Part of the Greatest Players by Number Series

Jersey #80

Fifteen players have worn #80 for the Cowboys. This includes 12 wide receivers and three tight ends. Assuming that Martellus Bennett makes the squad, he will be the 16th player to wear the number.

Note: Several players have worn #80 in preseason games, while others have been assigned the number but did record at least one official game. These players played in at least a single game.

Rod Barksdale, WR, Arizona, 1987

Statistics: Barksdale caught 12 passes for 165 yards and 1 TD for the Cowboys.

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.

Intangibles: Dallas traded Ron Fellows to the Raiders for Barksdale in 1987, but the former sprinter did not get many chances with the Cowboys.

Gary Barnes, WR, Clemson, 1963

Statistics: Barnes caught 15 passes for 195 yards with the Cowboys.

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.

Intangibles: The Cowboys picked up Barnes from Green Bay in 1963, and he saw quite a bit of action. He was traded to Chicago before the 1964 season.

Anthony Fasano, TE, Notre Dame, 2006-07

Statistics: Fasano caught 28 passes for 269 yards with the Cowboys.

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.

Intangibles: The Cowboys picked up Fasano in the second round of the 2006 draft. However, he did not progress as quickly as the team would have liked, and the Cowboys shipped him to Miami during offseason in 2008.

Bernard Ford, WR, Central Florida, 1989

Statistics: For caught 7 passes for 78 yards with the Cowboys.

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.

Intangibles: He was a free agent who made the team during the dreadful 1989 season. Ford played for Houston in 1990.

Everett Gay, WR, Texas, 1988

Statistics: Gay made 15 receptions for 205 yards and one touchdown.

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.

Intangibles: Gay made the team in 1988 after spending the 1987 season on injured reserve. He was traded to Tampa Bay in 1989.

Alvin Harper, WR, Tennessee, 1991-94, 1999

Statistics: Harper caught 124 passes for 2486 yards (a 20.0 average) and 18 TDs.

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played six seasons in Dallas.

Intangibles: Harper is very well remembered for his many playoff heroics, including the famous catch and run against San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game in 1992. He was well-known for his athletic catches, but he was never as productive as he should have been. The most catches he had in one season in Dallas was 36, and he never surpassed 50 in a single season during his career. He left via free agency in 1995. He returned briefly in 1999 following Michael Irvin’s career-ending neck injury, but Harper did nothing at all once he was back in Dallas.

Rod Harris, WR, Texas A&M, 1990

Statistics: Harris had 12 receptions for 63 yards with the Cowboys.

Accolades:None.

Longevity: He played less than one full season in Dallas.

Intangibles: Harris was traded to the Eagles midway through the 1990 season.

Tony Hill, WR, Stanford, 1977-86

Statistics: Hill caught a total of 479 passes for 7988 yards and 51 TDs. He ranks fourth in team history in receptions and second in receiving yards.

Accolades: He earned three trips to the Pro Bowl.

Longevity: Hill played 10 seasons in Dallas.

Intangibles: Hill was a big-play receiver throughout his career in Dallas. He famously caught Roger Staubach’s lob pass against Washington in the final game of the regular season in 1979, and he had other huge games as well. He is sometimes forgotten when the names of Irvin and Pearson were brought up, but Hill was one of the great receivers in franchise history.

David McDaniels, WR, Mississippi Valley, 1968

Statistics: n/a

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.

Intangibles: When the Cowboys selected McDaniels in the second round of the 1968 draft, it was apparently a mistake by the scouting department. He was slower and smaller than expected and was traded to Philadelphia in 1969.

Ola Lee Murchison, WR, Pacific, 1961

Statistics: n/a

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.

Intangibles: Murchison made the team in 1961 and primarily played on special teams.

Sean Ryan, TE, Boston College, 2004-05

Statistics: n/a

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played two seasons in Dallas.

Intangibles: Ryan was primarily a blocking tight end in Dallas. He later played for the Jets.

O.J. Santiago, TE, Kent, 2000

Statistics: n/a

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played one season in Dallas.

Intangibles: The Cowboys traded with Atlanta for Santiago in 2000, but he never caught a pass in the one season in played in Dallas.

Sebron Spivey, WR, Southern Illinois, 1987

Statistics: Spivey caught two passes for 34 yards with the Cowboys.

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played in two of the replacement games in 1987.

Intangibles: n/a

Reggie Swinton, WR, Murray State, 2001-03

Statistics: Swinton averaged 24.0 yards per kickoff return.

Accolades: None.

Longevity: He played three seasons in Dallas.

Intangibles: Swinton showed some promise as a return specialist, but once Bill Parcells arrived in 2003, Swinton was no longer returning kicks regularly. He later played for the Lions and Cardinals.

Stepfret Williams, WR, Northeast Louisiana, 1996-97

Statistics: Williams caught 31 passes for 340 yards with the Cowboys.

Accolades: None.

Longevity: Williams played two seasons in Dallas.

Intangibles: Taken in the third round of the 1996 draft, Williams was not as skilled as Kevin Williams or Kelvin Martin as a slot receiver. He caught 30 passes in 1997 but did not make the squad in 1998.

Poll

Here is your chance to vote for the greatest player to wear #80.

 Loading ...

My Vote: Hill

This one is clearly between Hill and Harper, but I do not think this is much of a competition. Hill may not be as well-known for his big-time plays as Harper. But he was more accomplished as a receiver and played much longer in Dallas than Harper. Harper had some huge plays during his time in Dallas, but he underachieved for the most part. Thus, Hill gets my vote.