There are officially 87 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.
12 weeks from today the NFL will be back in our arms. The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers will meet to kick off the 2015 NFL season. 12 weeks…that’s 3 months! You can make it, I believe in you. To help you in your quest we here at Inside The Star are counting down the days using Cowboys’ jerseys numbers. Today we’re talking specifically about the Greatest 87 in Dallas Cowboys History.
The following players have all worn 87 for the Dallas Cowboys:
- Ray Alexander, WR
- Gordon Banks, WR
- Nate Borden, DE
- Billy Davis, WR
- Ron Howard, TE
- Jordan Najvar, TE
- Ken-Yon Rambo, WR
- Alfredo Roberts, TE
- Titus Ryan, WR
- Jay Saldi, TE
- Derrick Shepard, WR
- Andre Smith, TE
- Zuriel Smith, WR
- Andy Stynchula, DT
- Andy Thorn, TE
- Billy Truax, TE
- Jason Tucker, WR
- Dedric Ward, WR
If you’ve been keeping up with our countdown you know that I always give it to you straight. That being said, 87 is pretty slim pickens. It’s a number that isn’t particularly rich in Dallas Cowboys History, but holy moly isn’t Ken-Yon Rambo the most awesome name that you’ve ever heard? #87 is hardly #88, which we discussed yesterday, but there is one notable standout from the bunch .
Jay Saldi didn’t have to play much tight end, as the Greatest 89 in Dallas Cowboys History, Billy Jo DuPree, was the starter when Saldi was signed as an undrafted free agent in 1976 out of South Carolina. He found a place to excel on the special teams unit where he was eventually named captain.
Saldi’s career interacts interestingly with Cowboys History. He was a member of the 1977 team, arguably the greatest Cowboys team of all time, that won Super Bowl XII (he did not play in the game due to injury) and the following year Saldi suffered a broken arm that led to the signing of Jackie Smith. As many Cowboys fans know Jackie Smith dropped a critical pass in Super Bowl XIII following the 1978 season. We can only wonder what would have happened had Saldi never broken his arm.
One of the most interesting things about Saldi is that he caught the last touchdown pass thrown by the Greatest Cowboy of All Time, Roger Staubach, in 1979.
If you think that the name Saldi sounds familiar, you’re right. Jay’s son John actually tried to make the Cowboys roster back in 2007. Jay, however, was a great Cowboy and his contributions to the special teams phase of the game in the late 70s will never be forgotten.
Check back tomorrow to find out who the Greatest 86 in Dallas Cowboys History is!
