Even before they were officially “born” on January 28, 1960, the Dallas Cowboys (nee Rangers) had an interesting history. Here are twenty trivia questions focused on the history of the team prior to its official formation.
1. What position did Tex Schramm hold immediately before being named as general manager of the Cowboys (then the Rangers)?
2. With which team was Schramm previously associated prior to holding the position from question #1?
3. Who recommended Schramm to Clint Murchison, Jr.?
4. What job did Gil Brandt hold when he was hired by the Dallas franchise?
5. What was Brandt’s first title with the team?
6. Along with Murchison, who was the other franchisee (co-owner) when Dallas was awarded an NFL franchise?
7. Which two teams originally drafted Don Meredith?
8. How did the Dallas franchise obtain the rights to Meredith?
9. On January 3, 1960, Meredith starred in what game?
10. True or False: Meredith originally agreed to a three-year, $100,000 per-year contract with an AFL team before backing out of the deal.
11. Shortly after Lamar Hunt and other owners announced the formation of the American Football League, Chicago’s George Halas in August 1959 announced that two cities would likely receive NFL franchises. Dallas was one city. What was the other?
12. What did Hunt call the move announced by Halas?
13. Which franchise was Murchison interested in purchasing in 1952 but could not because he was out of the country?
14. Which current NFL franchise did Murchison try to purchase during the 1950s?
15. At the NFL owners’ meeting in Miami in January 1960, four cities were in the running to receive an expansion team. In addition to Dallas, what were the other three cities?
16. Tom Landry succeeded which quarterback at the University of Texas in the late 1940s?
17. Landry reportedly had at least three head coaching offers prior to accepting the job with the Cowboys. Which teams were interested in hiring him?
18. True or False: Landry served as a coach during a pro football game at the Cotton Bowl prior to his arrival as head coach of the Cowboys in 1960.
19. Landry was well-known as a businessman in Dallas before he was hired as the head coach of the Dallas franchise. What was his area of business during the offseason?
20. In December 1959, Dallas tried to obtain the rights to a halfback who chose instead to sign with the AFL’s Dallas Texans. Who was this player?
I’ll post the answers in a couple of days. If you know the answers, please use the comments section.
1. What position did Tex Schramm hold immediately before being named as general manager of the Cowboys (then the Rangers)?
I believe he was a producer for CBS, maybe for the Winter Olympics?
2. With which team was Schramm previously associated prior to holding the position from question #1?
GM for the Los Angeles Rams
3. Who recommended Schramm to Clint Murchison, Jr.?
Dan Reeves, owner of the Rams?
4. What job did Gil Brandt hold when he was hired by the Dallas franchise?
Baby photographer
5. What was Brandt’s first title with the team?
Head of college scouting
6. Along with Murchison, who was the other franchisee (co-owner) when Dallas was awarded an NFL franchise?
Bedford Wynne
7. Which two teams originally drafted Don Meredith?
The Bears and Dallas Texans?
8. How did the Dallas franchise obtain the rights to Meredith?
Traded a draft pick to the Bears and signed Meredith to a personal services agreement
9. On January 3, 1960, Meredith starred in what game?
Don’t know, probably a bowl game
10. True or False: Meredith originally agreed to a three-year, $100,000 per-year contract with an AFL team before backing out of the deal.
True?
11. Shortly after Lamar Hunt and other owners announced the formation of the American Football League, Chicago’s George Halas in August 1959 announced that two cities would likely receive NFL franchises. Dallas was one city. What was the other?
Minneapolis
12. What did Hunt call the move announced by Halas?
A move designed to kill the AFL
13. Which franchise was Murchison interested in purchasing in 1952 but could not because he was out of the country?
Chicago Cardinals?
14. Which current NFL franchise did Murchison try to purchase during the 1950s?
Washington Redskins
15. At the NFL owners’ meeting in Miami in January 1960, four cities were in the running to receive an expansion team. In addition to Dallas, what were the other three cities?
don’t know
16. Tom Landry succeeded which quarterback at the University of Texas in the late 1940s?
Bobby Layne
17. Landry reportedly had at least three head coaching offers prior to accepting the job with the Cowboys. Which teams were interested in hiring him?
don’t know
18. True or False: Landry served as a coach during a pro football game at the Cotton Bowl prior to his arrival as head coach of the Cowboys in 1960.
True
19. Landry was well-known as a businessman in Dallas before he was hired as the head coach of the Dallas franchise. What was his area of business during the offseason?
Insurance
20. In December 1959, Dallas tried to obtain the rights to a halfback who chose instead to sign with the AFL’s Dallas Texans. Who was this player?
Abner Haynes
You got 13 of them, Fred. A few of these were really tough and not widely known.
I wokred hard to avoid looking at the above answers. This is a hard quiz. So I will take a failing grade on this one.
ANSWERS 1)Scramm was a GM; 2) LA Rams; 3)Don’t know; 4)Assistant Coach?; 5)Scout; 6)Wynn–see article; 7)Chicago Bears and Dallas Texans; 8)Trade and signed him to personal services contract–Dallas had no draft its first season; 9)Blue-Gray Game?; 10)I believe True; 11) Minneapolis; 12)Betrayal? 13)Baltimore Colts;
14)Don’t know; 15)Minneapolis, New Orleans, Atlanta, and don’t know; 16)Bobby Layne–I know this one!; 17)NY Giants, maybe the Texans of the AFL; 18)True I think Maybe the College All Stars vs. NFl Champions game; 19)Industrial engineering was his degree–perhaps business consulting?;
20)Abner Haynes–Or maybe Billy Cannon?