One of the greatest honors is football is when a team inducts a player, coach or executive into the team’s Hall of Fame or Ring of Honor. Among the most iconic of those honors is the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, which pays tribute to the greatest figures in the history of one of sports’ most historic franchises.
The Ring of Honor was created by former Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm on Nov. 23, 1975 when Dallas made legendary defensive lineman Bob Lilly and his No. 74 the first member of the prestigious group.
What exactly does it mean to be in the Cowboys Ring of Honor? In 1993, Jerry Jones said it “stands for the men who built this franchise and had it called America’s team.”
Once inducted, the honoree’s name is added to the ring around the interior of the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.
Cowboys
Since Lilly’s induction into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, the exclusive group has grown to 24 players, executives and coaches who made incredible marks on the franchise.
Here are all the members of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, in order of induction.
Bob Lilly, DT, 1961-1974
July 26: Bob Lilly, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Super Bowl VI champion, Cowboys defensive tackle and former TCU All-America selection, born in 1939 in Olney, Texas.
DMN File
Lilly, an All-American from TCU, was the first draft pick in Cowboys history. Selected as a defensive end in 1961, he moved to defensive tackle in 1963. His 29-yard sack of Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese in Super Bowl VI is one of the most memorable plays in the game’s history. Lilly was named an All-Pro seven times and was selected to play in 11 Pro Bowl games. “Mr. Cowboy” was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.
MORE: 10 things to know about Bob Lilly
Don Meredith, QB, 1960-1968
Don Meredith throwing a pass against the Green Bay Packers in the famous Ice Bowl game, played in Wisconsin in December of 1967.
Neil Leifer
Don Meredith was a two-time All-American at SMU. The Cowboys snapped him up by signing him to a contract in 1959, before they even had a coach or nickname. Meredith, nicknamed “Dandy Don,” spent all nine of his NFL seasons with the Cowboys. He may be more fondly remembered for his work alongside Howard Cosell as a member of the original Monday Night Football broadcast crew. Meredith would lead the Cowboys to two NFL Championship Games, in 1966 and 1967. Both times Dallas lost to Green Bay. He was named the NFL Player of the Year in 1966 and was named to the Pro Bowl three times. Meredith was inducted inot the Ring of Honor in 1976.
Don Perkins, RB, 1961-1968
Dallas Cowboys running back Don Perkins (43). Photo credit “Dallas Cowboys Official Weekly”
Because the Cowboys were admitted to the NFL too late to participate in the 1960 NFL Draft, the team signed Perkins to a personal-services contract for a $1,500 bonus and a $10,000 salary. Perkins sat out the entire 1960 season with a broken foot. He was NFL Rookie of the Year in 1962. He finished in the NFL’s top 10 rushing in each of his eight seasons in the league. On September 24, 1961, he became the first running back in Cowboys’ history to run for 100 yards in a game, when he rushed for 108 yards on 17 carries against the expansion Minnesota Vikings. The six-time Pro Bowler’s best year was in 1962, when he rushed for 945 yards and seven touchdowns, becoming the first Cowboy to make the All-Pro team. He was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1976 alongside Don Meredith.
Chuck Howley, LB, 1961-1973
Chuck Howley (54) intercepts a Bob Griese pass in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl VI.
Gary Barnett / AP
Though it seems he was always a Cowboy, Howley actually played for the Chicago Bears before Dallas. Chicago traded his rights to the Cowboys for a second- and ninth-round draft choice in the 1963 NFL Draft. Howley played 13 seasons with the Cowboys and helped the team reach two Super Bowls. He was named MVP of Super Bowl V, intercepting two passes and recovering a fumble in the Cowboys’ 16-13 loss to the Colts. To this day, he is the only player to be named Super Bowl MVP of a losing team. Howley is the only player in franchise history with 20 sacks and 20 interceptions and his 16 fumble recoveries are tied for the second most in Cowboys history. The six-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
Mel Renfro, CB, 1964-1977
Mel Renfro. As a rookie in 1964, Renfro led the Cowboys with seven interceptions and led the NFL in both punt return and kickoff return yardage.
