Welcome back to another Countdown to Kickoff series. As we inch closer to the end of this series, it’s sad to see this adventure end. But, in good news, that only means that Dallas Cowboys Football is back, baby.
With only two days left, I bet everyone is excited and anxious to see America’s Team again. But to pump the brakes a bit and get you all more hype about the season, I’m dropping a throwback player who was the Greatest #2 in franchise history.
Out of the ten guys that wore the number, I admit it was difficult choosing one worthy player. Not because they didn’t deserve the honor, but the lack of impact and talent didn’t pop out.
However, the show must go on. So, without further ado, let’s welcome Mr. Lin Elliott to the stage.
Lin Elliott’s Football Career
If you haven’t realized, I’m a big special-teams guy. While I expected that more kickers and punters were going to be honored as we crept toward the teens and single-digit numbers, I didn’t realize how many deserving kickers and punters the franchise had.
Despite all of that, let’s talk about Elliott.
In 1992, the franchise was looking for a replacement at their kicker position after the Cowboys failed to pay their kicker Ken Willis–and he said adios.
(Seems like the franchise has been losing and not paying their players for a while, huh?)
Part of their solution for a replacement was to sign a kicker from Texas Tech by the name of Lin Elliott. And after pulling a groin during training camp–he somehow managed to win the starting job– but only lasted a year in Dallas.
Stats-wise, Elliott wasn’t too hot as he was 24-35 from FG (68.6%) and 47-48 from XP (97.9%).
While those stats don’t pop out, they were good enough for him to get votes for OROY, and he led all rookies in points. However, his biggest accomplishment was being a part of the Super Bowl XXVII-winning team. Add in that he set the record for most XPs made in that game– it wasn’t too shabby for Elliott during his tenure in Dallas.
Following his departure from the Boys, Elliott spent two seasons in Kansas City and averaged around 80% on FGs.
Although he lived a short time with the team, Elliott played a role in helping the franchise achieve a Super Bowl, and for that, he’s the Greatest #2 in franchise history.
Congratulations to Mr. Elliott on the accomplishment, and tune in tomorrow to find out who the last player in the Countdown to Kickoff series is.
