Nine Former Cowboys Nominated for the Hall of Fame

The two who are making the biggest news are Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson, though I personally don’t think they are the most deserving. This was on DallasCowboys.com:

Cowboys owner-general manager Jerry Jones and former head coach Jimmy Johnson are among 124 modern-era players, coaches and contributors who comprise the preliminary nominees list for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2008.

The preliminary list will be trimmed to 25 semifinalists next month, and 15 modern-era finalists eventually will be selected by mail ballot along with previously announced senior nominees Marshall Goldberg and Emmitt Thomas.

Other notable Cowboys nominees include former vice president of personnel development Gil Brandt; defensive ends Charles Haley, Jim Jeffcoat and Ed “Too Tall” Jones; tight end Jay Novacek; wide receiver Drew Pearson; running back Herschel Walker; and quarterback Danny White.

Johnson was Jones’ first head-coaching hire upon taking ownership in 1989. The two enjoyed consecutive Super Bowl titles from 1992-93 before Johnson’s departure following the ‘93 season.

To be considered for election, players and coaches must be retired at least five years. Contributors such as Jones may still be active in the NFL.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has increased the number of nominees who can be elected – a minimum of four and a maximum of seven.

For what it is worth, here are my opinions on the players, in reverse order of their qualifications to make the Hall.

9. Herschel Walker: He had a huge number of all-purpose yards (18,168 total combined net yards, 8th all-time), but his skills were not enough for teams to win with him. He shouldn’t make it.

8. Jim Jeffcoat: He was a Cowboy great, but I don’t think he did enough to make the Hall. Many of his 102.5 sacks came when Dallas was struggling.

7. Jimmy Johnson: Coaches need some longevity to deserve a Hall spot, I think. Jimmy’s chances decreased when he struggled in Miami.

6. Jerry Jones: He needs about 10 more years before he should be considered for this.

5. Jay Novacek: The Ring of Honor should have his name, but his 4,630 yards in 12 years won’t be enough.

4. Danny White: He was very much like Steve Young, except that the 49ers were able to buy a team to surround Young. White accomplished more than most would have, but the talent base around him eroded. If you don’t think he was an asset, compare the Cowboys’ record before his wrist injury with the record after the wrist injury.

Hall of Fame? Doubt it.

3. Drew Pearson: He ought to be in there, but suffers from: (a) the fact that Dallas really was not a throwing team until late in the 1970s, (b) the fact that Dallas ran a multiple offense that spread the ball around, preventing him from building stats, (c) the idea that he was the face of America’s Team, along with the bias associated with the Cowboys of the 1970s.

2. Gil Brandt: He revolutionized pro scouting, and not only through the computers. He was very well known for finding players at small colleges who turned out to be solid pros (Jethro Pugh among many others).

1. Ed Jones: 15 years in the league and was dominant nearly to the end. If the NFL had kept stats on sacks from 1974 to 1981, I have no doubt that he would have well over 120 (he had 57.5 in the final eight years of his career). To my knowledge, he never missed a game due to injury.

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Here’s a bit more about Tony Romo’s contract extension (6 years, $67.5 million):

Wearing jeans and an untucked Dallas Cowboys golf shirt, Tony Romo treated Tuesday as if it was any other day of work.

Well, there were a few difference. Such as the fact he brought mom and dad to team headquarters.

And the six-year, $67.5 million contract he showed up to sign.

On one of the biggest days of his life, Romo remained the average guy he’s been since joining the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent five years ago. He said he was humbled by the $11.5 million signing bonus and by cementing a spot in the lineage of Don Meredith-to-Roger Staubach-to-Troy Aikman, but he also insisted the only thing that’s going to change is his tax bracket.

Want proof? He’s even planning to keep his apartment — and his roommate — despite having the third-highest annual salary among NFL quarterbacks, ahead of Tom Brady and Brett Favre.

“I never really thought this was a goal along the way. I still don’t necessarily perceive it as a goal, but it’s something really neat that I get to experience,” Romo said, flashing the dimpled aw-shucks grin that’s helped him land dates with gorgeous actresses and singers.

I haven’t been single for a long time, but even in the 1990s when I was single, I distinctly remember that if I used the phrase “really neat” that I would not get date (not really what I’m thinking, but I work for a Baptist institution), LET ALONE (continued after this story). . .