DMN File Photo
Renfro arrived in Dallas as a highly touted running back from Oregon. By the time his 14-year career was over, he was among the best defensive backs in NFL history. Renfro rewarded coach Tom Landry for the position switch with 52 interceptions and 10 Pro Bowls. After six years at safety, Renfro moved to cornerback. He played in four Super Bowls and eight NFC Championship Games. In the 1971 Pro Bowl, he returned two punts for touchdowns. Renfro was enshrined in the Ring of Honor in 1981 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
Roger Staubach, QB, 1969-1979
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (12) scrambles for yardage during the final minutes of the Cowboys playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings in their famous playoff game on 1/8/1975 in the Met Stadium in Minneapolis. Staubach also threw his famous “Hail Mary Pass” to Drew Pearson (not pictured) in this contest.
RHODES, John F. / File Photo
Staubach, a Heisman Trophy winner at Navy, was originally drafted in 1964 but didn’t start playing until 1969 after he completed his military service. The six-time Pro Bowler earned the nickname “Captain Comeback” for leading the Cowboys on a game-winning drive 21 times. He led Dallas to seven division titles and two Super Bowl victories, and even had a big hand in one of the NFL’s most memorable plays: the Hail Mary pass to Drew Pearson. Staubach was named to the first-team All-1970s team, was named to the NFL’s All-Century Team in 2019, was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1983 and enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
MORE: 10 things to know about Roger Staubach
Lee Roy Jordan, LB, 1963-1976
ORG XMIT: *S0414735008* 1971 — Dallas linebacker Lee Roy Jordan (55) takes off with the ball.
Eddy Wheeler / digital file
Jordan was selected in the first round (No. 6 overall) in the 1963 draft. One of the leaders of Dallas’ “Doomsday Defense,” he played 14 years and was named to the Pro Bowl five times to go along with two All-Pro honors. He had 1,236 tackles as a Cowboy, which stood as the franchise record until 2002, intercepted 32 passes and recovered 18 fumbles. Jordan was the first inductee into the Ring of Honor in the Jerry Jones era, as he was enshrined in 1989.
Tom Landry, head coach, 1960-1988
Coach Tom Landry. In addition to coaching the Cowboys, Landry played for the New York Giants and later coached on the same staff as Vince Lombardi.
GROTHE, Randy Eli / 2367
The Hat. The Statue. The guy’s even got a freeway named after him. Landry won two Super Bowl titles (VI, XII), five NFC titles, 13 divisional titles and compiled a 270-178-6 record, the fifth-most wins all-time for an NFL coach. His 20 career playoff victories are the second most of any coach in NFL history, and his 20 consecutive winning seasons are a still-standing NFL record. He was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 1966 and the NFC Coach of the Year in 1975. Landry was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Ring of Honor in 1993.
MORE: 10 things to know about Tom Landry
Tony Dorsett, RB, 1977-1987
Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett against Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XIII. Dorsett is one of only two players (Marcus Allen is the other) who has won the Heisman Trophy, won the Super Bowl, won the College National Championship, been enshrined in the College Hall of Fame, and been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.
Associated Press / AP
The Cowboys sent four draft picks to Seattle in 1977 for the rights to draft Dorsett (second overall), a Heisman Trophy-winning running back at Pittsburgh. He rushed for 1,007 yards as a rookie and broke the 1,000-yard barrier each of the next four years, contributing to Dallas’ Super Bowl XII victory. The four-time Pro Bowler finished with 12,739 rushing yards, fifth most in NFL history. Ninety-nine of those yards came on his NFL-record run against Minnesota in 1983, an outrageous feat made even more so given that the Cowboys had just 10 players on the field for the play. Dorsett was inducted into both the Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
MORE: 10 things to know about Tony Dorsett
Randy White, DT, 1975-1988
Randy White (54) Dallas Cowboys tackle, wraps his arms around Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Bob Lee to bring him down for a 10 yard loss in the second quarter of the NFC Championship in Irving, Texas, Sunday, Jan. 1, 1978.
Anonymous – ASSOCIATED PRESS
The second overall pick in the 1975 draft, White became a dominant force over his 14-year career. The “Manster” — half-man, half-monster — struck fear in the hearts of opponents. Although the NFL did not recognize sacks as an official statistic until 1982, White registered 16 in 1978. He ranked third in franchise history with 1,104 tackles, including 701 solos. He earned Pro Bowl honors nine times, was selected co-MVP of Super Bowl XII, was named first-team All Pro seven times and was the 1978 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. White was a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer in 1994, which is the same year he entered the Ring of Honor.
