Post by prossman on Jul 2, 2009 10:54:37 GMT -7
DC.COM: Cowboys Top 50: Mean And Beautiful: Harvey Martin Is Still Sack Master
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Cowboys Top 50
Mean And Beautiful: Harvey Martin Is Still Sack Master
June 30, 2009 12:12 PM
The Cowboys may be getting ready for a new chapter with the opening of their stadium in Arlington, but this also marks the 50th anniversary season for the club.
With the help of a nine-person panel, DallasCowboys.com decided to compile a list of the Top 50 players in team history. The panel included Brad Sham, the play-by-play radio voice of the Cowboys for 32 years, Dallascowboys.com columnist Mickey Spagnola, and website beat writers Nick Eatman, Rob Phillips and Josh Ellis. Also on the panel were Bill Jones, a Dallas-area broadcaster for more than 25 years, along with Cowboys TV and radio producers Jon Ingham, Bill Carruthers and Douglas Barricklow.
Each day we'll count down from 50, providing a quick look back and highlighting another key player that has helped build the Cowboys to America's Team status.
19. Harvey Martin
Position: Defensive End
Cowboys Career: 1973-83
Honors: Cowboys' all-time leader with 114 sacks; 1977 NFL Defensive Player of the Year with 23 sacks.
Highest Ranking From Panel: 12 It's rather odd to find a person who went by the nicknames "Beautiful" and "Too Mean." While they seem rather contradicting, there weren't too many things normal about Harvey Martin.
The Cowboys defensive end, who dubbed himself "Beautiful," was probably more suited for the latter nickname, especially from opposing quarterbacks. While Ed Jones might have been "Too Tall" on one side of the defensive line, Martin was simply "Too Mean" on the other.
For more than a decade, Martin was a complete menace, not just for the quarterbacks, but running backs and anyone who attempted to block him.
Unfortunately for Martin, the NFL did not record sacks as an official stat until the 1982 season, so he doesn't rank among the leaders in league history. However, the Cowboys kept their own track of stats and Martin often ranked near the top. In a nine-year span, he led the Cowboys in sacks in seven different years, including a whopping 23.0 sacks in 1977, when he was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.
However, Martin wasn't finished racking up the honors that season. He teamed up with defensive tackle Randy White to put on a clinic in Super Bowl XII against the Broncos. Martin and White were named Super Bowl Co-MVPs for that game, a 27-10 victory by the Cowboys.
Martin played with style on the field and he had plenty of style off the field as well. He named his own talk show "The Beautiful Harvey Martin Show," even though it was simply a radio show on the Cowboys' flagship station.
However, Martin certainly had a rugged mean streak as well. That was exemplified in the 1979 regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins. That day will always be remembered as Roger Staubach's final home game when he rallied the Cowboys with two late touchdowns in the final minutes to complete a 35-34 comeback win over the division rivals.
But earlier in the week prior to that game, Martin received a funeral wreath in the mail and it was believed to be sent by the Redskins. He kept the wreath in his locker for motivation all week long and just minutes after the Cowboys' miraculous win, Martin took the wreath, stormed to the Redskins' locker room and allegedly opened the door and tossed it in the middle of the room, interrupting Washington's team prayer.
But Martin's career and post-playing days took a sour note when drugs and alcohol overcame his life. He had many run-ins with the law and spent various times in both jail and drug rehabs.
With the help of former teammate and All-Pro lineman John Niland, Martin landed on his feet again and turned his life around. However, one battle he couldn't overcome was pancreatic cancer, which eventually ended his life in 2001 at the age of 51.
20. Deion Sanders
Position: Cornerback
Cowboys Career: 1995-1999
Honors: Made four Pro Bowls in five years; All-time leader in Cowboys history with 13.3-yard punt return average.
Highest Ranking From Panel: 9
At the start of the 1995 season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones really wanted to sign Deion Sanders. Not only did he see firsthand what the All-world cornerback did for the rival 49ers the year before in leading San Francisco to a Super Bowl title and ending the Cowboys' chances of three-straight championships, but also signing players like Sanders were exactly the kinds of moves that excited Jones more than anything else.
