Facts and information about the Dallas Cowboys

• The Dallas Cowboys franchise was created with the main purpose to be competition to the AFL’s Dallas Texans. Eventually the Texans were forced to move to Kansas City, becoming the Chiefs.

• Cowboy Wide Receiver Terrell Owens once caused an on-field altercation to break out in Texas Stadium when he “disrespected” the star logo in the center of the field while he was playing for the San Francisco 49ers.

• Former Cowboy great Tony Dorsett played his final season as a member of the Denver Broncos.

• Ron Springs’ son Shawn also played Cornerback in the NFL.

• The Cowboys first season in the NFL was 1960, during their first year they played in the northern division.

• For their first eleven seasons (1960-1971), the Cowboys played their home games in the Cotton Bowl.

• The Cowboys’ nickname “America’s Team” is also the title of their 1978 NFL Films highlight film.

• At one time the original owners of the Cowboys purchased the rights to “Hail to the Redskins”, the fight song of the Washington Redskins, and threatened not to let the Redskins use it.

• Hall-of-Famer Bob Lilly was the Dallas Cowboys first draft selection ever.

• Before settling on Cowboys, the original owners first called the team the Dallas Steers and then the Dallas Rangers.

• The Cowboys moved from the Cotton Bowl to Texas Stadium midseason in week six of the 1971 season.

• For many years, Quarterback Danny White was also the team’s punter.

• At the time he was fired by new owner Jerry Jones in 1989, Tom Landry had been the only Head Coach the Dallas Cowboys had ever had.

• As of 2007, there have been more Sports Illustrated covers with Dallas Cowboys on them than any other football team.

• Former Running Back Calvin Hill is the father of basketball star Grant Hill of the NBA and Duke University.

• In 1975, the Dallas Cowboys lost two significant players to the upstart World Football League; Calvin Hill to The Hawaiians and Craig Morton to the Houston Texans.

• With the Super Bowl XXVII victory, Head Coach Jimmy Johnson became the first coach to ever win an NFL Championship as well as a NCAA Championship (University of Miami). And with the Cowboys victory in Super Bowl XXX, Barry Switzer became the second Head Coach to accomplish that feat.

• When Chan Gailey was let go after the 1999 season, he became the first Cowboys coach to never win a Super Bowl in their 39 year history.

• Upon joining the league in 1960, the Cowboys logo was a simple blue star with no outlining. The present day logo with the white pinstriped outlining of the star was introduced in 1967.

• The first Dallas Cowboy elected to the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame was Bob Lilly, the second was Quarterback Roger Staubach.

• Cowboys Linebacker Chuck Howley was the first (and so far only) player to be named Super Bowl MVP from the losing team. Howley is also the first defensive player to win the award.

• When Defensive Linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White were both named the MVP of Super Bowl XII, it marked the first time the award was ever shared.

• Emmitt Smith, the all-time rushing yards leader of both the Cowboys and the entire NFL, finished his career with the Arizona Cardinals.

• Dave Campo was the first Dallas Cowboys Head Coach, and only one through 2007, to have a losing record.

• Former Wide Receiver Drew Pearson held the position of General Manager with the XFL’s New York/New Jersey Hitmen during the leagues only season in existence, 2001.