I’m building an All-Time Defense one way: mean.
I want sacks, picks, rings, and violence. I don’t want nice guys on this list. I will be picking eleven of the hardest, meanest, nastiest defenders in Cowboys history.
I need the opposing offense to hate playing in a hypothetical game.
This group has to have production, proof, and some nasty to their game.
Defensive Line: DeMarcus Ware, Bob Lilly, Randy White, Harvey Martin
DeMarcus Ware starts this list because his 117 sacks with Dallas should end any debate.
Harvey Martin gets the other edge with 114 sacks and a Super Bowl XII co-MVP. That’s production with championship weight.
Inside, I’m taking Bob Lilly and Randy White.
Lilly had 11 Pro Bowls and seven first-team All-Pro selections. He was the original Cowboys defensive monster. While Randy White had nine Pro Bowls, 111 sacks, and shared Super Bowl XII MVP honors with Harvey Martin.
That defensive front gives me 342 sacks between Ware, Martin, and White. Add Lilly in the middle, and this line isn’t surviving blocks, offensive lines are trying to survive them.
- Starters: DeMarcus Ware, Bob Lilly, Randy White, Harvey Martin
- Top reserves: Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Charles Haley, Jethro Pugh
- Toughest miss: Jim Jeffcoat
Linebackers: Chuck Howley, Lee Roy Jordan, Ken Norton Jr.
Chuck Howley is the first linebacker I have out of the box.
Six Pro Bowls, five first-team All-Pros, Super Bowl V MVP. Even though Dallas lost the game, he still won MVP. That should tell you how dominant he was in that game.
Lee Roy Jordan goes in the middle of my defense.
Jordan had 1,236 tackles, 32 interceptions, and 18 fumble recoveries. I need that production calling the defense. He wasn’t just a leader, he had the stats to back up his demeanor.
Ken Norton Jr. gets the third spot.
Norton was part of the Cowboys’ 90s championship teams. He brought a force with him combined with speed and toughness. This is not going to be a soft linebacker room, it’s built to hit the offense in the mouth.
Sean Lee has the football IQ, Dexter Coakley has speed, Leighton Vander Esch was nearly unstoppable before neck injuries ended his career, but Howley, Jordan, and Norton are who I want in the middle of the defense.
- Starters: Chuck Howley, Lee Roy Jordan, Ken Norton Jr.
- Top reserves: Sean Lee, Dexter Coakley, Leighton Vander Esch
- Toughest miss: Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson
Cornerbacks: Deion Sanders, Mel Renfro, and Everson Walls
Deion Sanders starts because I want fear outside. Quarterbacks changed their plans because of Neon Deion.
Mel Renfro starts on the other side. 52 interceptions, ten Pro Bowls, and the Cowboys’ all-time interception leader. You throw lazy passes on either of these corners and they take it.
Everson Walls is my third corner and what a big-time slot corner with 44 interceptions. Cornell Green is my first reserve with 34 interceptions, five Pro Bowls, and the old-school toughness this defense needs.
Trevon Diggs will be my modern corner as a reserve. Diggs has the ball skills. His defense isn’t built on toughness, but on production.
- Starters: Deion Sanders, Mel Renfro, Everson Walls
- Top reserves: Cornell Green, Trevon Diggs
- Toughest miss: Terence Newman
Safety: Darren Woodson and Cliff Harris
Darren Woodson is my first safety and should be a Hall of Famer.
I want 1,350 tackles, 23 interceptions, and 11 sacks on the field for this defense. Woodson did everything he was asked by the coaching staff. He could cover, blitz, hit, and lead. He gives the defense everything I want on the back end.
Cliff Harris will start next to Darren Woodson.
Cliff Harris had 29 interceptions, was a seven-time All-Pro, and played in five Super Bowls, two championship rings. “Captain Crash” was one of the hardest hitting safeties in NFL history.
Charlie Waters is my top reserve coming off the bench. His 41 interceptions and nie playoff picks will come in handy.
- Starters: Darren Woodson, Cliff Harris
- Top reserves: Charlie Waters, Bill Bates
- Toughest miss: Roy Williams
My All-Time Cowboys Defense
Ware and Martin bring the heat off the edge, Lilly and White destroy the middle, Howley, Jordan, and Norton bring production and nastiness, Deion, Renfro, and Walls steal the ball, while Woodson and Harris bring punishment over the top.
The nasty is there, the leadership is there, and this defense could hold up against any offense.
No soft spots or cute football here.
Just men looking to hurt you and give the ball back to the offense.
This is the all-time Dallas Cowboys defense I want when the other team needs to be reminded what a long day feels like.
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