Before the season started, Jerry really wanted Deion. After the first game, the Cowboys needed him. That's because an Achilles injury to cornerback Kevin Smith ended his season less than one half into the year.
The Cowboys went out and signed Deion Sanders to a record-setting free-agent deal worth $35 million. While the contract was rather unheard of for a defensive player, especially one that continued to play professional baseball in the off-season, Sanders had already proved he was worth it.
And he proved it again for the Cowboys, helping the defense get back to form in 1995. While Sanders played just nine games, he anchored the defense and helped raise the level of play opposite cornerback Larry Brown, whose two interceptions in Super Bowl XXX sealed the win over Pittsburgh and earned him game MVP honors.
Sanders wasn't the most physical player in the league and he didn't claim to be. But he was simply the best shut-down cornerback of his time and arguably the best ever.
As dominant as he was covering receivers, Sanders was just as exciting returning kicks. In five seasons in Dallas, Deion returned four punts for touchdowns and scored three more defensive touchdowns.
But that wasn't enough for the Cowboys. In one of Jerry Jones' initial selling points to land Deion, he promised the superstar he would get a chance to get significant time on offense. In 1996, with Michael Irvin suspended for the first five games, Sanders started full-time on offense, becoming one of the first true two-ways players since the 1950s.
Sanders wasn't the most polished receiver, but just getting the ball in his hands was crucial to the Cowboys. In 1998, after a huge Monday Night Football win over the Giants in New York, the NFL created a special weekly award for Sanders, calling him the "Prime Time" Player of the Week for his efforts. Sanders returned a punt for a touchdown and picked off two passes, also returning one for a score. If that wasn't enough, he caught a 55-yard pass on offense, too.
Whether it was football or baseball, or offense, defense and special teams, Deion Sanders truly could do it all.
The fact he played just five seasons in Dallas certainly lowered his stock on this list, considering Deion Sanders is arguably the greatest cornerback to ever play the game.
21. Cornell Green (1962-74)
22. Charles Haley (1992-96)
23. DeMarcus Ware (2005-present)
24. John Niland (1966-74)
25. Jason Witten (2003-present)
-----------------------------------
26. Ed "Too Tall" Jones (1974-78; 80-89)
27. Everson Walls (1981-89)
28. Jay Novacek (1990-96)
29. Charlie Waters (1970-78; 80-81)
30. Nate Newton (1986-98)
-----------------------------------
31. George Andrie (1962-72)
32. Danny White (1976-88)
33. Erik Williams (1991-2000)
34. Calvin Hill (1965-78)
35. Herschel Walker (1986-89; 1996-97)
-----------------------------------
36. Tony Hill (1977-86)
37. Daryl Johnston (1989-99)
38. Billy Joe DuPree (1973-83)
39. Jethro Pugh (1965-78)
40. La'Roi Glover (2002-05)
-----------------------------------
41. Mark Tuinei (1983-97)
42. Leon Lett (1991-2000)
43. Flozell Adams (1998-present)
44. Pat Donovan (1975-83)
45. Ralph Neely (1965-77)
-----------------------------------
46. Terrell Owens (2006-08)
47. Walt Garrison (1966-74)
48. Bill Bates (1983-2007)
49. Tony Romo (2003-present)
50. Mark Stepnoski (1989-94; 1999-2001)
Top Honorable Mention:
Jim Jeffcoat
Frank Clarke
Roy Williams
Doug Cosbie
Thomas Henderson
Bob Breunig
Alvin Harper
Dennis Thurman
Robert Newhouse
Russell Maryland
Duane Thomas
Jerry Tubbs
Larry Cole
Herb Scott
Dave Manders
Ken Norton
Preston Pearson
Dave Edwards
Greg Ellis
Eugene Lockhart
Dexter Coakley
D.D. Lewis
__________________
Cowboy Fan since 1960.......You young-uns stay outta my yard.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cowboys Top 50
Mean And Beautiful: Harvey Martin Is Still Sack Master
June 30, 2009 12:12 PM
The Cowboys may be getting ready for a new chapter with the opening of their stadium in Arlington, but this also marks the 50th anniversary season for the club.
