We’re back with another Countdown to Week One post, and in today’s piece, we’re going to be crowing the Best #77 ever.
If you missed my most recent piece, it crowned Erik “Big E” Williams as the Best #79.
Although Williams was the best in my eyes and had credentials to back up his case, fans thought otherwise and left me with many comments about why DE/DT Harvey Martin should have been the choice.
I admit DE/DT Harvey Martin did have an accomplished career (Co-Super Bowl MVP, one of the franchise’s leading sack leaders)– but I went with Williams because of his multiple rings and impact on the field.
And while some fans told me my “young bias is showing,” I did mention I am learning new players every time I make these posts, and after some in-depth research over the possible candidates–I make my choice.
Shifting back to today’s post, I was stuck deciding between two players who are household names for the franchise, but after some debate–I went with DE Jim Jeffcoat over Tackle Tyron Smith.
Smith, arguably one of the best linemen to play for the franchise, was a close second for me, but because of Jeffcoat’s hardware, Smith got overlapped a bit.
Here are all the other players who came through the Dallas Cowboys and donned the #77:
- Byron Bradfute
- Clyde Brock
- Steve Cisowski
- Jim Colvin
- Ron East
- Bill Gregory
- Pat McQuistan
- Solomon Page
- Steve Scifres
- Larry Stephens
- Bruce Thornton
- Torrin Tucker
Jim Jeffcoat’s NFL Career
Drafted in the 1983 NFL Draft (23rd overall), Jeffcoat didn’t see much of the field in his first year, and it wasn’t until his sophomore year that he became an impactful player for the franchise.
During his second year, Jeffcoat replaced (Harvey) Martin and recorded 82 tackles and 11.5 sacks, which ranked second on the team and Top 15 in the league.
He would follow up the next year with 77 tackles and 12 sacks, as his high level of play would be the theme of his career during the late 80s.
Statistically, Jeffcoat’s best year was in 1989. His stat line that year was 100 tackles, 42 QB pressures, 11 sacks, and three fumble recoveries.
Once the 90s began, Jeffcoat’s numbers would slowly decline with limited opportunities as the Cowboys converted him into a situational pass-rusher.
But his impact was still felt on the field as he helped the franchise capture two Super Bowl Titles.
Jeffcoat would leave in 1995 via free agency to the Buffalo Bills and eventually retire in 1997. He would leave the Cowboys as one of the franchise’s all-time sack leaders and finish his career with 102.5 sacks, 745 tackles, 194 quarterback pressures, two interceptions, 11 fumble recoveries, and two touchdowns.
As mentioned, although Smith is a highly-accomplished tackle the Cowboys ever had, Jeffcoat’s hardware and accomplishments put him over the hump, but Smith does have a chance to surpass him.
But in the meantime, here’s to Jeffcoat getting his flowers as the Best #77, and I hope everyone has a great Sunday.
Which one is going to be a HOFer… The one currently playing.
Also, I understand that you may believe Smith will be one, but Jeffcoat has SB Rings. Smith has been a HOF player, but no hardware? Jeffcoat got the choice.
Sb rings are more team dependant. This is a list of who is the better individual talent
That logic means Jimmy Jones was better than DeMarcus Ware being that Jones was on Super Bowl winners in Dallas but Ware wasnt
This entire article is copied almost word for word from Jeffcoat’s wiki page…
Hey David, Thanks for the comment.
Although you may think that, I don’t use Wiki as a guide for these players to write up the pieces. I pull the stats from Pro-Football-Reference (which I should have hyperlinked) and go off that to craft a story.
Lines directly frome Wiki…
Wiki: In 1984, he replaced Harvey Martin at the right defensive end position, registering 82 tackles to go along with 11.5 sacks, ranking second on the team and in the top 15 among sack league leaders.
Rocky’s: During his second year, Jeffcoat replaced (Harvey) Martin and recorded 82 tackles and 11.5 sacks, which ranked second on the team and Top 15 in the league.
