No. 21 for the Dallas Cowboys has belonged to a long list of players, but the answer at the top of the pile is the same one most fans would land on immediately: Deion Sanders.
That doesn’t mean the conversation is empty. Ezekiel Elliott makes a strong case as the runner-up after wearing the number for the first seven of his eight seasons in Dallas.
The Ohio State product arrived as the No. 4 pick in the 2016 draft and made an immediate impact, earning three Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro nods, including one First Team and one Second Team honor. He led the league in rushing twice, piling up 1,631 yards as a rookie and 1,434 more in 2018.
Even with a rough final season in No. 15 after his return in 2024, Elliott still finished his Cowboys run with 8,488 rushing yards and 71 touchdowns, both third in franchise history, plus 2,405 receiving yards and 12 receiving scores on 317 catches.
Still, this number belongs to Sanders.
The Hall of Famer came into the league as the No. 5 overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, one spot after Dallas took Troy Aikman at No. 1. He spent his first five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, then played the 1994 season with the San Francisco 49ers, where he won Defensive Player of the Year and helped knock off Dallas in the NFC title game before beating the then-San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl 29.
Sanders was one of the most sought-after players heading into 1995, and he landed with the Cowboys in part because of his friendship with Michael Irvin. His debut was delayed by knee surgery, but once he got on the field he made an immediate difference, picking off two passes in seven regular-season games and adding another interception during Dallas’ postseason run to its third Lombardi Trophy in four years.
Dallas never reached the Super Bowl again during Sanders’ time with the team, and it didn’t even make it back to the NFC Championship Game. That didn’t stop “Prime Time” from stacking honors. Over his four full seasons in Dallas, he made four straight Pro Bowls, earned three consecutive First-Team All-Pro selections from 1996 through 1998, and added a Second-Team All-Pro nod in 1999.
The interception totals never told the whole story with Sanders anyway. Quarterbacks simply didn’t want to challenge him, which is why he’s remembered as one of the greatest lockdown corners ever. Even so, he still came away with 14 interceptions in five seasons with Dallas, and two of them went back for touchdowns.
He also gave the Cowboys value in the return game, finishing with 1,184 punt-return yards and four touchdowns on 89 returns, plus 136 kickoff-return yards on seven attempts. And because Dallas was willing to let him do more on offense, he added 49 receptions for 624 yards and a touchdown.
The Cowboys cut Sanders after the 1999 season for salary-cap reasons, and he then signed a seven-year deal with the team now known as the Washington Commanders. He played just one season there before retiring after the 2000 campaign. After three years away, he returned for two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and retired for good in January 2006.
Sanders entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and began coaching the following year.
In Other News...
Tony Romo Just Got A Surprising CBS Verdict After Latest Trouble
Tony Romos latest off-field trouble has put him back in the spotlight for reasons far removed from the broadcast booth. The former Cowboys quarterback was arrested in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and the fallout has already reached beyond the legal side of the story, with Romo withdrawing from a golf tournament he had been set to play in.
There is at least one immediate piece of stability for Romo, though the situation is still far from settled. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 21, and CBS has opted not to move on from him in the wake of the arrest, leaving his future in place for now even as the case continues to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Just Unveiled Another Offensive Line Experiment Fans Will Be Watching
Training camp in Oxnard opened with the Cowboys already sorting through a familiar kind of puzzle up front. Brian Schottenheimer said the staff is still looking at different ways to piece together the best offensive line, with Tyler Smith getting work at tackle and Terence Steele among the veterans who could be shifted around as the group tries to find the right fit.
For Dallas, the intrigue is less about whether the line will be altered and more about how far the team is willing to go to make it work. The Cowboys have not settled on an alignment yet, and the early weeks of camp should give a clearer picture of which combinations are being tested most often and which players are being asked to handle new responsibilities. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Smith Just Put Cowboys Fans On Edge At Camp
The Cowboys settled into Oxnard, California, to open 2026 training camp with one of their most important offensive linemen already drawing attention. Tyler Smith met with reporters as camp began and addressed the kind of early-summer uncertainty that can shape an entire line, with his standing still tied to where the staff ultimately wants him working as the competition unfolds.
Smith also made clear he sees a real championship path for Dallas if the group keeps grinding, a familiar message in late July but one that lands differently when the roster is trying to sort out its best five up front. The final call on where Smith lines up is expected to come during camp, and for Cowboys fans, that means a key piece of the puzzle is still waiting to be placed. [Read more 🡒]