[tps_title]5. Leon Lett, DT, 1991[/tps_title]
Speaking of famous plays in Super Bowl history…
Leon Lett is the Pro Bowl version of Patrick Crayton. He had two trips to Hawaii and was one of the Cowboys’ top defensive linemen during “The Dynasty.” But he is most remembered for two blunders.
In the 1992 Super Bowl, Lett almost scored a touchdown on a long fumble return. But as Leon started celebrating early, Buffalo’s Don Beebe chased him down and knocked the ball out of his hands before he crossed the goal line.
Of course, the Cowboys still defeated the Bills 52-17. So no harm done.
The far more costly error came in the 1993 Thanksgiving game against the Miami Dolphins. With the Cowboys up 14-13 on a snow-covered field, a last-second FG attempt by Miami was blocked. Dallas would’ve taken possession, but while the play was still live Leon Lett tried to recover the ball and didn’t secure it. Miami did, and then lined up and hit the game-winning field goal.
Sorry to dig up old dirt, but you can’t talk about Lett without these classic “Lett-downs.”
Still, these moments were drops in the bucket in Leon’s great run with the Cowboys. He was one of the team’s standout defenders from 1992 through the rest of the decade. He was one of the most agile defensive tackles of his era, earning the nickname “Big Cat” for that trait.
Lett’s Cowboys legacy also extends beyond the field. In Jason Garrett’s first official season as Cowboys head coach, he added his old teammate Leon as an assistant coach on the defensive line. Lett has held that position ever since, and is one of the very few players still on Dallas’ coaching staff in 2020 from the Garrett regime.
So yes, Leon Lett’s name may be most associated with two of the classic “football follies” in the NFL history. But drafting Lett in any round of the NFL Draft wouldn’t have been a mistake, and his success as a 7th-round pick was phenomenal.
Guess I’m not as familiar with Leon Lett’s time cause I wouldn’t have assumed He’d be above Ratliff.
He wasn’t. Lett was 5th, Ratliff was 3rd.
I like Aaron Parker from Rhode Island for round 7. He would give better rotational depth at WR. If I’m Dallas I would honestly get him and get his teammate WR in the 5th also. Dallas would get 2 WR’S in this draft I think both of them would be steals.
Get Isaiah Culter and Aaron Parker as a WR from Rhode Island. I think they would be awesome in Dallas and be steals in the mid-later rounds.
The name alone, Bullet Bob, says it all. Hayes changed the game and was a true home run hitter every time he touched the ball. He is the best seventh rounder! And as the article mentioned, he was a great returner. He brought an excitement to the game that very few others could match. He was one of the players that kept the Cowboys a very popular team, with a rich, great history.
Cowboys are America’s Team! And hopefully with the FAs and the right draft picks, they can compete for another Championship. Dak better take his big head out of his a$$, and get on board. If not, hopefully the front office has a plan B.
“Mike Hegman was a backup linebacker and special teams player for his first four seasons. He helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XIII in a big way, returning a Terry Bradshaw fumble for a touchdown.”
The Cowboys didn’t win Super Bowl XIII. The Steelers did.