1994 Dallas Cowboys season
Encyclopedia
The 1994 Dallas Cowboys
season would mark their 35th in the NFL. Following their second Super Bowl
title, the Cowboys
would see a multitude of changes. In March, months of frustration finally reached its climax as team owner Jerry Jones
and head coach
Jimmy Johnson
held a press conference and announced Johnson's resignation. Jones would later hire former Oklahoma Sooners
head coach and personal friend Barry Switzer
to be the third head coach in franchise history. After a continue run of dominance in the regular season and finishing with a record of 12–4, the Cowboys fell short of a record third straight Super Bowl title with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers
in the NFC Championship game. The 1994 Cowboys draft yielded only one notable addition to the team, offensive guard Larry Allen
and veteran linebacker Ken Norton Jr. left the team to sign with San Francisco.
This season was also the 75th anniversary of the NFL and was designated by a diamond shaped patch worn on the left breast of every NFL team's uniform. The Cowboys celebrated the league's history by donning their inaugural white jerseys from the 1960–1963 seasons against the Detroit Lions. The team also later debuted a special white "Double-Star" jersey on Thanksgiving Day 1994. These uniforms celebrated the Cowboys most recent back-to-back Super bowl titles in the 1992 and 1993 seasons and were used in most of the Cowboys' remaining games of the season including the playoffs.
and a nagging hamstring strain to running back Emmitt Smith
. The season also saw the brief emergence of back-up quarterback Jason Garrett
as he led a comeback victory against the Green Bay Packers
on Thanksgiving Day. Offensive coordinator
Norv Turner
also departed to become head coach of the rival Washington Redskins
and was replaced by veteran offensive assistant Ernie Zampese
. Dallas still managed to finish the regular season posting a 12–4 record and successfully defeated the Green Bay Packers
in the NFC Divisional game at Texas Stadium
. They would later travel to Candlestick Park to face the San Francisco 49ers for the third straight time in as many years for the NFC Championship Game
. Down 21 points in the first quarter, the Cowboys fought back valiantly, but fell short, 28–38.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
season would mark their 35th in the NFL. Following their second Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
title, the Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
would see a multitude of changes. In March, months of frustration finally reached its climax as team owner Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
and head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
held a press conference and announced Johnson's resignation. Jones would later hire former Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
head coach and personal friend Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
to be the third head coach in franchise history. After a continue run of dominance in the regular season and finishing with a record of 12–4, the Cowboys fell short of a record third straight Super Bowl title with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the NFC Championship game. The 1994 Cowboys draft yielded only one notable addition to the team, offensive guard Larry Allen
Larry Allen
Larry Christopher Allen, Sr. is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
and veteran linebacker Ken Norton Jr. left the team to sign with San Francisco.
This season was also the 75th anniversary of the NFL and was designated by a diamond shaped patch worn on the left breast of every NFL team's uniform. The Cowboys celebrated the league's history by donning their inaugural white jerseys from the 1960–1963 seasons against the Detroit Lions. The team also later debuted a special white "Double-Star" jersey on Thanksgiving Day 1994. These uniforms celebrated the Cowboys most recent back-to-back Super bowl titles in the 1992 and 1993 seasons and were used in most of the Cowboys' remaining games of the season including the playoffs.
Regular season
In an attempt to be the first NFL franchise to "Three-Peat" Super Bowls, the Dallas Cowboys were off to a strong start under new head coach Barry Switzer. However dominant, the team was fielded with injuries to many key starters. The most notable injuries were a near fatal car accident to tackle Erik WilliamsErik Williams
Erik George Williams is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League who played most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys . He played college football at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he was an NAIA All-American offensive lineman. Williams was...
and a nagging hamstring strain to running back Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
. The season also saw the brief emergence of back-up quarterback Jason Garrett
Jason Garrett
Jason Calvin Garrett is an American former National Football League player and the current head coach of the Dallas Cowboys...
as he led a comeback victory against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
on Thanksgiving Day. Offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Norv Turner
Norv Turner
Norval Eugene Turner is the head coach for the National Football League's San Diego Chargers. He also has served as head coach of the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders, and as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers...
also departed to become head coach of the rival Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and was replaced by veteran offensive assistant Ernie Zampese
Ernie Zampese
Ernie Zampese is a former American football player and coach. Playing for Santa Barbara High School, he was selected as the CIS Player of the Year in 1953 and went on to play at the halfback position for the USC Trojans in 1955 and 1956...
