The Dallas Cowboys are obviously one of the most
popular franchises in the National Football League for a reason. The
team established a tradition of winning under legendary head coach Tom
Landry and that tradition survived the transition to Jimmy Johnson
during the early 1990s. Through the years not only have the Cowboys
teams been popular and fan favorites, the Cowboys quarterbacks have
also received more than their fair share of attention as well. Let's
take a look at the Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks through the years.
The 1960s
The
franchise was born in 1960 as an NFL expansion team and at the starting
quarterback position was veteran quarterback Eddie LeBaron. After a few
years, backup quarterback "Dandy" Don Meredith emerged to become the
regular starter. He was popular with the fans and would stay at the
helm of the team until a strong armed youngster was able to get his
chance at the end of the decade.
The 1970s
All
through the 1970s, Roger Staubach was the face of the Dallas Cowboys
and was a key reason the team became successful on the field. Staubach
had a reputation as a good person of high quality to go along with his
tremendous athletic ability. It was a sad day following the 1979 season
when "Roger The Dodger" announced his retirement and the team turned
its quarterbacking duties over to of all people... a punter.
The 1980s
Danny
White had been the backup quarterback to Staubach for a number of years
and during that time also served as the team's punter. This made the
Cowboys a dangerous team when he emerged as the starter in 1981 because
when it was fourth down, no one was ever sure if they were going to go
for it or actually punt the ball. In the mid 1980s a quarterback
controversy developed in Dallas when young Gary Hogeboom joined the
team. This controversy didn't last long as Hogeboom eventually moved on
to the Colts and the Cowboys drafted a new young quarterback who would
get a shot at starting, Steve Pelleur. The end of the decade saw what
some believe to be the unceremonious dumping of the legendary Tom
Landry and the hiring of the brash Jimmy Johnson. Many other changes
came to the team and a new starting quarterback was just one of them as
rookie Troy Aikman would helm the squad to a 1-15 record in 1989.
The 1990s
Aikman
would eventually lead a team featuring other star players including
running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin to win three
Super Bowl victories in four years. Many football experts have called
this mid 1990s Dallas Cowboys teams one of the best teams in history.
Aikman would remain at the helm through the rest of the decade and
though they didn't return to the big game, they were always considered
a team that others had to worry about.
The 2000s
Following
one season in the new decade, Troy Aikman would call it a career too
and fade into the memories of the past. For the first time in team
history, there wasn't a clean transition when it came to the Cowboys
starting quarterback after Troy Aikman's retirement. The Cowboys tried
Quincy Carter, Anthony Wright, Ryan Leaf, Clint Stoerner, Chad
Hutchinson, Vinny Testaverde, Drew Henson, and Drew Bledsoe at starting
quarterbacks from 2001 through 2006 before finding Tony Romo who would
be their next quarterback to start consistently.
Because the
Dallas Cowboys are one of the most popular teams in the history of the
NFL, the starting quarterback for the team has also consistently been
one of the more popular players. Playing quarterback for the Cowboys is
similar to playing shortstop for the New York Yankees or center for the
Los Angeles Lakers, most people know exactly who the person playing
that position is even if they aren't a big sports fan themselves.
Watching the evolution of the quarterbacks of the Dallas Cowboys will
continue to fascinating as the years go by, without a doubt there will
be more great ones to come.
