If you’re feeling some frustration that Monday is back in our lives then you should follow the lead of Arts and Craftsy Tony Romo and channel it with paper mache.
When you’re back to your normal Tony Romo self, you’ll be able to see clearly that Dallas Cowboys football is upon us! …sort of
The first practice of the 2015 season will take place this Thursday, but the first game of the season will take place 48 days from now. Get into the Cowboy mood by celebrating the Greatest 48 in Dallas Cowboys history.
The Following Players Have All Worn 48 For the Dallas Cowboys:
- Mister Alexander, LB
- Micheal Barrow, LB
- Tim Dobbins, LB
- Isaiah Greenhouse, LB
- Daryl Johnston, FB
- Terry Witherspoon, FB
You all know the story.
Jerry Jones buys the Cowboys. Jerry brings in Jimmy Johnson. In 1989 the franchise selected Troy Aikman with the 1st overall pick in the draft. Happily ever after, right?
While that’s totally true, a huge cog in the machine of the 1990s Dallas Cowboys was taken in the 2nd round of that same 1989 draft.
Daryl Johnston
Teamed up in the 1989 draft with Troy Aikman and the Greatest 53 in Dallas Cowboys History, Mark Stepnoski, Johnston helped lay the foundation for success.
The former Syracuse Orangeman was a fullback if there ever was one.
Daryl began a streak of 149 consecutive games played in 1989, but an even bigger phenomenon began that year.
The Birth Of Moose
Backup quarterback Babe Laufenberg, now a color analyst on the Dallas Cowboys Radio Network, noticed that Daryl was a tad bigger than the other running backs.
He said that Johnston looked like “a moose in a herd of deer” and Daryl was Moose from then on.
“Mooooose” became a rallying cry heard around Texas Stadium whenever Daryl Johnston made a big play, which was often.
Johnston has 22 career touchdowns off of 294 receptions (3rd in franchise history among running backs) and 2,227 yards receiving — as a fullback!
48 + 22
While Daryl Johnston is remembered by fans as an incredible, and arguable Hall of Fame player, he is remembered most dearly by the NFL’s All-Time Leading Rusher — Emmitt Smith.
To be a fullback in the Dallas Cowboys system meant sacrificing a great deal, both emotionally and physically. Moose served as the lead blocker for a majority of the yards that Emmitt gained en route to his historical 18,355.
The backfield duo of Johnston and Smith, along with a few other offensive components, helped the Dallas Cowboys win three Super Bowls in four years and establish themselves as an NFL Dynasty.
Emmitt Smith shared an emotional bond with Daryl, which he recounted in his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech in 2010.
#48: The Moose Does It All
Daryl Johnston was an elite force, not just for the Dallas Cowboys, but for the fullback position as a whole.
Thanks to the standard that Moose set at the position, the NFL established a defined fullback at the annual Pro Bowl. Johnston became the first fullback ever selected to the Pro Bowl in 1993, a distinction he earned in 1994 as well.
Some NFL players integrate football into everything that they do.
This is absolutely the case for Daryl Johnston as his football career has continued long after his days as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
Moose now lives in the broadcast booth at FOX Sports with his new teammates Kenny Albert and Tony Siragusa. His knowledge and passion for the game of football are readily apparent, as he applies his same sense of focus to this phase of the game.
Canton Needs A Moose
Daryl Johnston was an extraordinary football player and leader during his days in the NFL.
His contributions to his team resulted in 3 Super Bowls, helped the fullback position gain respect, and — as his primary responsibility — paved the way for the great Emmitt Smith, for whom Moose blocked all the way to the Hall of Fame.
Daryl deserves to be remembered forever as a member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and as the greatest 48 in Dallas Cowboys history.
Check back tomorrow to find out who the greatest #47 in Dallas Cowboys history is!
