MVN: Most Valuable Network

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.

The NFL in 1977 reduced the number of rounds in the draft from 17 to 12. The 1977 draft for the Cowboys is best remembered for the selection of Tony Dorsett with the number two overall pick. The Cowboys also struck gold (or perhaps silver) by taking Stanford wide receiver Tony Hill in the third round.

Round	Name	Pos.	College	Career
1	Tony Dorsett	RB	Pittsburgh	Dallas 1977-1987; Denver 1988
2	Glenn Carano	QB	UNLV	Dallas 1978-1983
3	Tony Hill	WR	Stanford	Dallas 1977-1986
3	Val Belcher	G	Houston	n/a
4	Guy Brown	LB	Houston	Dallas 1977-1982
5	Andy Frederick	T	New Mexico	Dallas 1977-1981; Cleveland 1982; Chicago 1983-1985
6	Jim Cooper	T	Temple	Dallas 1977-1986
7	Dave Stalls	DE	Northern Colorado	Dallas 1977-1979; Tampa Bay 1980-1983; Raiders 1983, 1985
8	Al Cleveland	DE	Pacific	n/a
8	Fred Williams	RB	Arizona State	n/a
9	Mark Cantrell	C	North Carolina	n/a
10	Steve DeBerg	QB	San Jose State	San Francisco 1978-1980; Denver 1981-1983; Tampa Bay 1984-1987; Kansas City 1988-1991; Tampa Bay 1992-1993; Miami 1993; Atlanta 1998
11	Don Wardlow	TE	Washington	n/a
12	Greg Peters	G	California	n/a

Jim Cooper became the starting right tackle for the Cowboys, though he was quite a step down from the likes of Ralph Neely. Carano, Brown, Frederick, and Stalls each served as backups in Dallas.

Most forget that the Cowboys drafted DeBerg in 1977. He played in San Francisco prior to the arrival of Joe Montana, then he moved to Denver, where he played prior to the arrival of John Elway. His third stop was in Tampa Bay-- prior to the arrival of Vinny Testaverde-- before landing in Kansas City.





My grade: A. For once, I am not going to be harsh about a draft. After the 1977 season, the Cowboys needed a running back and could use another wide receiver. They got both through the draft.

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.

The Cowboys played without a lead running back during both the 1975 and 1976 seasons. Although the team had successful seasons, the lack of a consistently effective running game eventually hurt the team.

In the weeks prior to the 1977 draft, Tony Dorsett's agent let the Seattle Seahawks know that Dorsett had no interest in playing in Seattle. Seattle began to shop is number two overall pick around, and the team that became the principal focus of the trade was the Dallas Cowboys. According to a Sports Illustrated article:

Meanwhile, Seattle General Manager John Thompson made two proposals to the Cowboys. The first involved some Dallas draft choices and Linebacker Randy White. "The Cowboys bounced that back faster than we could spit it out," Thompson says. The second was the deal that eventually was made. The Dallas general manager, Tex Schramm, was euphoric about landing Dorsett. "Dorsett is the outstanding back to come out of college since maybe O. J. Simpson," he said. "He doesn't have O.J.'s size, but there's no reason why he shouldn't be as successful as Simpson." Then Schramm talked like a businessman.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held the number one overall pick and took Ricky Bell. With the number two pick, Dallas got Dorsett. Seattle picked up nobody of significance with four Cowboys picks obtained for the number two pick overall.

The trade made the list as one of the Top Ten Draft Trades of all time.





We will cover the 1977 draft shortly.

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.

The Cowboys were once again in a dogfight with the Redskins and Cardinals for the NFC East title in 1976. The Cowboys started at 6-1, while the other two teams began the season at 5-2.

The Cowboys had to open the second half of the season by traveling to Washington. A win there would be important for Dallas to secure its first NFC East title since 1973.

Week 8: Dallas 20, Washington 7

Dallas record: 7-1

The Cowboys held the Redskins to only 146 yards en route to a 20-7 win. Dallas ran the ball 49 times, let by Doug Dennison with 21 carries for 49 yards.

The win marked the first for Dallas at RFK Stadium since 1971.

Week 9: Dallas 9, N.Y. Giants 3

Dallas record: 8-1

The Cowboys could only manage a 3-3 tie at halftime against the winless Giants. However, two Efren Herrera field goals gave Dallas the 9-3 win.

Week 10: Dallas 17, Buffalo 10

Dallas record: 9-1

In the Cowboys' only appearance on Monday Night Football, they beat the Bills, 17-10. Drew Pearson had nine receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown for Dallas. The starting quarterback for the Bills? Gary Marangi, who was subbing for Joe Ferguson.

