Dallas Dynasty: Revisiting the iconic 1990s Cowboys
Led by the Hall of Fame trio of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, the 1990s Dallas Cowboys were a memorable dynasty, impressively winning three Super Bowls in four years.
Dallas pulled off several brilliant moves that would later prove instrumental in the dynasty. One of the first key acquisitions was Michael Irvin, who the team drafted back in 1988 (11th over pick). The former Miami Hurricanes star went on to become one of the NFL's greatest wide receivers of all time and spent his entire career with Dallas.
1989 was a huge year for the franchise. Jerry Jones became the owner, and Jimmy Johnson was named head coach, replacing the fired Tom Landry, who had spent the previous 29 years with the franchise. The Cowboys also drafted former Oklahoma and UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman first overall and star running back Herschel Walker was traded to the Minnesota Vikings.
Today in 1989, the Dallas Cowboys select Troy Aikman with the #1 overall draft pick in the NFL Draft. https://t.co/IK2SLtYmqB
The Walker trade gave Dallas future draft picks that eventually turned into running back Emmitt Smith, defensive tackle Russell Maryland, cornerback Kevin Smith, and safety Darren Woodson. All four players helped the team win their three Super Bowls of the '90s.
Emmitt Smith, who the team drafted 17th overall in 1990, became one of the greatest running backs the NFL world has ever seen, surpassing Walter Payton as the all-time leading rusher.
The legendary tale of the Cowboys from the 1990s
The 90s Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVII, smoking the Buffalo Bills 52-17. Dallas won the following year as well (Super Bowl XXVIII), beating those same Bills 30-13.
Today in 1993, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills 52-17, for their 3rd Super Bowl title in franchise history. https://t.co/D0e0brdtLJ
In 1994, the franchise finished 12-4 under new head coach Barry Switzer, who replaced Jimmy Johnson. The team, however, wound up losing 38-28 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship.
Shut-down cornerback Deion Sanders left the 49ers during the offseason and signed with Jerry Jones' outfit for the 1995 campaign. In his first season in Dallas, "Prime Time" would help his new club win Super Bowl XXX 27-17 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the team's third Super Bowl victory in four years.
The Cowboys have put together some exciting teams over the years with guys like Tony Romo and Dak Prescott leading the way. However, they haven't reached the Super Bowl since that 1996 win over the Steelers.
To this day, fans have been left reminiscing about the great 90s Dallas dynasty.