The Stars of the Greatest Team Ever

This is a research paper I wrote my Junior year of high school. I came across it the other day. I got a 99% on it so it must be decent, I only didn't get a 100% because of the heading.

In Miami, Florida on January 28^th, 1960 at the Annual National Football League (NFL) Meeting the Dallas Cowboys franchise were granted to Clint Murchison, Jr. and Bedford Wynne as an expansion team.  The Dallas Cowboys have 12 Hall of Famers: Troy Aikman, Tony Dorsett, Bob Hayes, Michael Irvin, Tom Landry, Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, Tex Schramm, Roger Staubach, Randy White, Emmitt Smith and Rayfield Wright.  The Dallas Cowboys have a Ring of Honor, honoring their players, all 12 of the Hall of Famers are in the Ring and so are 5 Cowboys that aren’t in the Hall of Fame: Cliff Harris, Chuck Howley, Lee Roy Jordon, Don Meredith, and Don Perkins.  The Dallas Cowboys franchise, over the course of its 50 years, has 5 wins out of 8 appearances in the Super Bowl.  Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith have been classified to have been on the ‘Greatest Team Ever’ in the 1990s.  They won 3 Super Bowls and they still hold many NFL and Cowboy records.


Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt played for the Dallas Cowboys together from 1990 to 1999, which was when they became all-time greats.  In the 90s, their win-lose record was 101-59, they had 3 Super Bowl appearances and wins, and were National Football Conference (NFC) Champions 3 times.  During the 10 seasons, 5 NFL records were made: Most Career Passing Yards, Most Career Rushing    Yards, Most Career Receptions, All-Time Leading Scorer, and Longest Fumble Return.  Out of the 5 records, 4 are held by Troy, Michael, or Emmitt.


Michael Jerome Irvin, number 88, wide receiver, was the first of Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith to play in the NFL.  Michael was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on March 5^th, 1966.  He attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  He stayed in state for college, and signed with the ‘U,’ University of Miami.  Michael set a record for catches, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions in only 3 seasons at the ‘U.’  Michael Irvin was drafted in the 1988 NFL Draft in the 1^st around, as the 11^th overall pick.  “As a rookie, Irvin offered a glimpse of what was to follow during his 12-season career with the Cowboys” (Pro Football Hall of Fame 2).  He led the league in receptions in 1991; he had 1,000 yard receiving seasons from 1991-1998, minus one season; he owns 1 NFL season record; tied for 1 NFL season record; 12 Dallas Cowboys team records; tied for 2 Dallas Cowboys team records; 4 records of Dallas Cowboys post-season records; and tied for 2 post-season Dallas Cowboys records.  Michael was selected to 5 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1992 to 1996.  Michael was All-Pro in 1991, All-Pro Second Team in 1992 and 1993, and All-NFC in 1991.  Michael Irvin was the only star Cowboy until Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith were drafted in the first round in the next two drafts.


Troy Kenneth Aikman, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 2000, is one of the greatest players of all-time.  “He (Troy) makes a very complex position seem uncomplicated, ‘That is one of his strengths,’ Cowboy’s backup quarterback Jason Garrett says” (Attner 26).  Troy was born in Covina, California on November 21^st, 1966.  He attended Henryett High School in Oklahoma before he was a nationwide known name.   Troy began his college career at Oklahoma University (OU) then transferred to the University of California (UCLA).  Troy was a finalist for the 1988 Heisman Award, he was the 1988 College Quarterback of the year, and won the 1988 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award when he was a senior at UCLA.  He was drafted in the 1^st round, as the 1^st overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1989 NFL Draft.  Troy is the most winningest starting quarterback of any decade.  At the time of his retirement in 2000, Troy held many Super Bowl, post-season, and career records.  He owns the Highest Completion Percentage in the Super Bowl for his career.  Troy holds 29 records and 4 records; he is tied for first in team records.  He holds 12 team records for post-season play and tied for 1^st for 2 other post-season records.  He has Cowboy Passing Titles for 1989 to 2000 and was the Passing Touchdown Leader from 1989 to 2000, as well.  In 1997 Troy Aikman received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award and, in one of the three Super Bowls he played in and won, he received the Most Valuable Player for Super Bowl XXVII.  Troy is part of the Class of 2006 of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Troy was All-Pro in 1993, All-NFC Second Team in 1994 and 1995, and he was selected into the Pro Bowl 6 consecutive years from 1992 to 1997.  Some say Troy Aikman couldn’t have achieved what he did without the Cowboy offensive line, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith; such as, 3 Super Bowl wins; Super Bowl MVP; and all the records he broke.


The most extraordinary running back to play for the Dallas Cowboys is number 22, Emmitt J. Smith, III.  Emmitt was born in Pensacola, Florida on May 15^th, 1969.  He attended Escambia High School in Escambia, Florida, where he was an All-American running back and named prep Player of the Year by USA Today when he was a senior in High School.  Emmitt, also like Michael, stayed in the state of Florida for college, but unlike Michael, he signed with the University of Florida (UF).  He was an All-American, 3 times All-SEC, and owned 58 school records with UF.  The Cowboys drafted him first round, with the 17^th overall pick, in the 1990 NFL Draft.  Emmitt led the NFL in rushing touchdowns 3 times; he had 11 straight 1,000 yard seasons; he is the all-time rushing leader; he owns 4 NFL rushing titles; and he was named Super Bowl XXVIII Most Valuable Player.  “Smith’s 168 yards rushing (January 2^nd, 1994 vs. New York Giants) pushed him past Jerome Bettis for his third consecutive rushing title- only Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, and Steve Van Buren had ever won three in a row before Emmitt” (Angelo 87).  He was selected to 8 Pro Bowls.  Emmitt spent his last season with the Arizona Cardinals.  Emmitt Smith was elected to the Hall of Fame in the Class of 2010.  Emmitt Smith has not been inducted though to the Hall of Fame, like Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin.


The Dallas Cowboys’ franchise started with an 0-11-1 season in 1960 to winning 3 Super Bowls in one decade in the 1990s.  The 1990s Cowboy team has been regarded as the ‘Greatest Team Ever’ with its star players, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith.  Michael Irvin was drafted in 1988, Troy Aikman drafted in 1989, and Emmitt Smith drafted in 1990, all to the Dallas Cowboys’ and in the first round.  Troy Aikman was born in California, went to high school in Oklahoma, and college in Oklahoma and California.  Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith were both born in Florida, played high school in Florida, and college in Florida.  Who would of thought 3 stellar college players would be drafted in the 1^st round of the NFL draft, to the same team, and in 3 consecutive years to become NFL stars on the greatest NFL dynasty.  It takes more than one star player to make a dynasty, it takes un-selfish players to make a dynasty, and it takes talented players to make a dynasty.