MORE: 10 things to know about Randy White
Bob Hayes, WR, 1965-1974
Shot November 11, 1974 – Dallas Cowboys v. San Francisco
Gary Barnett / FILE
Hayes, “The World’s Fastest Human,” helped revolutionize the receiver position with his speed and ushered in the age of zone defenses as teams tried to devise ways to stop him. The gold medal Olympic sprinter was a threat to score any time he had the ball. He finished his career with 71 touchdowns and a staggering average of 20 yards per reception. Named to three Pro Bowls, Hayes held the team record with 71 touchdown catches until 2017. He is the only man to ever win a Super Bowl and a gold medal. The Pro Football Hall of Famer was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2001.
Tex Schramm, general manager, 1959-1989
Former Dallas coach Tom Landry (left) with former Cowboy general manager Tex Schramm during a 1983 ground breaking ceremony for the Cowboys new practice facility in Valley Ranch.
Schramm was known as the most powerful general manager in the NFL. Schramm held the Cowboys’ voting right at league meetings, a right normally reserved for team owners. In 1966, Schramm met secretly with American Football League (AFL) founder Lamar Hunt to begin the negotiations that led to the 1970 merger of the NFL and AFL, as well as the first Super Bowl in 1967. Schramm was also known for innovations that helped redefine the modern NFL, including instant replay. Don Shula said of Schramm, “I truly believe he had as much, or more, to do with the success of professional football as anyone who has ever been connected with the league.” Schramm was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991 and in the Ring of Honor in 2003.
Cliff Harris, S, 1970-1979
Cliff Harris (right) with fellow Cowboys safety Charlie Waters in the waning moments of a playoff win over Chicago in 1977. (AP Photo)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Harris was nicknamed “Captain Crash” by his teammates for his punishing hits as a part of the legendary Doomsday Defense. He was described as a “rolling ball of butcher knives” by Hall of Fame coach George Allen. He recorded 35 interceptions and 20 fumble recoveries in his career. Harris played in five Super Bowls, was chosen for the Pro Bowl six consecutive times and was voted All-Pro four times. He was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2004 and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Rayfield Wright, OT, 1967-1979
Undated file photo of Dallas Cowboys player Rayfield Wright (70). Photo courtesy of www.dallascowboysweekly.com
www.dallascowboysweekly.com
Nicknamed the “Big Cat,” Wright (6-7, 225 pounds) played tight end, defensive line and offensive tackle in his first three seasons with the Cowboys and got his first chance to start in 1969. In 13 seasons, Wright played more than 200 games, started at right tackle in six NFC Championship Games amd played in five Super Bowls. He was named All-Pro four times and played in six Pro Bowls. Wright was named to the All-Decade Team for the 1970s, was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2004 (becoming the first lineman in the Ring) and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Troy Aikman, QB, 1989-2000
Troy Aikman (8) throws the ball past Pittsburgh defender Gregg Lloyd.
The Cowboys selected Aikman with the first pick of the 1989 NFL Draft. He went on to win three Super Bowls and was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXVII. Aikman ended his career as the Cowboys’ all-time leading passer (32,942 yards) and is also among the franchise leaders in completions (2,898) and touchdown passes (165). His 90 wins in the 1990s were the most by any quarterback in any decade until Peyton Manning surpassed him in the 2000s. Aikman was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2005 and was a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer in 2006.
MORE: 10 things to know about Troy Aikman
Michael Irvin, WR, 1988-1999
Michael Irvin celebrates after gaining 30 yards on a pass from Jason Garrett in the third quarter of a Sept. 21, 1998 game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Associated Press
“The Playmaker” was the Cowboys’ first-round draft choice in 1988. He became the first rookie receiver in Cowboys’ history to start a game in 20 years. From 1991-1998, Irvin rolled up 10,265 yards receiving and had 1,000 or more yards seven times. He was part of three Super Bowl winning teams. His best season was in 1995, when he set Dallas records for receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,603) while also scoring 10 touchdowns and setting an NFL record with 11 games with over 100 yards receiving. He still holds the franchise record for most receiving yards in a single season to this day. Irvin’s 87 receptions for 1,315 yards in the postseason are both team records as well. He was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2005 and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
MORE: 10 things to know about Michael Irvin
Emmitt Smith, RB, 1990-2002
Emmitt Smith #22 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates beating the NFL rushing record during the NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks at Texas Stadium on October 27, 2002 in Irving, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ronald Martinez / Getty Images
Smith, the Cowboys’ first-round draft choice in 1990 and part of three Super Bowl champion teams, is the only running back to ever win a Super Bowl title, MVP, rushing title and Super Bowl MVP award in the same season (1993). He is the league’s all-time rushing leader, breaking the mark held by Walter Payton, in 2002. Smith posted a league record 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and racked up the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history with 164. He was a four-time first-team All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowler, a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer in 2010 and a Ring of Honor inductee in 2005.