With the help of a nine-person panel, DallasCowboys.com decided to compile a list of the Top 50 players in team history. The panel included Brad Sham, the play-by-play radio voice of the Cowboys for 32 years, Dallascowboys.com columnist Mickey Spagnola, and website beat writers Nick Eatman, Rob Phillips and Josh Ellis. Also on the panel were Bill Jones, a Dallas-area broadcaster for more than 25 years, along with Cowboys TV and radio producers Jon Ingham, Bill Carruthers and Douglas Barricklow.
Each day we'll count down from 50, providing a quick look back and highlighting another key player that has helped build the Cowboys to America's Team status.
19. Harvey Martin
Position: Defensive End
Cowboys Career: 1973-83
Honors: Cowboys' all-time leader with 114 sacks; 1977 NFL Defensive Player of the Year with 23 sacks.
Highest Ranking From Panel: 12 It's rather odd to find a person who went by the nicknames "Beautiful" and "Too Mean." While they seem rather contradicting, there weren't too many things normal about Harvey Martin.
The Cowboys defensive end, who dubbed himself "Beautiful," was probably more suited for the latter nickname, especially from opposing quarterbacks. While Ed Jones might have been "Too Tall" on one side of the defensive line, Martin was simply "Too Mean" on the other.
For more than a decade, Martin was a complete menace, not just for the quarterbacks, but running backs and anyone who attempted to block him.
Unfortunately for Martin, the NFL did not record sacks as an official stat until the 1982 season, so he doesn't rank among the leaders in league history. However, the Cowboys kept their own track of stats and Martin often ranked near the top. In a nine-year span, he led the Cowboys in sacks in seven different years, including a whopping 23.0 sacks in 1977, when he was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.
However, Martin wasn't finished racking up the honors that season. He teamed up with defensive tackle Randy White to put on a clinic in Super Bowl XII against the Broncos. Martin and White were named Super Bowl Co-MVPs for that game, a 27-10 victory by the Cowboys.
Martin played with style on the field and he had plenty of style off the field as well. He named his own talk show "The Beautiful Harvey Martin Show," even though it was simply a radio show on the Cowboys' flagship station.
However, Martin certainly had a rugged mean streak as well. That was exemplified in the 1979 regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins. That day will always be remembered as Roger Staubach's final home game when he rallied the Cowboys with two late touchdowns in the final minutes to complete a 35-34 comeback win over the division rivals.
But earlier in the week prior to that game, Martin received a funeral wreath in the mail and it was believed to be sent by the Redskins. He kept the wreath in his locker for motivation all week long and just minutes after the Cowboys' miraculous win, Martin took the wreath, stormed to the Redskins' locker room and allegedly opened the door and tossed it in the middle of the room, interrupting Washington's team prayer.
But Martin's career and post-playing days took a sour note when drugs and alcohol overcame his life. He had many run-ins with the law and spent various times in both jail and drug rehabs.
With the help of former teammate and All-Pro lineman John Niland, Martin landed on his feet again and turned his life around. However, one battle he couldn't overcome was pancreatic cancer, which eventually ended his life in 2001 at the age of 51.
20. Deion Sanders
Position: Cornerback
Cowboys Career: 1995-1999
Honors: Made four Pro Bowls in five years; All-time leader in Cowboys history with 13.3-yard punt return average.
Highest Ranking From Panel: 9
At the start of the 1995 season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones really wanted to sign Deion Sanders. Not only did he see firsthand what the All-world cornerback did for the rival 49ers the year before in leading San Francisco to a Super Bowl title and ending the Cowboys' chances of three-straight championships, but also signing players like Sanders were exactly the kinds of moves that excited Jones more than anything else.
