5 Cowboys that deserve stronger Hall of Fame consideration

1. S Darren Woodson

After excelling as a sideline leader of the Miami Hurricanes, Jimmy Johnson was hired by new Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to be his first head coach after he purchased the franchise in 1989. It didn’t take Johnson long to figure out how the NFL works when it came to acquiring talent.

He became one of the best ever when it came to the draft process. Some would even say that the Pro Football Hall of Fame sideline leader may have been an even better evaluator of talent than he was a coach and that’s certainly saying something for a man who led Dallas to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1992 (XXVII) and 1993 (XXVIII).

One of his great selections was in the second round of the 1992 draft when he opted for Arizona State defender Darren Woodson. The physical performer was a tone setter of those defensive units. In 12 seasons with the franchise, the three-time Super Bowl champion amassed 100-plus tackles nine times. He totaled 23 interceptions, two of those thefts returned for scores and scooped up 11 fumbles. He also amassed 11.0 sacks and forced a dozen fumbles.

From 1994-98, Woodson was named to five straight Pro Bowls and in those first three years earned All-Pro accolades as well. He was a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist in 2023.