An All-American at Syracuse, Daryl Johnston became the “Moose” in Big D when Dallas chose him with their Second Round Pick in 1989.

Johnston was listed as a Fullback/Running Back, but he was mostly a blocker and had far more yardage as a receiver.  Paving the way for Emmitt Smith, Johnston was integral in Dallas’s three Super Bowls in the early 1990s dynasty, and he parlayed that popularity into a broadcasting and executive career.

Johnston is never in the Pro Football Hall of Fame conversation, but to Cowboy Nation, he was a legend.  Many non-Cowboys fans will say the same.

Ray Donaldson played 17 seasons in the NFL, the first 13 with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts, where he was their starting Center for 12 of them.

From 1986 to 1989, he was named to the Pro Bowl, and he was unquestionably considered to be one of the best Centers in the game.  He later played for the Seattle Seahawks, then spent two more seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, both of which earned him a Pro Bowl Selection.  He would stabilize that Cowboys O-Line to a win in Super Bowl XXX.

Nate Newton was so big that he was called the “Kitchen," in reference to the fact that he was a more massive player than William "The Refrigerator" Perry.  Newton went undrafted out of Florida A&M but found a home in the USFL, where he played two years with the Tampa Bay Bandits and earned All-USFL Honors.

Now a seasoned professional, Newton signed with the Dallas Cowboys but continued to struggle with his weight.  In his 30s, Newton was at his best, going to six Pro Bowls and earning two First Team All-Pro selections, and he was a large (literally) part of the superb O-Line that helped Emmitt Smith rush his way to the Hall of Fame.  Big Nate would win three Super Bowl Rings with the Cowboys, and we are guessing that his ring size may have been the largest one ever created.

Darren Woodson arrived in Dallas as one of the Draft Picks acquired in the Herschel Walker trade, and the 2^nd Rounder from Arizona State wasted little time establishing himself as a force in the Cowboys Secondary, even though he was a Linebacker in college.  A member of the All-Rookie Team, Woodson aided Dallas to a win in Super Bowl XXVII and subsequently Super Bowl XXVIII and in the season after he would begin a three-year streak of First Team All-Pros and five year run of Pro Bowls.  This period would also see Woodson win his third Super Bowl (XXX). 

The Cardinals franchise has a long, storied history of great players.  Jay Novacek played five seasons there, but it wasn’t until he hit “Big D” that he became a star and was used to his full potential.

The early Dallas Cowboys dynasty featured a Hall of Fame offense of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin.  As good as that triumvirate was, there were many who felt that their Tight End, Jay Novacek, was just as valuable.  Utilized well in Dallas, Novacek used his soft hands and could always be counted on to deliver in short-yardage pass situations.  Cowboys fans never had to worry about that position, and for five straight years, Novacek made the Pro Bowl. 

Jay Novacek’s final game was a five-catch, one-touchdown performance in the Cowboys’ Super Bowl XXX win over Pittsburgh.  Back issues forced him out of professional football, but after six great years in Dallas, he retired happy with what he accomplished.