Cowboys CTK: Kicking Specialist Sam Baker Scores #38

RJ Ochoa

Happy Thursday one and all! If you don’t have any plans tonight you should feel free to come out and support my kickball team and I in our quest for an undefeated season. I’ll be the rockstar out at first base.

No? Doesn’t sound pleasant? Fine! What you can do instead is start putting together your crownie recipe because Dallas Cowboys football is a mere 38 days away. As we continue our Countdown To Kickoff today we’re going to evaluate the Greatest 38 in Dallas Cowboys History!

The Following Players Have All Worn 38 For The Dallas Cowboys:

  • Sam Baker, K/P
  • Ron Francis, CB
  • Chris Hall, CB
  • Duane Hawthorne, CB
  • Jeff Heath*, S
  • Alex Ibiloye, CB
  • David Lang, RB
  • Lynn Scott, S
  • John Williams, RB
  • Roy Williams, S

*Active player on the Dallas Cowboys roster

The great Rich Eisen once said, “Punters are people, too.” And he’s right. Punters can change the dynamic of the game with their kicking placement. Nobody did that better in the early 1960s than the Greatest 38 in Dallas Cowboys History.

Sam Baker

The number 38 was commonly seen blasting footballs into outer space when it was on the shoulders of Sam Baker. He only played two seasons (1962 and 1963) with the Dallas Cowboys, but he made them count.

Cowboys Blog - Cowboys CTK: Kicking Specialist Sam Baker Scores #38
PITTSBURGH – OCTOBER 21: Eddie LeBaron #14 of the Dallas Cowboys rolls out on a fake punt executed by Sam Baker #38 against Bob Schmitz #67 and Johnny Sample #24 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the game at Pitt Stadium on October 21, 1962 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images)

In both seasons of his two-year tenure with the Cowboys Baker led the NFL in net punting average. 1962 was particularly great for Sam as he led the league in extra pointes made and attempted. The boot of Sam Baker also set a Dallas Cowboys record of 45.4 yards-per-punt, a mark that stood all the way until Matt McBriar broke it in 2006.

#38: Sam Baker

Cowboys Blog - Cowboys CTK: Kicking Specialist Sam Baker Scores #38 1Sam Baker dominated his domain of punting. He had a Cowboy record that lasted over 40 years, became the first Cowboys punter ever selected to the Pro Bowl in 1963, and he is the first punter to be featured on our Countdown To Kickoff.

All of the players on our Countdown To Kickoff have kicked butt in one way or another, but Sam Baker did it in a literal sense. So everybody gather around and raise a right foot to Sam Baker, the Greatest 38 in Dallas Cowboys History.

Check back tomorrow to find out who the Greatest 37 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.

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