With a week of college games in the books, a change in the air is becoming apparent. Fall is upon us and that means one thing… football.
The fall also comes with a weather change and if you live in Texas like I do then I’m sure you’re very excited for some cooler temperatures. Hopefully it gets ice cold!
If there is ice anywhere its in the veins of the Greatest 5 in Dallas Cowboys History. As we continue our Countdown To Kickoff series with just cinco days before the Cowboys first regular season game we’re going to take a look at just who this ice-cold-kicker is.
The Following Players Have All Worn 5 For The Dallas Cowboys:
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*Active player on the Dallas Cowboys roster
If you set a target on my head and told me to stand in the middle of the uprights – I’d be really nervous.
If you also said that you were going to have an NFL kicker aim squarely for the target and that I was not allowed to move – I’d be straight up terrified.
If the kicker in question was the Greatest 5 in Dallas Cowboys History, Dan Bailey, then I’d go up there with my arms wide open and a smile on my face. I might even sing a song while Dan hits the bullseye.
Dan Bailey
Kickers are incredibly important to an NFL team. So often so many important games come down to one foot, and Dan Bailey’s can be trusted at all times.
Born and raised in the state of Oklahoma, excellence is what Dan Bailey does. He graduated from Southwest Covenant High School in Yukon, OK as class valedictorian before he became a Cowboy at Oklahoma State.
Dan’s Cowboy ways continued when the Dallas Cowboys signed him after going undrafted in 2011.
The Legend of Dan Bailey
It didn’t take long for Dan Bailey to be called upon in epic fashion. In his second NFL game the Dallas Cowboys were in San Francisco for a contest against the 49ers. After a performance for the ages by an injury-stricken Tony Romo, the Cowboys were in position for a game-winning field goal in overtime.
#5 trotted out there, after having already kicked a clutch kick to tie the game in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, and kicked the Cowboys to victory.
As hard as it would be to outdo that, Dan managed to a week later at home against the Washington Redskins. Dan kicked not one, not two, not three, slow down LeBron, not four, not five, but SIX field goals! The right foot of Dan Bailey totaled 18 points on 6 successful field goals (covering 204 total yards) as the Cowboys outlasted the Redskins 18-16.
Between 2011-2014 Dan has already place himself among the elite within Dallas Cowboys History.
He has only missed one field goal under 30 yards, two between 30 and 39 yards, three between 40 and 49 yards, and seven beyond 50.
Bailey has made 114 field goals (second most in Dallas Cowboys History) on 127 total attempts while he has never missed an extra point attempt.
#5: Dan Bailey
In just four seasons Dan Bailey has become one of the most accurate kickers in NFL History.
| Year | Field Goals Attempted | Field Goals Made | Field Goal Percentage |
| 2011 | 37 | 32 | 86.5% |
| 2012 | 31 | 29 | 93.5% |
| 2013 | 30 | 28 | 93.3% |
| 2014 | 29 | 25 | 86.2% |
| Total | 127 | 114 | 89.8% |
As it stands Dan Bailey is actually the second most accurate kicker in NFL History. He trails Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens by .051%.
As hard as it is to believe, the feeling of overwhelming confidence as your kicker goes out for a field goal is a rarity in the NFL. Dan Bailey is a point of extreme stability within the Dallas Cowboys and has delivered so many clutch kicks in extreme situations.
We should all count ourselves very fortunate that we have Dan Bailey when things are on the line. He’s always good for an extra point, a field goal, or to be the Greatest 5 in Dallas Cowboys History.
Check back tomorrow to find out who the Greatest 4 in Dallas Cowboys History is!
Want to share your opinions on who should be featured on our Countdown To Kickoff? Email me at rjochoa@insidethestar.com or Tweet @rjochoa.
