Cowboys dominate list of 51 best HBCU alum to play in NFL

The Dallas Cowboys. thanks primarily to Gil Brandt, were leaders when it came to being innovative in where they would look to find players. Brandt didn’t limit his search to football players, rather he searched other sports such as track and field, basketball and more. He didn’t only look where no one thought of looking, he looked where they refused to as well.

The Cowboys entered the NFL in 1960, the same year the AFL was founded, creating a rivalry for collegiate players. After the NFL had banned Black players for 13 seasons, integration was still very slow to return to the league as major college programs didn’t recruit Black players very often. To make matters worse, NFL teams would rarely if ever scout HBCU programs, which all of the best talent ended up going to. Historically Black Colleges and Universities had the nation’s best talent, but they had no avenue to the league.

The AFL didn’t have the same issues and the competition for talent led the NFL to loosen their unwritten mandates. The Cowboys, of course, weren’t a part of that past. Brandt had no such reservations and wasn’t afraid to challenge the norms, so when looking back at the best HBCU players to get a shot in the NFL, it’s no shocker the Cowboys have 7 of the top 51 players identified by Touchdown Wire.

51. WR Jimmy Smith - Jackson State

Photo by Preston Mack-USA TODAY Sports (©) Copyright 2005 by Preston Mack

The eighth member of the list, Smith is a sore subject for Cowboys fans. He could've been the longtime compliment to Michael Irvin, but Jimmy Johnson didn't wait on his development and he was cut after not getting much chance beyond special teams and injuries. He went on to make five Pro Bowls with the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars.

41. OL Erik Williams - Central State

(AP Photo/Fred Jewell)

If it weren’t for a car accident, Williams had a chance to be known as the greatest offensive lineman in Cowboys history. He’s still one of the best, making four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro squads. Big E actually won a Player of the Week award as an offensive lineman for his work against future Hall of Famer Reggie White in a 1992 contest. Williams had a Career AV of 82 over 141 games with the Cowboys. Williams was our No. 34 ranked Cowboys player of all time.

40. DT Jethro Pugh - Elizabeth City State

(AP Photo)

Pugh spent his entire 14-year career with the Cowboys, starting 156 of his 183 games played. Suffered from being in the shadow of more well-known stars, Pugh never made a Pro Bowl in his career, though he ranks high on Dallas’ all-time sack list with 95.5. He led the team in sacks for five straight seasons at one point. He was a part of two Super Bowl championship squads and at the time retired with a league-record 23 playoff games. His Career AV was 97. Pugh was our No. 49 ranked Cowboys player of all time.

37. OT Rayfield Wright - Fort Valley State

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Wright played 13 seasons for Dallas, earning three All-Pro selections after appearing in five Super Bowls as a starting right tackle, victorious in two. He made six consecutive Pro Bowls from 1971 on, and was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1970s. In 2004, he was added to the Ring of Honor, and that paved the way for his Hall of Fame induction in 2006. Wright has a Career AV of 103 in 166 games, all with Dallas. Wright was our No. 24 ranked Cowboys player of all time.

34. OG Nate Newton - Florida A&M

Brian Bahr /Allsport

Newton spent time in the USFL before joining Dallas, and earned a spot in the starting lineup during the lean years of the 1980s. With the Cowboys’ success of the 1990s, his stature grew, earning five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 1992 on, then adding a sixth in 1998. He also made two All-Pro teams. Newton sports a Career AV of 107 across 198 games, 180 of them as a starter. Newton was our No. 28 ranked Cowboys player of all time.

29. DE Ed "Too Tall" Jones - Tennessee State

Having 57.5 official sacks and 106, according to the Cowboys, Too Tall Jones was one of the most interesting players in team history, taking a year off to pursue a boxing career. When he was putting his hands on opposing players, he was just as dangerous. He’s the fifth-leading tackler in franchise history with 1,032 takedowns. He was both a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro after being the No. 1 overall pick in 1973. He boasted a Career AV of 129 across 224 contests. Jones was our No. 18 ranked Cowboys of all time.

28. WR "Bullet" Bob Hayes - Florida A&M

(AP Photo/Mark Foley)

Bullet Bob Hayes was a legend for his speed and style. A former track star, he was a first-team All-Pro twice and Pro Bowler three times in his 10 years with the Cowboys. His 71 receiving touchdowns stood as a record for over 40 years until being broken in 2017. Hayes has a Career AV of 95 across 128 games played. Hayes was our No. 13 ranked Cowboys player of all time.

No. 18 DB Everson Walls - Grambling State

(Photo by Allen Dean Steele/Getty Images)

Opponents thought he was undersized, and targeted him because of better-known talent to begin his career, but Walls showed them. He made the Pro Bowl after hauling in a league-leading 11 interceptions in 1981, then led the league in picks two other times in his career. Walls was named to the Pro Bowl four times, earning a reputation as a shutdown corner who offenses were better off avoiding. He spent nine years in Dallas, totaling 44 interceptions across 133 games to earn a Career AV of 82. Walls was rated our No. 29 ranked Cowboys player of all time.

https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/gallery/dallas-cowboys-hall-of-fame-gallery/

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