[tps_title]3. Eugene Lockhart, LB, 1984[/tps_title]
Despite being a late-round rookie, Lockhart was thrust into starting duty early that year due to an injury. He would lead the team in tackles and be named to the NFL’s All-Rookie Team for 1984.
Eugene would be the Cowboys leading tackler almost every season. He led the entire NFL in that category in 1989 and somehow didn’t make the Pro Bowl, but was named as a first-team All Pro.
Indeed, Lockhart was a victim of the lack of team success the 80s that made it harder to be individually recognized. You could say he was the 80s version of Dexter Coakley.
Lockhart’s play didn’t escape everyone’s attention, though. He earned the nickname “Mean Gene, the hitting machine.” He was also one of the few veteran to survive the initial transition from Tom Landry to Jimmy Johson.
Eugene played two years for Johnson and was still Dallas’ leading tackler, but the ongoing youth movement under Jimmy got him traded to the Patriots in 1991. The Cowboys used one of the picks from that deal to select Russell Maryland.
Unfortunately, Lockhart was unable to sustain his success in New England and only played two more years. He failed to make the roster in 1993 and retired.
Eugene Lockhart was probably an equal football player than some we think of today as all-time Cowboys legends. He had the misfortune of playing in a time when the organization was crumbling and individual greatness was dwarfed by franchise failure.
But despite all that, he was easily one of the best 6th-round picks in team history.
