Earlier, I gave my idea of who I believed belonged on the Dallas Cowboys' All Pro-Bowl offensive team and here is my list of who should make the Cowboys' All-Pro defensive team. In the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl, it is only defense players that represents the Cowboys in the Pro Bowl but do either of those players belong on this list?
Defensive Tackles (2): Randy White and Bob Lilly
Randy White went by the nickname of Manster because he was half man and half monster. He was a seven-time All-Pro and made nine appearances in the NFL Pro Bowl. He finished his career with 111 sacks, an unofficial number since they were not recorded until 1982. He pairs here with the man he followed, the greatest Dallas Cowboys' player of them all, Bob Lilly. Lilly played in 11 Pro Bowls and was the original star in the Doomsday Defense.
Defensive Ends (2): Harvey Martin and Ed Jones
I have to give an honorable mention here to Jim Jeffcoat, who was one of the best to ever play for the Cowboys, but it is hard to match up to the two outside members of the Doomsday Defense. Harvey Martin is the Cowboys' current sack leader and was co-MVP in Super Bowl XII with fellow lineman Randy White. Ed "Too Tall" Jones was never as prolific as Martin but was just as dominating. He finished with 57.5 sacks.
Outside Linebackers (2): DeMarcus Ware and Chuck Howley
The newest member of the squad, and the only active Cowboys' player on this defensive list is Ware, who is a threat to break the NFL sack record every year. If he stays healthy, in 2012 Ware will become the Dallas all-time sack leader and he has only been playing since 2005. On the opposite end, Howley joined Dallas in only their second year as a franchise. He holds the distinction of being the only Super Bowl MVP on a losing team. Amazingly, he is still not in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Inside Linebacker: Lee Roy Jordan
The Dallas Cowboys have quite a few solid outside linebackers in the team's history but no one has ever played the inside as well as Lee Roy Jordan. Another Cowboys' superstar who is not in the NFL Hall of Fame, Jordan finished his 12-year career with 32 interceptions as a five-time Pro Bowl player.
Strong Safety: Charlie Waters
If I could start two strong safeties and no free safety, I would have started Darren Woodson over Cliff Harris. However, I can't start him over Charlie Waters. Waters started his career as Harris' backup, and then played cornerback, but it wasn't until they moved him to strong safety that he flourished. Waters finished with 41 interceptions and played in a total of 25 postseason games.
Free Safety: Cliff Harris
Cliff Harris teamed with Waters to give Dallas the best safety pairing in their team's history. He played on a pair of Super Bowl winning teams and took part in seven NFC championship games over his career. Harris intercepted 29 passes in his career and recovered 18 fumbles.
Cornerbacks (2): Deion Sanders and Mel Renfro
This was a tough choice because one of my favorite defensive players growing up was Everson Walls and I really wanted him on this list but he failed to make the cut over either Sanders or Renfro. Renfro finished his career with 52 interceptions while Sanders was one of the most explosive playmakers in NFL history.
Special Teams: Bill Bates
There used to not be a spot in the NFL Pro Bowl for special teams' players outside of the kickers. It was Dallas Cowboys' safety Bill Bates that changed that idea. Bates was not the best safety in the NFL but he was one of the best special teams players to ever step on the field for Dallas.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys' fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys' related news, good or bad
