[tps_title]5. Pat Toomay, DE, 1970[/tps_title]
Toomay joined the Cowboys in 1970 and provided rotational work as a backup for the Doomsday Defense. He helped Dallas win a Super Bowl in 1971.
Pat eventually became a starter in 1973 and led the team in sacks according to the Cowboys’ unofficial stats. Sacks were not officially recorded by the NFL until 1982.
After losing snaps to rookie Ed “Too Tall” Jones in 1974, Toomay left the Cowboys as a free agent and signed with Buffalo. According to NFL free agency rules at that time, the Bills sent Dallas a second-round draft pick in 1977 to facilitate the deal.
The Cowboys used that pick to help move up in the draft and take Tony Dorsett with the 2nd-overall pick.
Toomay would go on to be the Bills’ defensive MVP in 1975. That year he also published a book that provided an insider view of life as an NFL player, and that seemed to create issues for him with management.
Buffalo left Pat unprotected in the 1976 expansion draft, held for the arrivals of Seattle and Tampa Bay to the NFL landscape. Toomay was selected by the fledgling Buccaneers.
After a year with the Bucs, Toomay was traded to the Radiers coming off their 1977 Super Bowl victory. He was credited with leading the team that year at 14.5 sacks, and would remain a veteran presence for two more seasons before retiring after the 1979 season.
While never a Hall of Fame talent, Pat Toomay was a team leader in sacks for three different franchises during the 70s. He’s another 6th-round guy who left a memorable mark on the NFL.
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.