In the second episode of “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys,” former players and coaches dove deep into how the successful teams of the 1990s came to be.
DALLAS — When Jerry Jones traded away star running back Herschel Walker after the 1989 season, many in Dallas thought he had lost his mind.
Walker was the Cowboys’ biggest name, and the trade came on the heels of rookie quarterback Troy Aikman’s brutal first year in the NFL. But as Episode 2 of Netflix’s America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys revealed, that stunning deal became the foundation for a dynasty in the early 90s.
The trade with Minnesota sent Walker north and brought Dallas five players who were quickly released, converting the move into a handful of draft picks. That draft capital gave the Cowboys the freedom to reshape the roster and take risks — including a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers that landed Dallas the 17th pick in 1990. With it, the Cowboys drafted Florida running back Emmitt Smith, who would go on to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
So, with a roster full of young, talented players, it was now up to Head Coach Jimmy Johnson to shape them into a winning football team. And his approach was ruthless.
Johnson pushed young players to their limits, creating resentment among some of them. But this was all a part of the plan to toughen up the team. Wide receiver Michael Irvin said he even handed Johnson a list of older players who needed to be moved out to make room for the future.
The Cowboys finished 7-9 in 1990, but Johnson continued to mold the roster and brought in offensive coordinator Norv Turner, whose faster, simplified system helped to unlock Aikman and the offense.
Momentum carried into 1991, when the 7-5 Cowboys faced the undefeated Washington Redskins. Aikman left that game injured, and backup Steve Beuerlein stepped in. Beuerlein relied heavily on Irvin and led the Cowboys to a stunning win. He followed it with multiple consecutive victories, securing a playoff berth — the team’s first since 1985.
Beuerlein’s hot streak sparked a quarterback controversy, and Johnson started him in the Wild Card win over Atlanta, saying he cared more about winning than feelings. But Beuerlein came back down to earth in the divisional loss to Detroit, and Aikman later admitted he even asked his agent to explore a trade. The tension eased when Jones told Johnson that Aikman was the team’s future.
Then came another gamble.
In 1992, the San Francisco 49ers called with an offer: defensive end Charles Haley, a Pro Bowler with two Super Bowl rings — and a volatile reputation. Stories of Haley’s outbursts were well known, including one incident in which he allegedly urinated on a general manager’s desk. But Jones said he believed in rehabilitation, and they agreed to take the chance.
Haley’s arrival gave Dallas an edge on defense, and Irvin called him “a special kind of crazy.” The roster began to build a ton of chemistry, and the Cowboys sensed the success was near. But with this success, Johnson only intensified the pressure. After one loss to Washington, he refused to let players eat on the plane ride home. In another instance, he cut a backup running back on the spot after a late-season fumble in a meaningless game.
Through the tough-love journey, Aikman and Johnson slowly built a bond — oddly enough over a shared love of fish tanks and aquariums. Their relationship became another piece of the chemistry forming inside the locker room.
In the 1992 Wild Card round, the Cowboys faced Philadelphia — and lined up against Herschel Walker. This time, the man who once defined Dallas football acknowledged the trade that sent him away made more sense than he realized.
The Cowboys would go on to win the Super Bowl in 1992, 1993 and 1995, putting a cap on a multi-season journey to reach the level of a successful dynasty.