Dallas Cowboys, an American professional gridiron football team based in Dallas that competes in the National Football League’s (NFL) National Football Conference (NFC) (NFL).
The Cowboys are one of the NFL’s most successful and popular franchises, having won five Super Bowls and eight conference championships.
The Dallas Cowboys were the modern-era NFL’s first expansion team. The NFL granted Dallas a franchise after the 1960 college draft in order to avoid losing the South to the AFL.
The team was previously known as the Dallas Steers and the Dallas Rangers. On March 19, 1960, they renamed the team the Cowboys to avoid confusion with the American Association’s Dallas Rangers baseball team.
Early struggles: 1960–1964
1960: Winless First Year
The Cowboys first played in 1960, and their home games were held in the Cotton Bowl, which was located a few miles east of Downtown Dallas.
They shared this stadium for their first three seasons with the Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs), who joined the American Football League the same year.
With a team mostly made up of sub-par players, the 1960 Cowboys went 0–11–1 in their first season (many well past their prime).
From 1961 to 1964, There was a Gradual Improvement
The Cowboys made their first college draft selection the following year.
Selecting TCU Horned Frogs defensive tackle Bob Lilly with the 13th overall pick (despite having the worst record in the league in 1960, they gave the first overall pick in the 1961 draft to the expansion team Minnesota Vikings).
The Cowboys won their first game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving them their first victory in team history.
Only the year before, the Cowboys had played the Steelers in their first regular-season game.
The Cowboys ended their second season with a 4–9–1 record overall.
Check out The 1970s/ 1980s History
The 1990s
Johnson quickly returned the Cowboys to the top of the NFL by making a series of wise decisions.
After selecting Aikman, fullback Daryl Johnston, and center Mark Stepnoski in 1989.
Johnson selected running back Emmitt Smith in 1990, defensive tackle Russell Maryland and offensive tackle Erik Williams in 1991, and safety Darren Woodson in 1992.
Veteran players like tight end Jay Novacek and defensive end Charles Haley.
As well as holdovers from the Landry era like wide receiver Michael Irvin, guard Nate Newton, linebacker Ken Norton, Jr., and offensive lineman Mark Tuinei, joined the young talent.
1990
Smith was selected NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year and Johnson was named Coach of the Year after the Cowboys ended 7–9 in 1990.
1991
In 1991, the Dallas Cowboys made the playoffs for the first time since 1985.
They became the first team to feature the league leaders in rushing yards (Smith, Irvin) and receiving yards (Irvin). The 1991 season also marked Dallas’s return to Monday Night Football.
1992: Third Super Bowl Victory
The Cowboys finished second in the league with a 13–3 record in 1992, and they awarded quarterback Troy Aikman MVP after completing 73.3 percent of his throws.
Emmitt Smith carried for 108 yards and became the first rushing champion in NFL history to also win a Super Bowl.
Learn More About The Switzer Era
The 2000s
Dave Campo Era (2000–2002)
Between 2001 and 2002, the Dallas Cowboys used five different quarterbacks. Many supporters held Jerry Jones responsible for the team’s woes, claiming that he refused to select a capable coach.
The most humiliating setback of the Campo era came on the opening night of the 2002 season.
Jason Garrett era (2011–2019)
Jason Garrett was named full-time head coach after finishing 5–3 as an interim coach during the final eight games of the previous season.
The Cowboys faced the New York Jets for a Sunday Night game commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with Tony Romo returning to play.
The Cowboys were 1–3 in October, including a 34–7 loss to division foe Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7.
In November, they went undefeated, which helped them turn things around.
With a 7–4 record, they were tied for first place in their division with the New York Giants, whom the Cowboys had yet to face.
2015
The Dallas Cowboys concluded the 2015 season with a 4–12 record, which was disappointing. Tony Romo, the Cowboys’ quarterback, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after hurting his collarbone twice.
2016
They awarded offensive Rookie of the Year to Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys finished the regular season with a 13–3 record, earning them home-field advantage for the playoffs. In the NFC Wild Card game, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers defeated them.
2017
The Cowboys started the season with a 19–3 win over the New York Giants. The Denver Broncos thrashed them 42–17 in Week 2.
The Cowboys faced the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9 and won 28–17, becoming the first team that season to intercept Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith.
The Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and Los Angeles Chargers would all defeat them in their next three games. Their season came to a close with a 6–0 victory over the Eagles, giving them a 9–7 record.
2018
Three of the Cowboys’ major offensive players have left the team. Dez Bryant, a wide receiver, was released in April 2018. Jason Witten, a 15-year veteran tight end, announced his retirement in May.
Dan Bailey was fired on September 1 after losing his position to Brett Maher, a former CFL kicker. After losses to the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars in October, the Dallas Cowboys went 1–2.
For their star wide receiver, they dealt Amari Cooper to the Oakland Raiders.
After winning seven of their final eight games, the Cowboys were able to return to the playoffs as a result of the deal.
2019
After a couple of losses throughout the season, the squad concluded with an 8–8 record. Jerry Jones, the team’s owner, elected not to renew Jason Garrett’s contract as head coach after the season.
2020
Their single win came against the Minnesota Vikings in an upset.
They would go on to lose six of their next seven games, with their sole win coming against the Atlanta Falcons.
2021
Dallas made the playoffs for the first time in three years, thanks to Dak returning from injury, an improved defense, and a 12–5 record.
However, their hearts were broken once more when the 6th-seeded San Francisco 49ers defeated them 23–17 in the Wild Card Round.
From time immemorial, the sport has always brought people from different races and colors together, and football is no different. Thousands of people flock into the stadium to see the spectacular shows that the Dallas Cowboys present.
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