[tps_title]6. Timmy Newsome, FB, 1980[/tps_title]
Newsome played nine seasons with Dallas in the 80s, sharing backfield time with Tony Dorsett, Herschel Walker, Ron Springs, and Robert Newhouse. He survived all those years on versatility and willingness to do the dirty work.
With the halfback duties covered, Newsome became a fullback and also occasionally took snaps at tight end. He wasn’t used much his first two seasons, mostly watching from the bench.
After rotating with other players the first five years of his career, Newsome became more the full-time starter at fullback in 1985 when Springs left the team.
In 1986, Newsome was used along with Dorsett and Walker in Tom Landry’s “full house” backfield formation. He finished the year third on the team in catches and fourth in receiving yards.
Newsome was one of many older players to lose his job in 1989 when Jimmy Johnson became head coach. Dallas drafted Daryl “Moose” Johnston in the second round that offseason and he immediately took over as fullback.
Timmy Newsome was a steady offensive contributor and facilitator throughout the decade. Like many of the Cowboys’ players in the 80s, he is now mostly forgotten due to the lack of team success in that era.
However, for all that he did for Dallas in nine years, he was a heck of a 6th-round pick.
Check your stats on all time Cowboys sack leaders. Harvey Martin has around 115 career sacks, much more than Andrie. Martin has always been getting the screws when it comes to all time greats.
You’re absolutely right, Bob. But like Andrie, his stats are “unofficial” as well. So I was only making the point of how Andrie compared to the guys whose stats were officially recorded post-1982.
But yeah, Martin definitely is underappreciated as well.