Welcome back to the Cowboys jersey-number series, where the spotlight rolls all the way from No. 0 to No. 99.
At No. 42, the choice isn’t a flashy Hall of Fame type. It’s a grinder who earned his place the hard way and turned himself into a trusted starter in Dallas.
That player is Barry Church.
Church’s path to the Cowboys was anything but smooth. He was a four-year standout at Toledo from 2006 to 2009, earning First-Team All-MAC honors in every season and getting all the way to the semifinal round for the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior. Even with that résumé, he went undrafted in 2010 and signed with Dallas as a free agent.
The early years didn’t exactly scream future captain. In his first two seasons, Church started just one game and finished with 48 total tackles, with plenty of that work coming on special teams. But once he forced his way into the lineup in 2012, he showed what kind of player he could be before a torn Achilles in Week 3 shut him down.
Dallas still believed in him. The Cowboys gave Church a new contract, and when he returned in 2013, he made the decision look smart in a hurry. He led the team with 135 total tackles, picked off his first pass, and scored the only touchdown of his career on a fumble recovery.
That kind of production got noticed inside the building. Jason Garrett named Church a defensive captain before the 2014 season, and he held that role until he left in the 2017 offseason for a lucrative deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played two seasons there to finish his career.
Church was never the most athletic guy on the field, but he played with edge and consistency every snap. Over seven seasons in Dallas, he piled up 488 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles, 16 passes defended, and five interceptions.
No. 42 has seen plenty of names in Cowboys history, including Anthony Barr, Barry Church, Darryl Clack, Jadeveon Clowney, Ricky Easmon, Troy Hambrick, Anthony Henry, Randy Hughes, Don McIlhenny, Keanu Neal, Jimmy Ridlon, Stan Smagala, Deuce Vaughn, Chris Warren, Claxton Welch, A.D. Whitfield, Charlie Williams, and Robert Wilson. Chris Warren is the biggest name overall, but his best work came with the Seattle Seahawks, not Dallas, where he rushed for 948 yards over three seasons near the end of his career.
The number belongs to Church because he earned it through work, production, and leadership.
In Other News...
Von Miller Signing Had One Cowboys Legend Fired Up For A Reason
The Cowboys added another proven name to their pass rush by signing veteran edge rusher Von Miller to a one-year deal, a move that gives the defense a seasoned presence for obvious passing situations. At 37, Miller is no longer being asked to carry a weekly workload, but his track record and ability to help a young edge group make the signing a meaningful one for a team that has been looking for reliable help up front.
The reaction around the deal came quickly, and one familiar Cowboys figure was especially energized by what it meant. Millers history with DeMarcus Ware, including a Super Bowl run together, gives this move a little extra layer beyond the roster fit, and it also puts Miller on the doorstep of another notable place in the record book if he can still generate pressure the way Dallas believes he can. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fringe Players Already Hurt Themselves In Dallas First Roster Battle
The Cowboys first preseason test did not do much to help the fringe part of the roster, and four players in particular left themselves with more work to do. DJ Rogers, Langston Patterson, Traeshon Holden and Caelen Carson all drew attention for the wrong reasons in Dallas opening roster battle, with the game film and player grades pointing to a rough start for a group trying to carve out a place on the 53-man roster.
Rogers and Holden both had moments that undercut any momentum they might have built, while Patterson and Carson were limited enough that they needed cleaner snaps than they got. In a camp where every rep matters, Dallas is already sorting through which backups can be trusted and which ones have dug an early hole, and the next few practices and preseason chances will tell the rest of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Von Miller Just Changed One Big Cowboys Depth Chart Question
The Cowboys have added another proven name to a defense that has already seen plenty of movement, signing Von Miller to bring even more veteran presence to a group that recently got a boost from the Quinnen Williams extension and other roster tweaks. Miller arrives with a rsum that includes eight Pro Bowls and two Super Bowl titles, giving Dallas a decorated edge presence for a unit that has been reshaping itself around established talent.
What makes the move especially interesting is how it clarifies one of the more important depth-chart questions up front. Miller is expected to fit into the Cowboys 3-4 defense as a situational pass rusher, which should let him complement the current outside linebackers rather than force a wholesale change in roles. The deal was finalized without the contract amount being disclosed, but the football fit is clear enough: Dallas is looking for impact snaps, experience and pressure in the moments that matter most. [Read more 🡒]