sits in a tie for third alongside Billy Lothridge.
Of the 10 best single-season averages in Cowboys history, McBriar owns four of them, with five belonging to Anger, and the other belonging to another of the players you saw above to wear No. 1, Hunter Niswander. He's fourth in franchise history with 18,954 punt net yards, per Pro Football Reference.
Upon leaving the Cowboys, McBriar closed out his career with short stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the then-San Diego Chargers.
Other Dallas Cowboys jersey honorees
- No. 0: Well, there's literally only one option here
- 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
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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