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JON MACHOTA / Special Contributor
Cowboys defensive coordinator/sorta head coach Wade Phillips stares down the buffet table while Fake GM Jerry Jones and Pretend Director of Personnel Stephen Jones act like they belong in an NFL War Room.
When Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys in February of 1989, he named Jimmy Johnson head coach and the organization quickly formed a draft day bond with the college program that Johnson had just departed.
While building arguably the best professional football team of the 1990s, Jones and Johnson drafted more players from the University of Miami than any other school. The private research university in southern Florida provided the Cowboys with seven draft picks in a five-year span. And that is without including Michael Irvin , who was selected the year before Jones and Johnson teamed up in Dallas, and Steve Walsh, who the Cowboys chose in the 1989 supplemental draft.
The choice to build with Hurricanes came as no surprise. Johnson had coached the team the previous five seasons, leading the group to a pair of national title appearances and a 52-9 record. The interesting aspect of the Miami connection is that since the Cowboys selected Darrin Smith with the 54th overall pick of the 1993 draft, they haven’t chosen a player from the school since.
Sure, currently the Hurricanes are far from a national power. But not selecting a player in the last 17 years from one of the most talent-rich programs is certainly surprising. After all, this is the same university that produced 19 first round draft picks between 2001 and 2004. It’s also the same school that had 27 players selected in the first round between 1999 and 2008. That 10-year run gave the Hurricanes 10 more first round picks than the next highest school, Ohio State.
Apparently the smart money would say don’t bet on the Cowboys choosing players named Brandon Harris, Leonard Hankerson, Allen Bailey or Colin McCarthy in next month’s draft.
Despite the drought, Jones’ run on Hurricanes in the early 1990s continues to keep Miami atop the list of schools that the Cowboys have drafted players from since 1989. Closing in on the Hurricanes are Tennessee and Ohio State with six players each, followed by Florida State, Florida, Georgia and LSU, who have each had five players selected by the Cowboys during that time.
Two schools that have surprisingly provided the Cowboys with little NFL Draft help are Arkansas and Texas.
During Jones’ 22 drafts, 2008 first rounder Felix Jones was the only choice from the owner’s alma mater. The most successful program in the state of Texas has had the exact same number of players drafted by Jones as the Razorbacks. A Longhorn named Wane McGarity, who caught one career touchdown pass, was the 118th pick of the 1999 draft.
But the University of Texas and the Dallas Cowboys have never had an extremely strong relationship.
Prior to Jones’ arrival, the Cowboys selected two Longhorns in 1987 [kicker Jeff Ward and wide receiver Everett Gay] and two more in 1986 [linebacker Chris Duliban and guard Bryan Chester], however, before that the Cowboys hadn’t drafted a player from the University of Texas since 1964.
The in-state schools that have provided the Cowboys with the most players under Jones' direction are Texas Tech and Texas A&M with four each followed by TCU with three.
As far as first round selections go, Jones has drafted from the same school twice. North Carolina and Louisiana State can claim that honor. The Tar Heels provided the Cowboys with defensive ends in 1998 [Greg Ellis] and 1999 [Ebenezer Ekuban]. Tight end David LaFleur [1997] and defensive end Marcus Spears [2005] were the two first rounders chosen from LSU.
Jones has drafted 20 first rounders during his tenure. Here is a list of those selections.
1989 - Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA
1990 - Emmitt Smith, RB, Florida
1991 - Russell Maryland, DT, Miami
1991 - Alvin Harper, WR, Tennessee
1991 - Kelvin Pritchett, DT, Mississippi
1992 - Kevin Smith, CB, Texas A&M
1992 - Robert Jones, LB, East Carolina
1994 - Shante Carver , DE , Arizona State
1997 - David LaFleur, TE, LSU
1998 - Greg Ellis , DE , North Carolina
1999 - Ebenezer Ekuban , DE , North Carolina
2002 - Roy Williams, S, Oklahoma
2003 - Terence Newman, CB, Kansas State
2005 - DeMarcus Ware , DE , Troy
2005 - Marcus Spears, DE, LSU
2006 - Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio State
2007 - Anthony Spencer , DE , Purdue
2008 - Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
2008 - Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
2010 - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
Cowboys defensive coordinator/sorta head coach Wade Phillips stares down the buffet table while Fake GM Jerry Jones and Pretend Director of Personnel Stephen Jones act like they belong in an NFL War Room.
When Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys in February of 1989, he named Jimmy Johnson head coach and the organization quickly formed a draft day bond with the college program that Johnson had just departed.
While building arguably the best professional football team of the 1990s, Jones and Johnson drafted more players from the University of Miami than any other school. The private research university in southern Florida provided the Cowboys with seven draft picks in a five-year span. And that is without including Michael Irvin , who was selected the year before Jones and Johnson teamed up in Dallas, and Steve Walsh, who the Cowboys chose in the 1989 supplemental draft.
The choice to build with Hurricanes came as no surprise. Johnson had coached the team the previous five seasons, leading the group to a pair of national title appearances and a 52-9 record. The interesting aspect of the Miami connection is that since the Cowboys selected Darrin Smith with the 54th overall pick of the 1993 draft, they haven’t chosen a player from the school since.
Sure, currently the Hurricanes are far from a national power. But not selecting a player in the last 17 years from one of the most talent-rich programs is certainly surprising. After all, this is the same university that produced 19 first round draft picks between 2001 and 2004. It’s also the same school that had 27 players selected in the first round between 1999 and 2008. That 10-year run gave the Hurricanes 10 more first round picks than the next highest school, Ohio State.
Apparently the smart money would say don’t bet on the Cowboys choosing players named Brandon Harris, Leonard Hankerson, Allen Bailey or Colin McCarthy in next month’s draft.
Despite the drought, Jones’ run on Hurricanes in the early 1990s continues to keep Miami atop the list of schools that the Cowboys have drafted players from since 1989. Closing in on the Hurricanes are Tennessee and Ohio State with six players each, followed by Florida State, Florida, Georgia and LSU, who have each had five players selected by the Cowboys during that time.
Two schools that have surprisingly provided the Cowboys with little NFL Draft help are Arkansas and Texas.
During Jones’ 22 drafts, 2008 first rounder Felix Jones was the only choice from the owner’s alma mater. The most successful program in the state of Texas has had the exact same number of players drafted by Jones as the Razorbacks. A Longhorn named Wane McGarity, who caught one career touchdown pass, was the 118th pick of the 1999 draft.
But the University of Texas and the Dallas Cowboys have never had an extremely strong relationship.
Prior to Jones’ arrival, the Cowboys selected two Longhorns in 1987 [kicker Jeff Ward and wide receiver Everett Gay] and two more in 1986 [linebacker Chris Duliban and guard Bryan Chester], however, before that the Cowboys hadn’t drafted a player from the University of Texas since 1964.
The in-state schools that have provided the Cowboys with the most players under Jones' direction are Texas Tech and Texas A&M with four each followed by TCU with three.
As far as first round selections go, Jones has drafted from the same school twice. North Carolina and Louisiana State can claim that honor. The Tar Heels provided the Cowboys with defensive ends in 1998 [Greg Ellis] and 1999 [Ebenezer Ekuban]. Tight end David LaFleur [1997] and defensive end Marcus Spears [2005] were the two first rounders chosen from LSU.
Jones has drafted 20 first rounders during his tenure. Here is a list of those selections.
1989 - Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA
1990 - Emmitt Smith, RB, Florida
1991 - Russell Maryland, DT, Miami
1991 - Alvin Harper, WR, Tennessee
1991 - Kelvin Pritchett, DT, Mississippi
1992 - Kevin Smith, CB, Texas A&M
1992 - Robert Jones, LB, East Carolina
1994 - Shante Carver , DE , Arizona State
1997 - David LaFleur, TE, LSU
1998 - Greg Ellis , DE , North Carolina
1999 - Ebenezer Ekuban , DE , North Carolina
2002 - Roy Williams, S, Oklahoma
2003 - Terence Newman, CB, Kansas State
2005 - DeMarcus Ware , DE , Troy
2005 - Marcus Spears, DE, LSU
2006 - Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio State
2007 - Anthony Spencer , DE , Purdue
2008 - Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
2008 - Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
2010 - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
