Top 10 All-Time Greatest Dallas Cowboys Defensive Backs

The irony that the Dallas Cowboys appeared so desperate to land Earl Thomas as a free agent this summer stems from the fact that the franchise has a rich history of greatness at the defensive back position. There has been a long drought, particularly at safety, which has had Cowboys fans up in arms for more than a decade. The current Dallas Cowboys team hopes that Xavier Woods and Byron Jones are able to take the secondary to the next step and achieve the same level of success as their Super Bowl winning predecessors. The following list ranks who among those predecessors make up the top 10 Dallas Cowboys greatest DB’s in franchise history.

10. ROY WILLIAMS 2002-2008

Roy Williams was a notoriously hard hitter who became the reason that there exists a “horse-collar” tackle rule in the NFL today.  He exploded unto the scene as a rookie and was named to 5 straight Pro-Bowls including All-Pro honors in 2003. He was at his best as a box safety and although he began his career on a hall of fame trajectory, his drop off was swift and dramatic.  Partially due to the horse-collar rule change, changes in the defensive scheme, various injuries, and his deficiencies in coverage, he was unceremoniously released in 2009.

9.CHARLIE WATERS 1970-1981

Charlie Waters made the NFL All Rookie team in 1970 as a safety, but then struggled for several years while playing cornerback. He became an All-Pro when he moved back to safety and combined with Cliff Harris to form a formidable duo. In total he was named All-Pro twice while earning Pro-Bowl recognition 3x’s. He recorded 44 career INT’s in the regular season and also set an NFL record with 9 post season INT’s,

8. TERENCE NEWMAN 2003-2011

The ageless wonder, Terence Newman has enjoyed a long and illustrious career long after his time with the Dallas Cowboys concluded.  During his time in Dallas he was one of the more underappreciated defensive backs in Cowboys history. He was by far the teams top corner during his tenure.  He recorded 32 INt’s during his Cowboys career and joined Everson Walls as the only players to lead the Cowboys in INT’s in 5 different seasons. He made the Pro-Bowl twice while donning the silver star on his helmet.

7. CORNELL GREEN 1962-1974

Cornell Green enjoyed a stellar career with 5 Pro-Bowls to his name along with 4 All-Pro nods. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1962 for his exceptional play at corner back. After a few years at cornerback, he then moved to safety and became a Pro-Bowler at both positions. Green was a fluid athlete and the former college basketball player finished his career with 34 INT’s.

6. KEVIN SMITH 1992-2000

Kevin Smith was one of the more underrated players on the Dallas dynasty of the 90’s. He quietly became one of the best lock down corners in the league but never made a single pro-bowl. Although, he was recognized as an All-Pro following the 1996 season after returning from a torn ACL injury suffered the previous year. Smith earned the starting role on a team with a deep and talented secondary late in his rookie season and he helped the Cowboys win a Super Bowl title. The following year he led the team with 6 INT’s and established himself as one of the leagues best corners. He was often avoided by opposing teams that were reluctant to throw his way and that is one of the main reasons that he never got the recognition that he deserved. Injuries also played a role in limiting his career but there is no doubt in my mind that at his best, Kevin Smith was among the Dallas Cowboys greatest DB’s of all time.

5. EVERSON WALLS 1981-1989

Everson Walls is one of the greatest ball hawks to have ever played in the NFL. He led the league in interceptions 3x’s, and had 57 career INT’s (44 during his career with the Cowboys). Walls is also a Super Bowl champion but unfortunately he won that title with the division rival NY Giants after he was released by then rookie head coach Jimmy Johnson.

4. DEION SANDERS 1995-1999

Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, a.k.a “Prime Time”, is the most electrifying athlete of his time. He played both football and baseball professionally and is the only athlete to have ever appeared in both the world series and the Super Bowl. Sanders made the Pro-bowl 4 times during his stint with the Cowboys. He played cornerback in Dallas but was also featured on special teams and offense. He helped the Cowboys win SuperBowl XXX in his first season in Dallas. “Neon Deion” is arguably the greatest cover corner in the history of the game, but his Dallas Cowboys career was brief which impacts his ranking on this list.

3. CLIFF HARRIS 1970-1979

Cliff Harris, along with his counterpart Charlie Waters, is one of a select group of Dallas Cowboys players to play on both Super Bowl winning teams in the 70’s. Harris enjoyed a distinguished career earning 6 consecutive Pro-Bowl honors, and he was also a 6x All-Pro. Cliff Harris was a bone crushing hitter at free safety who also had a knack for making plays. He returned kicks earlier in his career in addition to playing defense.

2. DARREN WOODSON 1992-2004

Darren Woodson enjoyed a Hall of Fame caliber career with the Dallas Cowboys. The 3x Super Bowl champion was named to 5 Pro-Bowls along with being a 4x First-team All-Pro selection. Woodson was buried on a deep and talented depth chart earlier in his career but rose to super stardom upon earning the starting strong safety job. A punishing hitter in addition to being exceptional in coverage, he was one of the most versatile Dallas Cowboys DB’s in franchise history. He was also a team leader who was well respected in the locker room. The Dallas Cowboys have not had a similar presence at the safety position since the all-time franchise leader in tackles retired following the 2004 season.

1. MEL RENFRO 1965-1977

Mel Renfro is a current NFL Hall of Famer who amassed several individual awards throughout his career including 10 Pro-Bowl selections, 7 All-Pro honors, and a Pro Bowl Defensive MVP award in 1971. He is the Dallas Cowboys career interception leader with 52 and won 2 Super Bowls with the team in 1972 and 1978. Renfro was an amazing athlete who played RB in college. He also returned kicks and even lead the league in return yardage. He excelled at both safety and cornerback and became a Pro-Bowler and All-Pro at both positions. There have been many great defensive backs in the history of “America’s Team” but Mel Renfro tops the list of Dallas Cowboys greatest DB’s of all-time.

*Photo by Jeri Coli https://www.dreamstime.com/editorial-stock-photo-deion-sanders-dallas-cowboys-former-cornerback-image-taken-color-slide-image69179003

**Photo by Jeri Coli https://www.dreamstime.com/editorial-stock-image-mel-renfro-dallas-cowboys-db-image-taken-color-slide-image73860939

All data and statistics obtained and verified from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

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