DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys' influence upon the history of pro football was on display Wednesday when the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its finalists from the seniors and coach/contributor candidates.
Former Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley (1961-1973) and cornerback Everson Walls (1981-89) were named finalists from the senior committee while former scout Frank "Bucko" Kilroy, director of pro scouting John Wooten (1975-91), and former assistant coach Dan Reeves (1965-72, 1974-80) were finalists in the coach/contributor category.
Howley is the only Super Bowl MVP to date to come from the losing side. Such was the case in Super Bowl V, still one of the sloppiest Big Games to date. Howley had two interceptions in the Cowboys' 16-13 loss at the Orange Bowl.
Howley won his first Super Bowl the following year after Dallas beat the Miami Dolphins 24-3 in Super Bowl VI at Tulane Stadium. The former Chicago Bears 1958 first-round pick finished his career with five first-team All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowls.
Walls is also a Super Bowl champion, though he earned that world championship with the New York Giants in 1990. "Cubbie" was best known for bursting onto the scene as an undrafted free agent from Grambling in 1981 and leading the NFL with 11 interceptions.
Walls would lead the NFL in picks two other times, 1982 and 1985. Walls earned three first-team All-Pros and four Pro Bowls. After playing six games for the Giants in 1992, Walls finished his career with the Cleveland Browns, playing for coach Bill Belichick through the 1993 season.
Wooten was with the Cowboys during one of their eras of reloading from 1975-91. The "Dirty Dozen" draft that produced Randy White and Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson came under Wooten’s watch.
After leaving the Cowboys in 1991, Wooten created the NFL's player development programs, and later joined the Philadelphia Eagles as vice president/player personnel in 1992. Wooten also worked with the Baltimore Ravens as their assistant director, pro/college scouting through the 2002 campaign. In 2003, Wooten became the chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance and remained at that position until 2019.
Reeves' contributions with the Cowboys aren't the reason that he made the list, but they still can’t be forgotten. The former South Carolina Gamecock was technically a running back for Dallas from 1965-72, but a knee injury in 1968 compelled coach Tom Landry to have Reeves consider a coaching role.
From 1969-72, Reeves was more of an assistant coach than another running back in the stable. In 1974, Reeves got out of a playing uniform and was a full-fledged assistant, even coaching future Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett after Dallas drafted him in Round 1 in 1977.
Reeves later became a coach with the Denver Broncos from 1981-92, leading the AFC West club to Super Bowl appearances in 1986-87 and 1989. Reeves came back to the NFC East as the Giants' coach from 1993-96 and later took the Atlanta Falcons to a Super Bowl during his 1997-2003 tenure. The understudy to Landry posted a stellar 201-174-2 coaching record.
Kilroy was a scout for the Cowboys along with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington. Kilroy was the New England Patriots' general manager from 1979-82 and later their vice president from 1983-93. The Patriots appeared in Super Bowl XX against the Chicago Bears at the end of the 1985 season.
Hall committees will meet later this summer to pick three candidates in the Seniors category and one in the Coach/Contributor category. Upon that determination, those four candidates can be elected for induction in the Hall when the Class of 2023 is selected early next year.
Which former Cowboy do you think is next in line to be inducted into the Hall of Fame? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
