10 greatest Dallas Cowboys of all time

9. Mel Renfro, CB

He’s the second gentleman on the right and to the left of wide receiver Charlie Joiner. And that would make sense considering Cowboys’ cornerback Mel Renfro was usually close to a pass-catcher during his 14 seasons in the National Football League. And the 10-time Pro Bowler (all in his first 10 years in the league) obviously had the gift of grab during his impressive career with Tom Landry’s well-schooled club.

In a total of 174 regular-season games, the former University of Oregon standout picked off 52 passes and also recovered 13 fumbles. Renfro was the 17th overall pick in 1964, which in those days was a second-round selection. He was also drafted in the 10th round by the AFL’s Oakland Raiders. As a rookie, the speedy performer led the NFL in both punt returns and kickoff returns. And during his stay in Irving, he appeared in 21 postseason contests, picked off four passes and recovered another fumble.

“My whole game was beating the man in front of me…, explained Renfro (via the Pro Football Hall of Fame). It was a matter of studying the opponent as well as you can and knowing the tendencies. You had to have the speed, agility and quickness to get the job done.”