Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys’ path to finding franchise quarterbacks throughout this century has been pretty unique.
When you look at the history of the Dallas Cowboys, there is a never-ending list of great stories. We could go on forever discussing how certain players ended up in Dallas and explore so many different hypotheticals that it could drive fans crazy.
Speaking of crazy, something that is crazy to think about is how close the Cowboys came to not having one of their four most talented quarterbacks over their 65-year existence. If you examined each situation, there were instances in each case that almost made it to where the legacy we have come to appreciate never happened. Let’s brush off some cobwebs and take a stroll down memory lane.
Starting with Captain America himself, the Roger Staubach story has several what-ifs along the way. The team took a flyer on him, drafting him in the 10th round of the 1964 draft, however, Staubach wouldn’t step onto the field until five years later due to his commitment to the Navy. He even used his military leave to show up at Cowboys rookie camp. And when he finally did arrive in Dallas, he found himself in a quarterback battle with Craig Morton. In fact, it was a timeshare unlike any other, as head coach Tom Landry would alternate between the two QBs within the games. It wasn’t until Staubach’s third season in the league at the age of 29 that he finally took over as the team’s undisputed starting quarterback, where he led the Cowboys to four Super Bowls, winning two of them.
From one Super Bowl-winning Hall of Fame quarterback to another, the team selected Troy Aikman number one overall in the 1989 NFL draft. Unlike Staubach, Aikman started right away, and it was rocky to say the least. Jimmy Johnson inherited a terrible team from the legendary Landry, and they finished 1-15 in their first season. Despite their draft investment in Aikman, Johnson loved his former Miami Hurricane quarterback Steve Walsh and selected him second overall in the supplemental draft that same year. Aikman missed five games in his rookie season, and Walsh stepped in and helped Dallas win their only game of the year. In the end, Walsh was traded to New Orleans a year later, but Jimmy’s love for his former college quarterback created some uncertainty as to what direction they might go.
The Cowboys were in quarterback purgatory after Aikman retired, and it wasn’t until Tony Romo showed up that new life emerged. Actually, it was four years after he arrived before Romo-mania took off. That’s because he was an undrafted free agent who was buried on the depth chart for his first few years in the league. After some impressive pre-season outings, some took notice, including his former quarterback coach...