Week 11: Atlanta 17, Dallas 10

Dallas record: 9-2

The Cowboys allowed 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, as the Falcons pulled out a come-from-behind win over Dallas. Several defensive penalties hurt the Cowboys, who held on to a one-game lead over St. Louis despite the loss. Scott Laidlaw had 15 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Week 12: Dallas 19, St. Louis 14

Dallas record: 10-2

The Cowboys held a 19-7 lead in the fourth quarter, but the "Cardiac Cardinals" were known for their comebacks in 1976. With 48 seconds left, St. Louis had the ball at the Dallas 13 and only trailed the Cowboys 19-14. However, the Dallas defense held strong, and when Jim Hart's pass thrown in the direction of Mel Gray flew over the receiver's head, the Cowboys had their tenth win of the season.

Hollywood Henderson recorded a safety by blocking a punt out of the end zone.

Week 13: Dallas 26, Philadelphia 7

Dallas record: 11-2

The Cowboys scored a safety in consecutive games when Aaron Kyle blocked a punt out of the back of the end zone. Roger Staubach completed 23 of 40 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown in the 26-7 win for Dallas. By beating the Eagles, the Cowboys secured the NFC East title.

Week 14: Washington 27, Dallas 14

Dallas record: 11-3

In a meaningless game for Dallas, the Cowboys looked sloppy against the Redskins. Roger Staubach only completed five of 22 passes for 91 yards. Still, Dallas led 14-13 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Cowboys watched the Redskins scored 14 unanswered points in the final quarter.

Coming Up...

The Cowboys face the Rams in the opening round of the playoffs.

More Resources

Box Scores (Pro-Football-Reference)

DMN Stories

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.

The 1975 Cowboys had entered the season with few expectation beyond mediocrity. They ended up in the Super Bowl. The 1976 Cowboys, by comparison, were expected to compete for the title. Complete with their red, white, and blue helmet stripes (shown on Larry Cole's helmet above), the Cowboys had the makings of a Super Bowl contender.

Except at running back. Preston Pearson, Doug Dennison, and Robert Newhouse shared the backfield duties, but none of the three rushed for as many as 600 yards in 1976. This weakness really hurt in the playoffs.

This was certainly not a problem during the regular season, though, as the Cowboys won their first five en route to a 6-1 record midway through the regular season.

Week 1: Dallas 27, Philadelphia 7

Dallas record: 1-0

The Cowboys roared out to a 27-0 lead on two Roger Staubach passes to Drew Pearson and Golden Richards, along with a run by Doug Dennison. The Eagles, led by the immortal Mike Boryla, turned the ball over five times.

The win marked the first appearance by backup Danny White, who completed five of seven passes for 25 yards.

Week 2: Dallas 24, New Orleans 6

Dallas record: 2-0

Scott Laidlaw rushed for two touchdowns as the Cowboys bombed in the Saints. New Orleans managed only 163 yards in total offense.

Week 3:  Dallas 30, Baltimore 27

Dallas record: 3-0

In a seesaw matchup against a good Colts team, Efren Herrera's field goal with  three seconds left was the difference in the game. Golden Richards caught two touchdowns in the win, with one of the touchdown throws coming from Drew Pearson. Baltimore held a 24-20 lead in the fourth quarter until Roger Staubach hit Billy Joe Dupree on a 38-yard TD pass with 3:27 left. Baltimore tied the game, but the Cowboys drove 53 yards in the final 23 seconds, thanks to a Baltimore pass interference penalty, setting up Herrera's game-winning field goal.

Week 4:  Dallas 28, Seattle 13

Dallas record: 4-0

The Cowboys faced the expansion Seattle Seahawks, who featured a former Cowboy castoff at quarterback named Jim Zorn. Zorn threw two first-half touchdowns to give the Seahawks a surprising 13-0 lead, but it didn't last. Roger Staubach threw two touchdowns to give the Cowboys a 14-13 lead at the half, and touchdown runs by Robert Newhouse and Charley Young put the game away for Dallas.

Week 5: Dallas 24, New York Giants 14

Dallas record: 5-0

Giant quarterback Craig Morton continued to struggle against his former team. The Cowboys jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half, and despite a minor Giant comeback in the second half, Dallas held on for its fifth straight.

Week 6: St. Louis 21, Dallas 17

Dallas record: 5-1

Big plays for the Cardinals killed the Cowboys in week 6. Jim Hart hit Mel Gray on two  touchdown passes, including a 17-yarder in the fourth quarter that gave St. Louis a 21-10 lead. Dallas forced four turnovers, but the big plays were too much to overcome.

