- Doomsday Defense
-
The Doomsday Defense was the nickname given to the famous defense of the Dallas Cowboys American football team during the dynasty years of the late 1960s - 1970s. This defense was the backbone of the Cowboys' dynasty, which won two Super Bowls (VI, XII) and played in three more (V, X and XIII).
The Doomsday Defense is often recognized as having two different "generations," but there is no universally agreed-upon definition of exactly when those defenses existed or who their members were, which is why different listings of players and time periods exist. The original "Doomsday Defense" can generally be identified as the Cowboys' defenses from 1966 to 1975. "Doomsday II" had its heyday from approximately 1976 to 1982.
The first defensive player to be named Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl was linebacker Chuck Howley (V). Later linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White became the first (and only) teammates (co-MVPs) to win the award (XII).
Contents
Lineup
"Doomsday"
Defensive line:
- #71 - Willie Townes / #63 - Larry Cole
- #75 - Jethro Pugh
- #74 - Bob "Mr. Cowboy" Lilly (NFL 1960s All-Decade Team; NFL 1970s All-Decade Team; Hall of Fame; Ring of Honor)
- #66 - George Andrie
Linebackers:
- #54 - Chuck Howley (Ring of Honor)
- #55 - Lee Roy Jordan (Ring of Honor)
- #52 - Dave Edwards / #50 - D. D. Lewis
Defensive backs:
- #34 - Cornell Green
- #20 - Mel Renfro (Hall of Fame; Ring of Honor)
- #27 - Mike Gaechter / #41 - Charlie Waters
- #26 - Herb Adderly (NFL 1960s All-Decade Team) / #43 - Cliff Harris (Ring of Honor)
"Doomsday II"
Defensive line:
- #79 - Harvey Martin (NFL 1970s All-Decade Team; 1977 NFL Defensive Player of the Year)
- #63 - Larry Cole / #78 - John Dutton
- #54 - Randy "The Manster" White (Hall of Fame; Ring of Honor)
- #72 - Ed "Too Tall" Jones
Linebackers:
- #58 - Mike Hegman / #56 - Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson
- #53 - Bob Breunig
- #50 - D. D. Lewis
Defensive backs:
- #31 - Benny Barnes
- #43 - Cliff Harris (NFL 1970s All-Decade Team; Ring of Honor) / #26 - Michael Downs
- #41 - Charlie Waters
- #24 - Everson Walls / #25 - Aaron Kyle
References
- Notes
Dallas Cowboys Founded in 1960 • Plays in Arlington, Texas • Headquartered in Valley Ranch, Irving, Texas The Franchise Franchise • History • Players • Seasons • Expansion Draft • Draft History • Quarterbacks • First-round draft picksStadiums Culture Thanksgiving Classic • America's Team • Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders • Doomsday Defense • Crazy Ray • Rowdy • Jerry Jones • Black SundayLore Rivalries Head Coaches Super Bowl Appearances (8) League Championships (5) Ring of Honor Seasons 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011Current League Affiliations League: National Football League • Conference: National Football Conference • Division: East DivisionCategories:- Dallas Cowboys
- Nicknamed groups of American football players
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