There are officially 65 days until the toe meets the ball at AT&T Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys will host the New York Giants on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Hello Friday! We’ve all been scavenging through the week, desperately trying to arrive at today. I’m sure you’ve got some fun festivities planned for the weekend, but I bet you’ve got some even more fun stuff planned for what’s happening 65 days from now…Dallas Cowboys football. To celebrate, and to get you properly prepared, we’re going to talk about the Greatest 65 in Dallas Cowboys History.
The following players have all worn 65 for the Dallas Cowboys:
- Andre Gurode, C
- Ronald Leary*, OG
- Kurt Petersen, OG
- Ray Schoenke, OG
- Tony Slaton, C
- Dave Stalls, DT
- Ron Stone, OG
- Bob White, C
- John Wilbur, OG
*Active player on the Dallas Cowboys roster
Unlike most of our Cowboy countdowns, the number 65 is really all about one player. Andre Gurode hails from the Lone Star State as he played his high school ball in Houston. He went on to play collegiately at the University of Colorado where he made quite the name for himself prior to the 2002 NFL Draft.
Taken with the 37th overall pick, Andre Gurode made a lot of history in his rookie season. Gurode became the first Dallas Cowboys rookie EVER to start at the center position (Travis Frederick would accomplish this in 2013). On a more historic level, Andre Gurode was part of an accomplishment that went far beyond the game of football. 2002 is believed to be the first time in NFL History that all five of a team’s starting offensive linemen were African American: Flozell Adams, Larry Allen, Andre Gurode, Kelvin Garmon, and Solomon Page.
Andre’s rookie season had one more milestone in it, and his name was Emmitt Smith. On October 27th, 2002 against the Seattle Seahawks and with Andre Gurode at center…Emmitt Smith surpassed Walter Payton to become the NFL’s All-Time Leading Rusher.
Andre played guard for the 2003 and 2004 seasons before getting reduced to a backup role in 2005. In 2006 Andre Gurode refocused on football and won the starting job once more, and a new quarterback midseason in Tony Romo, and became one of the NFL’s most elite centers traveling to five straight Pro Bowls (2006-2010).
Andre Gurode was a foundation at the center position that helped the Cowboys get off to solid footing in the Tony Romo era. His resume is padded with accomplishments that range in terms of historical significance. He is unquestionably the Greatest 65 in Dallas Cowboys History.
Check back tomorrow to find out who the Greatest 64 in Dallas Cowboys History is!
