When you start sorting through the Dallas Cowboys’ No. 34 history, the list eventually leads to Herschel Walker. And sure, Walker’s name jumps off the page - six seasons in Dallas, two Pro Bowls in 1987 and 1988, 3,625 total yards from scrimmage, 15 total touchdowns between those two years, and then the trade that helped reshape the franchise in 1989.
But for this spot, the choice goes to a different kind of star. Cornell Green was the better Cowboys No. 34, and his path to Dallas is one of the more unusual stories in team history.
Green never played a snap of college football. Basketball was his sport, and he was excellent at it, earning All-American honors at Utah State in both 1961 and 1962. That was enough to get him picked in the fifth round of the 1962 NBA Draft by the Chicago Zephyrs, now the Washington Wizards.
Still, the Cowboys saw something else. On the recommendation of Utah State basketball coach LaDell Anderson, Dallas signed Green to a $1,000 contract and brought him to training camp with the idea that his athletic ability could translate to the secondary. Green wasn’t expecting much - he wanted quick cash and figured he’d be cut after a week.
Instead, he impressed Tom Landry and the coaching staff, earned a real contract, and chose the NFL over the NBA. The rest turned into a franchise cornerstone.
Even though he started only three games as a rookie in 1962, Green made the All-Rookie Team. The next year, with a full-time starting role in all 14 games, he delivered seven interceptions and established himself as one of the league’s top cornerbacks.
As Dallas rose in the 1960s, Green rose with it. From 1965 through 1969, a stretch in which the Cowboys reached the NFL Championship Game twice, he picked up three Pro Bowl selections and four All-Pro nods, including three First Team honors and one Second Team choice.
Then came another shift. Green moved to safety in 1970 and added two more Pro Bowl appearances, including one in the 1971 season that ended with the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl win.
By the time he retired just before the 1975 season, Green had never missed a game in 13 years. He finished with 34 career interceptions, which still rank tied for fifth in Cowboys history, now sixth. He also left behind a special teams mark that still stands: 10 career blocked kicks, including eight field goals and two punts.
That’s why No. 34 belongs to Cornell Green.
In Other News...
Cowboys Depth Chart Battles Just Took A Turn After Rams Practice
The Cowboys got a useful look at themselves in a joint practice with the Rams, and the encouraging part was on defense. Against one of the better offenses on the schedule, Dallas held its own and came away with a handful of players making real cases for bigger roles as the preseason draws closer. Dee Winters, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Justin Barron and Marist Liufau all turned in noticeable days, the kind that can start to shift a crowded depth chart in August.
Winters in particular is pushing into the conversation at linebacker, while Barron and Liufau are trying to turn practice momentum into something more lasting. Spann-Ford also helped himself as the team continues sorting through options, and the Rams work served as a reminder that these roster battles are live now, not later. For a Cowboys group still trying to define its second unit and find dependable answers, the next few practices should tell us whether this was a one-day flash or the start of a real climb. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Depth Chart Just Raised The Stakes In Key Camp Battles
Training camp has a way of turning every rep into a referendum, and the Cowboys first unofficial depth chart only sharpened that feeling. The release gives an early look at how Dallas is sorting out its roster, with the backup quarterback spot drawing particular attention and several other groups, including running back and tight end, already taking shape as the staff starts to separate first-line options from the pack.
The bigger takeaway, though, is how much is still in motion. The chart also reflects the defensive shift to a 3-4 look, which adds another layer to the competition at multiple spots and makes every practice snap matter a little more. For players on the fringe, the next few weeks will determine whether their standing on this first chart turns into something more permanent or just the opening note in a much longer battle. [Read more 🡒]
Shavon Revel Jr. Just Gave Cowboys Coaches A Tough Secondary Decision
Joint practices have a way of sharpening roster conversations, and Shavon Revel Jr. used the Cowboys work against the Rams to make one of his own. The second-year cornerback came away with a strong showing in front of Dallas coaches, adding more intrigue to a secondary that is still sorting out roles before the preseason opener.
The Rams kept looking his way, and Revel kept answering. He showed up with pass breakups and a forced fumble in a practice that stood out as his best day of camp, the kind of performance that can nudge a coachs thinking when cornerback depth is still up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]