Week 7: Dallas 31, Chicago 21

Dallas record: 6-1

The Cowboys held rookie Walter Payton to 41 yards on 17 carries in a 31-21 Dallas win. Roger Staubach injured his finger in the win, meaning that Danny White got to see extended action. White threw two touchdowns in relief, including a six-yard TD to Preston Pearson in the fourth quarter.

Coming Up...

The Cowboys roll to the NFC East title.

More Resources

Box Scores (Pro-Football-Reference)

DMN Stories

Round	Name	Pos.	College	Career
1	Aaron Kyle	DB	Wyoming	Dallas 1976-1979; Denver, 1980- 1982
2	Jim D. Jensen	RB	Iowa	Dallas 1976; Denver, 1977, 1979- 1980; Green Bay 1981-1982
2	Jim Eidsen	G	Mississippi St.	Dallas 1976
3	Duke Fergerson	WR	San Diego St.	Seattle 1977-1979; Buffalo 1980
3	John Smith	RB	Boise State	n/a
3	Butch Johnson	WR	Cal.-Riverside	Dallas 1976-1983; Denver 1984- 1985
4	Tom Rafferty	C	Penn State	Dallas 1976-1989
5	Wally Pesuit	G	Kentucky	Atlanta 1976; Miami 1977-1978; Detroit 1979-1980
6	Greg McGuire	T	Indiana	n/a
7	Greg Schaum	DE	Michigan State	Dallas 1976; New England 1978
7	Dave Williams	RB	Colorado	San Francisco 1977-1978; Chicago 1979-1981
8	Henry Laws	DB	South Carolina	n/a
9	Beasley Reece	DB	North Texas	Dallas 1976; New York Giants 1977-1983; Tampa Bay 1983-1984
10	Leroy Cook	DE	Alabama	n/a
11	Cornelius Greene	QB	Ohio State	n/a
12	Charles McShane	LB	Cal. Lutheran	Seattle 1977-1979
13	Mark Driscoll	QB	Colorado State	n/a
14	Larry Mushinskie	TE	Nebraska	n/a
15	Dale Curry	LB	UCLA	n/a
16	Rick Costanzo	T	Nebraska	n/a
17	Stan Woodfill	K	Oregon	n/a

 

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.

The Cowboys have not only been to eight Super Bowls, they have also held a lead in every Super Bowl in which they have played. Against the Steelers in Super Bowl X, the Cowboys held a 10-7 lead heading into fourth quarter. Roy Gerela missed two field goals, including one on a drive that featured Lynn Swann's most famous catch, a 53-yarder featured in the shot below.

Everyone for the Cowboys began to unravel in the fourth quarter. With 11:28 left in the game, Reggie Harrison blocked Mitch Hoopes' punt out of the back of the end zone, giving the Steelers a safety. Gerela hit two field goals, giving Pittsburgh a 15-10 lead. 

With 3:02 left in the game, Pittsburgh hit on its biggest play of the game when Terry Bradshaw hit Swann on a 64-yard bomb for a touchdown. It marked Swann's fourth catch of the game.

Trailing 21-10 (thanks to Gerela missing an extra point), Staubach went back to work. He moved the Cowboys 80 yards in just five plays and hit backup Percy Howard (a one-hit wonder-- literally-- who caught the only pass of his career in the Super Bowl). When Chuck Noll elected to run the ball instead of punt with 1:28 left in the game and the ball at the Dallas 41, the Cowboys got a chance.

Staubach went to work with 1:22 left in the game. Here is a clip of those final 82 seconds:

 

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.

A little bit less than a year ago, I discovered a video clip yesterday showing a documentary of Super Bowl X, played in 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Here is the description:

A behind-the-scenes documentary about the events and personalities surrounding Superbowl X in Miami between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys. Features intimate portraits of the players and the CBS personnel who broadcast the events of Superbowl week. Produced with multiple lightweight video cameras in TVTV style, it is both informative and revealing of the extremes surrounding football culture and hype.

I posted these clips before, but I think it is appropriate to repost these as part of the 50 Seasons Series.

1. Tight End Jean Fugett Interviews Several Players

Here, you can see Jean Fugett interview Rayfield Wright, Too Tall Jones, Harvey Martin, and Billy Joe Dupree.

 

 

2. John Fitzgerald Interview

This clip features an interview with center John Fitzgerald, who discusses playing with injuries.

 

 

3. Ralph Neely Interview

This interview with Ralph Neely is especially interesting. He discusses his business life, which was quite separate from his football life.

 

At the end of the video, you can also see a short interview with Larry Cole.

With the win, the Cowboys were set to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at the Orange Bowl in Miami on January 18, 1976.

More References

Box Score

DMN: Dallas Paints LA in Cowboy Blue