MORE: 10 things to know about Emmitt Smith
Drew Pearson, WR, 1973-1983
Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson catches Roger Staubach’s “Hail Mary” pass during the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Vikings.
AP Photo / digital file
Selected as a free agent by the Cowboys in 1973, Pearson was a three-time All-Pro and amassed 489 career receptions for 7,822 yards. He scored 50 touchdowns. Pearson led the NFC in catches in 1976 (58), led the league in yards in 1977 (870) and was named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 1970s. Perhaps his most famous catch came in 1975, when he was on the receiving end of Roger Staubach’s ‘Hail Mary’ pass in a playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings. After a decades-long wait, Pearson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 and was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2011.
Charles Haley, DE, 1992-1996
Acquiring pass rusher Charles Haley from the 49ers led to three Super Bowl titles for the Cowboys in the 1990s.
A terror as a pass rusher, Haley was a fourth-round draft choice by the San Francisco 49ers out of James Madison University in 1986. He was traded to Dallas in 1992 and helped Dallas win three Super Bowls. Haley was the first player in NFL history to win five championship rings and was a five-time Pro Bowl player with 100.5 sacks in his 12-year career. The Pro Football Hall of Famer was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2011 despite playing just 63 games over five seasons in Dallas, by far the fewest games played for the Cowboys by anyone in the Ring of Honor.
Larry Allen, OL, 1994-2005
Cowboys guard Larry Allen. Allen was chosen as a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s and the 2000s.
JOHN HELLER / AP
A second-round draft pick (46th overall) out of Sonoma State by the Cowboys in 1994, Allen played 12 seasons with the Cowboys and was named to the Pro Bowl 11 times. Allen, who played both guard and tackle for Dallas, was one of the strongest players in the NFL, able to bench press more than 700 pounds. He was a member of the Cowboys’ Super Bowl championship team in 1995 was arguably the best offensive guard in football history. Allen made 10 Pro Bowls with the Cowboys and was inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor in 2013.
Darren Woodson, S, 1992-2004
Darren Woodson is the Cowboys’ all-time leader in tackles.
NGUYEN, Huy
Woodson, a second-round draft pick in 1992, is the Cowboys’ all-time leading tackler, a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro strong safety. Woodson was a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist in 2015, the same year he was inducted into the Ring of Honor. His hard-hitting mentality was key to the Cowboys teams that claimed three Super Bowls in the 1990s.
MORE: 10 things to know about Darren Woodson
DeMarcus Ware, LB, 2005-2013
Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware (94) breaks a Dallas Cowboys sack record with this sack of St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (8) during their NFL football game in Arlington, Tx on September 22, 2013. (Michael Ainsworth/The Dallas Morning News)
Michael Ainsworth / Staff Photographer
Ware, a first-round pick of Dallas in 2011, quickly become one of the best defenders in franchise history. His time with the Cowboys included a 20-sack campaign in 2008 as he became the Cowboys’ all-time sack leader with 117. Ware was a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro player. He was inducted into the Ring of Honor and Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
MORE: 10 things to know about DeMarcus Ware
Gil Brandt, VP of Player Personnel 1960-1988
Gil Brandt is presented with his NFL Hall of Fame ring by Jerry Jones during halftime of an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, in Arlington. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Brandt is one of the most significant figures in franchise history, as he built the original team in 1960 and was the architect of the Cowboys for three decades that included five conference titles and two Super Bowls. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019, he drafted 12 Hall of Famers, including his first-ever selection Bob Lilly in 1961. Brandt was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2018.
Jimmy Johnson, Head Coach 1989-1993
Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson gets a big hug from wide receiver Michael Irvin following their blowout Super Bowl XXVII victory over the Buffalo Bills.
File photo – Dallas Morning News
Johnson was the first head coach Jerry Jones ever hired and was instrumental in building the team’s dynasty of the 1990s. He won two Super Bowls in his five years as the Cowboys’ head coach, finishing with a 51-37 record and 7-1 postseason record with Dallas. Johnson was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020 and was, at long last after a decades-long dispute with Jones, inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2023.
MORE: 10 things to know about Jimmy Johnson
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