Dirty Dozen (American football)
Encyclopedia
The Dirty Dozen is the nickname referring to the rookies drafted by the Dallas Cowboys
in 1975
. These players were sometimes credited with helping the Cowboys advance to Super Bowl X
and was a key foundation of the team's success during the latter half of the 1970s going into the early 1980s. Also, many of these players would have replaced many of the Cowboys' aging starters of the 1960s by 1979.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in 1975
1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. These players were sometimes credited with helping the Cowboys advance to Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1975 regular season....
and was a key foundation of the team's success during the latter half of the 1970s going into the early 1980s. Also, many of these players would have replaced many of the Cowboys' aging starters of the 1960s by 1979.
Rookies drafted that year
- Bob BreunigBob BreunigRobert Paul Breunig is a former American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League from 1975 to 1984...
, MLB who succeeded Lee Roy JordanLee Roy JordanLee Roy Jordan is a retired American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he spent 14 years in the National Football League playing for the Dallas Cowboys between 1963–1976...
at the position following Jordan's retirement in 1976. - Pat Donovan, tackle who succeeded Ralph NeelyRalph NeelyRalph Eugene Neely is a former American football offensive tackle who played 13 seasons and 172 games for the Dallas Cowboys from 1965 to 1977.-Early years:...
at the left tackle position following Neely's retirement after Super Bowl XIISuper Bowl XIISuper Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
. Started Super Bowl XII at right tackle in place of future Hall of Famer Rayfield WrightRayfield WrightLarry Rayfield Wright is a former American football offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-High school and college years:...
. Formed what was known as the "Irish Triumverate" with Guard Tom RaffertyTom RaffertyThomas Michael Rafferty is a former American football offensive lineman in the NFL. He attended Fayetteville-Manlius High School in Manlius, New York, and went on to start four years for coach Joe Paterno at Penn State University earning All-American honors in 1975.-Early years:Rafferty attended...
and center John Fitzgerald. - Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, an outside linebacker who replaced Dave Edwards after Super Bowl XSuper Bowl XSuper Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1975 regular season....
- Mitch HoopesMitch HoopesMitchell Kent Hoopes is a retired American basketball and football player. He had a three-year career in the National Football League from 1975 to 1977 as a punter. He played in Super Bowl X as a member of the Dallas Cowboys....
, a punter - Percy HowardPercy HowardPercy Lenard Howard is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys in 1975. He was an unlikely star for the CowBoys in Super Bowl X.-Early years:...
, a wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
best known for his only catch ever being in Super Bowl XSuper Bowl XSuper Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1975 regular season.... - Randy HughesRandy HughesJames Randell Hughes is a former American football safety who played six seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys...
, a safety - Scott LaidlawScott LaidlawRobert Scott Laidlaw is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. He played college football for Stanford University....
, a running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... - Burton LawlessBurton LawlessRichard Burton Lawless is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League for six seasons during the 1970s and 1980s...
, an offensive guardGuard (American football)In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... - Herbert ScottHerbert ScottHerbert Carnell Scott is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League...
, another guard (replaced Blaine NyeBlaine NyeBlaine Francis Nye is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League and founder and president of Stanford Consulting Group, Inc...
after Nye's retirement in 1976) - Randy WhiteRandy White (American football)Randall Lee "Randy" White is a former American football defensive lineman and linebacker. He attended the University of Maryland from 1971 to 1974, and played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys from 1975 to 1988. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
, a Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
defensive tackle (originally middle linebacker) - Mike HegmanMike HegmanMichael William Hegman is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Tennessee State University....
, an outside linebacker (he didn't play much in regular season but did see duty in Super Bowl XSuper Bowl XSuper Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1975 regular season....
) - Roland WoolseyRoland WoolseyRoland Bert Woolsey was a former professional American football player who played in four NFL seasons from 1975-1978 for four different teams....
, a defensive back