Before the season started, Jerry really wanted Deion. After the first game, the Cowboys needed him. That's because an Achilles injury to cornerback Kevin Smith ended his season less than one half into the year.
The Cowboys went out and signed Deion Sanders to a record-setting free-agent deal worth $35 million. While the contract was rather unheard of for a defensive player, especially one that continued to play professional baseball in the off-season, Sanders had already proved he was worth it.
And he proved it again for the Cowboys, helping the defense get back to form in 1995. While Sanders played just nine games, he anchored the defense and helped raise the level of play opposite cornerback Larry Brown, whose two interceptions in Super Bowl XXX sealed the win over Pittsburgh and earned him game MVP honors.
Sanders wasn't the most physical player in the league and he didn't claim to be. But he was simply the best shut-down cornerback of his time and arguably the best ever.
As dominant as he was covering receivers, Sanders was just as exciting returning kicks. In five seasons in Dallas, Deion returned four punts for touchdowns and scored three more defensive touchdowns.
But that wasn't enough for the Cowboys. In one of Jerry Jones' initial selling points to land Deion, he promised the superstar he would get a chance to get significant time on offense. In 1996, with Michael Irvin suspended for the first five games, Sanders started full-time on offense, becoming one of the first true two-ways players since the 1950s.
Sanders wasn't the most polished receiver, but just getting the ball in his hands was crucial to the Cowboys. In 1998, after a huge Monday Night Football win over the Giants in New York, the NFL created a special weekly award for Sanders, calling him the "Prime Time" Player of the Week for his efforts. Sanders returned a punt for a touchdown and picked off two passes, also returning one for a score. If that wasn't enough, he caught a 55-yard pass on offense, too.
Whether it was football or baseball, or offense, defense and special teams, Deion Sanders truly could do it all.
The fact he played just five seasons in Dallas certainly lowered his stock on this list, considering Deion Sanders is arguably the greatest cornerback to ever play the game.
21. Cornell Green (1962-74)
22. Charles Haley (1992-96)
23. DeMarcus Ware (2005-present)
24. John Niland (1966-74)
25. Jason Witten (2003-present)
-----------------------------------
26. Ed "Too Tall" Jones (1974-78; 80-89)
27. Everson Walls (1981-89)
28. Jay Novacek (1990-96)
29. Charlie Waters (1970-78; 80-81)
30. Nate Newton (1986-98)
-----------------------------------
31. George Andrie (1962-72)
32. Danny White (1976-88)
33. Erik Williams (1991-2000)
34. Calvin Hill (1965-78)
35. Herschel Walker (1986-89; 1996-97)
-----------------------------------
36. Tony Hill (1977-86)
37. Daryl Johnston (1989-99)
38. Billy Joe DuPree (1973-83)
39. Jethro Pugh (1965-78)
40. La'Roi Glover (2002-05)
-----------------------------------
41. Mark Tuinei (1983-97)
42. Leon Lett (1991-2000)
43. Flozell Adams (1998-present)
44. Pat Donovan (1975-83)
45. Ralph Neely (1965-77)
-----------------------------------
46. Terrell Owens (2006-08)
47. Walt Garrison (1966-74)
48. Bill Bates (1983-2007)
49. Tony Romo (2003-present)
50. Mark Stepnoski (1989-94; 1999-2001)
Top Honorable Mention:
Jim Jeffcoat
Frank Clarke
Roy Williams
Doug Cosbie
Thomas Henderson
Bob Breunig
Alvin Harper
Dennis Thurman
Robert Newhouse
Russell Maryland
Duane Thomas
Jerry Tubbs
Larry Cole
Herb Scott
Dave Manders
Ken Norton
Preston Pearson
Dave Edwards
Greg Ellis
Eugene Lockhart
Dexter Coakley
D.D. Lewis
__________________
Cowboy Fan since 1960.......You young-uns stay outta my yard.