His on-field magic was a welcome sight after so many years of terrible quarterback play following the retirement of franchise legend Troy Aikman. Romo never looked back, starting 127 games until a preseason back injury in 2016 forced him to retire at the end of that season. He sat behind quarterbacks like Quincy Carter, Vinny Testaverde, Chad Hutchinson, Drew Henson, and Drew Bledsoe before finally getting his chance early in the 2006 season. Romo had offers from the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos but chose the Cowboys despite them offering a lower signing bonus. He went undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft after a stellar college career a Eastern Illinois University. Cowboys QB Tony Romo celebrates scoring a touchdown in a game versus the New York Giants QB Tony RomoĬareer Accolades: 4x Pro Bowl, 1x 2nd team All-Pro I won't speculate as to whether they can become finalists, but we can reminisce about the things they accomplished while in a Cowboys uniform. The other seven former Cowboys on the ballot all spent their entire careers with Dallas, or were big contributors to Super Bowl winning teams. Some of these players either only suited up for one game (Allen Rossum) or did not spend the better part of their careers in a Cowboys uniform.įor that reason, I won't go into detail on those particular few, but I will list them here anyway. He was a powerful player, one of the best guards in the NFL for over a decade, a great Dallas Cowboy and an undrafted wonder.The NFL Hall of Fame Committee revealed the 2024 nominees earlier this week.Īmongst the laundry list of names are 16 players who were part of the Dallas Cowboys organization at one point or another in their careers. He was a staple on the offensive line pass-blocking for quarterback Troy Aikman and helping the Cowboys win three Super Bowls. Moving “The Kitchen” was not easy, getting around him was even harder.Ĭombine that with his tenacity and mean streak – he was a handful for opposing defensive ends. From 1992 -1995, He, Erik Williams, Mark Tuinei, Mark Stepnoski and Kevin Gogan were one of the best offensive lines in NFL history.Ĭlearing the way for Emmitt Smith in the early 90’s, Newton went to six Pro Bowls and was selected twice as an All-Pro player. He thrived as a run blocker and held his own as a pass blocker because of his surprisingly quick feet. In order for the team to have the best player combination possible on the offensive line, Newton was moved back to left guard. He was forced to get into better shape after Johnson beat him in a running race. Jimmy Johnson moved Newton to the starting right tackle position. While Emmitt Smith was the rushing leader, Nate Newton called himself “The Eating Leader.”Īlthough he became a starter at left guard in 1987, he struggled to maintain playing weight and was almost waived because of it. He had spent so much time at a local deli, that the deli had named three sandwiches after him. Newton was nicknamed “The Kitchen” because he was bigger than William “The Refrigerator” Perry on the Chicago Bears.īig Nate stood 6 foot 10, hovered around 325 pounds during the season and tipped the scale at 400 pounds in the off-season. When Jimmy Johnson took over the team in 1989, he admired Newton for his quick feet and, most of all, his size. When he was signed by Dallas, it was a dream come true for him. While everyone was rooting for the Dolphins, Newton’s heroes were Cliff Harris, Robert Newhouse and Charlie Waters on America’s Team. Growing up in Florida, Newton was an outcast. When the USFL folded the following year, Newton signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1986. That’s when he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Bandits where he played for two seasons (19) as an offensive tackle. Then he was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins but was cut shortly after. His career started without a walk across the NFL Draft stage. This happened after the NFL Draft in 1983 and, in that draft, Newton’s name was never called. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Bandits of the now folded United States Football League. Unlike our previous undrafted wonders, Nate Newton was drafted.
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