. Dallas still managed to finish the regular season posting a 12–4 record and successfully defeated the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the NFC Divisional game at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
. They would later travel to Candlestick Park to face the San Francisco 49ers for the third straight time in as many years for the NFC Championship Game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
. Down 21 points in the first quarter, the Cowboys fought back valiantly, but fell short, 28–38.
Schedule
| Opponent | Result | TV Time | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
26 | 9 | W | FOX 3:00pm | |
| Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
20 | 17 | W | NBC 3:00pm | |
| Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
17 | 20 | L | ABC 8:00pm | |
| Bye | |||||
| at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
34 | 7 | W | FOX 12:00pm | |
| Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
38 | 3 | W | FOX 3:00pm | |
| Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
24 | 13 | W | FOX 3:00pm | |
| at Arizona Cardinals | 28 | 21 | W | FOX 3:00pm | |
| at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
23 | 20 | W | FOX 12:00pm | |
| New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
38 | 10 | W | ABC 8:00pm | |
| at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
14 | 21 | L | FOX 3:00pm | |
| Washington Redskins | 31 | 7 | W | FOX 12:00pm | |
| Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
42 | 31 | W | FOX 3:00pm | |
| at Philadelphia Eagles | 31 | 19 | W | FOX 12:00pm | |
| Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
14 | 19 | L | NBC 3:00pm | |
| at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
24 | 16 | W | ABC 8:00pm | |
| at New York Giants | 10 | 15 | L | FOX 12:00pm |
Roster
| Dallas Cowboys 1994 roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Larry Allen Larry Christopher Allen, Sr. is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft... T/G George Hegamin George Russell Hegamin is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.... T Derek Kennard Derek Craig Kennard is a former American football guard and center who played 11 seasons in the National Football League for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, and the Dallas Cowboys... G Nate Newton Nathaniel Newton is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Carolina Panthers . He also played for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, in 1984 and 1985... G Mark Stepnoski Mark Matthew Stepnoski is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went on to star at the University of Pittsburgh.... C Ron Stone (American football) Ron Christopher Stone is a former professional American football guard and tackle who played 13 seasons in the National Football League from 1993 to 2005. He was a part of the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXX winning team and was selected to three Pro Bowls... G Mark Tuinei Mark Pulemau Tuinei was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys... T Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Darrick Brownlow Darrick Dewayne Brownlow is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at the University of Illinois and was drafted in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft.... MLB Dixon Edwards Dixon Voldean Edwards, III is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1991 through 1998... OLB Robert Jones (American football) Robert Lee Jones is a former American football linebacker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the St... MLB Godfrey Myles Godfrey Clarence Myles was an American college and professional football player who played linebacker in National Football League for six seasons during the 1990s... OLB Jim Schwantz James William Schwantz is the Mayor of Palatine, Illinois. He is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and the San Francisco 49ers.... OLB Darrin Smith Darrin Andrew Smith is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. While with Dallas he won two Super Bowl rings. At different times in his pro career he has played all... OLB Matt Vanderbeek Matthew James Vanderbeek is a former American football defensive end and linebacker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Indianapolis Colts, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Michigan State University.... MLB/OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
Currently vacant Rookies in italics 52 Active, 0 Inactive |
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Awards and records
- Charles Haley, Defense, UPI NFC Player of the YearUPI NFC Player of the YearFrom 1970 to 1996, the United Press International awarded the NFC Player of the Year to players from the NFL's National Football Conference .-NFC Offensive Player of the Year:-See also:*UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year...
- Emmitt Smith, Best NFL Player ESPY AwardBest NFL Player ESPY AwardThe Best NFL Player ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the National Football League player adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year, namely in the NFL season immediately precedent to the holding of the ESPY Awards ceremony....