Wiki: Jeffcoat maintained a high level of play through the Cowboys difficult years of the late ’80s. His best season came in 1989, when he finished with a career-high 100 tackles, a career-high 42 quarterback pressures, 11.5 sacks (led team and top 12 among league leaders) and a career-high three fumble recoveries.
Rocky: He would follow up the next year with 77 tackles and 12 sacks, as his high level of play would be the theme of his career during the late 80s.
etc. Etc.
Once again, while that may be on Wiki–I didn’t use their site. I used PFR, which showed his best season
(anyone can see the best season stats off that page) and read through other articles about him to compile my facts about him. Stating stats about any player, you’re going to find a common theme around them in every story on him. Sorry if it sounds like Wiki, I will do better to not sound like them then, since my piece upset you. Have a good day David.
David, while I agree that the two read quite similarly, that can’t always be avoided. According to CopyLeaks – one of, if not the most reliable online plagiarism checker – there was a 7.1% overlap between this post and the Wikipedia article on Jim Jeffcoat. That was a content match, not verbatim.
His career is what it is, and there are but a few ways to iterate through the details of it. It would be illogical to write this in reverse-chronological order or to omit the highlights and lowlights of his career in Dallas – precisely what the Wikipedia article editors realized.
I appreciate your effort to keep us honest. However, the worst Rocky is guilty of here is not knowing the player well enough from his own experience to elaborate more than he did. That elaboration would have introduced more variety to the statistics and timeline from Jeffcoat’s career, which is what you noticed was missing. Thanks for reading.
So because Jeffcoat was a part of two teams that won a Super Bowl, after he transitioned to being a backup for the team, you judge him to be a better individual player than Tyron. ♂️
Tyron is an 8x pro bowler, 2x 1st team All Pro, 2x 2nd team All Pro, is on the 2010’s All Decade team, & arguably is the best OT in team history. Not even really arguable but I can see how someone might stump for Rayfield Wright, even with that he’s without question the best LT in team history.
Jeffcoat doesn’t even have a Pro Bowl to his name. Granted the anti Cowboys bias, which was clearly in full swing in the 80’s, had something to do with that. However that leaves us with only being able to two by Tyron’s accolades, since he’s an OLineman & they don’t really have stats, to Jeffcoat’s 94.5 sacks as a Cowboy. His Super Bowl rings don’t factor in since that’s a team accomplishment & while everyone who is on a championship team certainly contributes in whatever their role is, no one considers him a key contributing factor to those teams.
Sorry but while Jeffcoat was a very good player & arguably should be in the Hall, based on the fact that he broke the 100 sack mark in his career, he’s not a better Cowboys player than Tyron.
This article is purely for engagement and written for the sake of being different. Your reasoning is “hardware” but he literally was a situational pass rusher during those years and started 3 out of 32 games during that span. He was never among the best in the NFL at his position. Never even sniffed an PB or AP. Modern day Justin Houston, Carlos Dunlap, Ryan Kerrigan, Robert Quinn, etc and they are just as accomplished as him based on individual statistics and none of their careers stack up to Tyron. Chill, you’re embarrassing yourself.
I believe, unintended or not, there is a bit of recency biase involved here. Tyron is on the back side of his career and is not playing anywhere close to how dominant he was in his prime, nor has he been for a while…. While it’s easy to remember older players in a higher light than what actually was. Taking both players in there prime, Tyron is easily the better talent and player.
I think Tyron Smith is easily the better choice here Mr Garza you base giving it to JJ on super bowl rings but do you really think the Cowboys would have lost those two super bowls if Jim Jeffcoat was not on that roster that don’t make him better than one of the best OT,s to ever play 2 first team All Pros now thats the best player in the NFL for that position and 2 2nd team All Pros plus 8 pro bowls come on man you insulting this 1st time ballot Hall of famer bro thats not cool