Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor

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The Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor (RoH) is a ring that formerly existed around Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas and currently around AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which honors former players, coaches and club officials who made outstanding contributions to the Dallas Cowboys football organization. In 1993, Jerry Jones said the Ring of Honor "stands for the men who built this franchise and had it called America's team" [1]

The Ring of Honor at Texas Stadium DallascowboysRoH.jpg
The Ring of Honor at Texas Stadium

The Ring of Honor was created by Tex Schramm and began on November 23, 1975, which was designated in Dallas as Bob Lilly Day. On that day, the team held the first Cowboys reunion and unveiled Lilly's name and jersey number (74) beneath the press box during half time. As the first honoree, Lilly (who had retired from the NFL in July 1975 after 14 years) donned his Cowboy uniform once more and graciously accepted the honor, along with numerous other gifts, which included a car, a gun and a hunting dog. Also present at the event were Cowboys owner Clint Murchison, president/general manager Tex Schramm and Head Coach Tom Landry. As the first inductee, Lilly has the distinction of returning to present each new member into the RoH. Only nine players received the honor during the first three decades of the Cowboys existence, making the RoH a coveted achievement, true to the dream envisioned by Schramm, who became the 12th person selected to the Ring of Honor; the award was given posthumously in October 2003, a few months after he died. [2]

In 2005, three former Cowboys all-stars were simultaneously inducted during half time ceremonies on Monday Night Football . Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin, known as "The Triplets", were part of the 1990s Three-Time Super Bowl Championship Cowboys team. [3]

Ring of Honor inductees have been chosen by the former president-general manager, Tex Schramm and then by owner Jerry Jones. Schramm set a precedent by placing a high value on the character of the inductees. There was controversy over the selection of Michael Irvin due to his drug charges. [4]

On November 1, 2015 Darren Woodson became the 21st member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. [5]

In 2017, the Ring of Honor was extended when the walkway was built with the former players' numbers in front of Ford Center, Cowboys' indoor practice facility. [6]

On November 29, 2018, Gil Brandt became the 22nd member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. [7]

On October 29, 2023, DeMarcus Ware became the 23rd member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. [8]

On December 30, 2023, Jimmy Johnson became the 24th member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. [9]

In total, the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor includes 20 players, two executives, and two head coaches.

Inductees

The names of Aikman, Smith and Irvin before being inducted. DallascowboysRoHNew.jpg
The names of Aikman, Smith and Irvin before being inducted.
Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist [10]
Inducted or Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
No.NamePosition Years With ClubInducted
74 Bob Lilly DT1961–1974November 23, 1975
17 Don Meredith QB1960–1968November 7, 1976
43 Don Perkins FB1961–1968November 7, 1976
54 Chuck Howley LB1961–1973October 30, 1977
20 Mel Renfro CB1964–1977October 25, 1981
12 Roger Staubach QB1969–1979October 9, 1983
55 Lee Roy Jordan LB, C1963–1976October 29, 1989
— Tom Landry Head Coach1960–1988November 7, 1993
33 Tony Dorsett RB1977–1987October 9, 1994
54 Randy White DT, LB, DE1975–1988October 9, 1994
22 Bob Hayes WR1965–1974September 23, 2001
— Tex Schramm General Manager1960–1989October 12, 2003
43 Cliff Harris S1970–1979October 10, 2004
70 Rayfield Wright OT1967–1979October 10, 2004
8 Troy Aikman QB1989–2000September 19, 2005
88 Michael Irvin WR1988–1999September 19, 2005
22 Emmitt Smith RB1990–2002September 19, 2005
88 Drew Pearson WR1973–1983November 6, 2011
94 Charles Haley DE1992–1996November 6, 2011
73 Larry Allen OG, OT1994–2005November 6, 2011
28 Darren Woodson S1992–2004November 1, 2015
— Gil Brandt VP Player Personnel1960–1988November 29, 2018
94 DeMarcus Ware LB2005–2013October 29, 2023
— Jimmy Johnson Head Coach1989–1993December 30, 2023

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References

  1. ↑ "1993 Tom Landry Inducted into RIng of Honor - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-01-03.[ dead YouTube link ]
  2. ↑ "The Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor". TheCowboysGuide.com. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  3. ↑ Davis, Brian (2005-09-15). "'Triplets' head into Ring of Honor". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  4. ↑ Luska, Frank (2000-07-22). "Irvin doesn't meet Ring's standards". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
  5. ↑ Helman, David (2015-11-01). "As He Enters The Ring Of Honor, Darren Woodson Turns Focus To Teammates". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  6. ↑ Cowboys Finest (2017-08-31), Special Edition: Scandrick Proving Age is not a Factor | Dallas Cowboys , retrieved 2017-09-01
  7. ↑ Drummond, K. D. (November 2, 2018). "Gil Brandt to become 22nd member of Cowboys Ring of Honor". Cowboys Wire. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  8. ↑ "DeMarcus Ware inducted into the Ring of Honor". DallasCowboys.com. October 29, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  9. ↑ Dixon, Schuyler (December 30, 2023). "Jimmy Johnson joins Cowboys' ring of honor 30 years after ugly split with Jerry Jones". AP News. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  10. ↑ Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists by Year

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