Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| 2002 Dallas Cowboys season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Jones |
| General manager | Jerry Jones |
| Head coach | Dave Campo |
| Home field | Texas Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–11 |
| Division place | 4th NFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | La'Roi Glover DT |
| AP All-Pros | La'Roi Glover (2nd team) |
The 2002 Dallas Cowboys season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). It was Emmitt Smith's 13th and final season with the team, officially marking the end of the famed "triplets" tenure in Dallas after wide receiver Michael Irvin was forced to retire prematurely after the 1999 season and quarterback Troy Aikman retired prior to the start of the 2001 season. All three players would eventually be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was also the last of three consecutive 5–11 finishes for the Cowboys, which began in 2000. Texas Stadium also saw new RealGrass Turf surface by week 5, replacing the AstroTurf. The Cowboys' 5–11 record meant that they were the only NFL team operational from 2000 to 2002 that did not win more than 5 games in a season.
| Additions | Subtractions |
|---|---|
| TE Tony McGee (Bengals) | QB Ryan Leaf (Seahawks/Retirement) |
| LB Kevin Hardy (Jaguars) | LS Mike Solwold (Buccaneers) |
| DT La'Roi Glover (Saints) | WR Darrin Chiaverini (Falcons) |
| WR Darnay Scott (Bengals) | FS Izell Reese (Broncos) |
Despite an off-season filled with promise, the season would again prove to be a disaster. Former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator and head coach Bruce Coslet was brought in to run the offense for Dallas. Even though he had been dismissed by Cincinnati, his history of high-powered offenses while running the Bill Walsh–style West Coast offense provided hope for the Cowboys. A promising draft which included former Oklahoma Sooners All-American selection safety Roy Williams in the first round and the free agent addition of Pro Bowl defensive tackle La'Roi Glover provided even more hope for weary Cowboy fans. The team was also covered throughout training camp and featured on the HBO series Hard Knocks with a strong emphasis on the anticipation of running back Emmitt Smith's road to the NFL's all-time rushing record.
| 2002 Dallas Cowboys draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Roy Williams * | S | Oklahoma | |
| 2 | 37 | Andre Gurode * | C | Colorado | |
| 2 | 63 | Antonio Bryant | WR | Pittsburgh | |
| 3 | 75 | Derek Ross | CB | Ohio State | |
| 4 | 129 | Jamar Martin | FB | Ohio State | |
| 5 | 168 | Pete Hunter | DB | Virginia Union | |
| 6 | 179 | Tyson Walter | G | Ohio State | |
| 6 | 208 | Deveren Johnson | WR | Sacred Heart | compensatory |
| 6 | 211 | Bob Slowikowski | TE | Virginia Tech | compensatory |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Notes
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Khary Campbell | Linebacker | Bowling Green |
| Billy Cundiff | Placekicker | Drake |
| Woodrow Dantzler | Running back | Clemson |
| Keith Davis | Safety | Sam Houston State |
| Filip Filipović | Punter | South Dakota |
| Chad Hutchinson | Quarterback | Stanford |
The air was immediately let out of the Cowboys' balloon in the opening regular-season contest which saw the team lose to first-year expansion team and new cross-state rival, the Houston Texans. Though quarterback Quincy Carter again opened the season as the starter, he was eventually benched in favor of newly signed Chad Hutchinson who, until that year, had been a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals after leaving Stanford as a two-sport star. Many believed that owner Jerry Jones pressured head coach Dave Campo into starting Hutchinson much too early, due in part to the large signing bonus Jones paid to acquire the quarterback. Regardless, neither quarterback proved effective and the team once again spiraled towards a losing season.
It is believed 2002 was the first time an NFL franchise had five African American starters on their offensive line, when the Cowboys lined up rookie center Andre Gurode, tackles Flozell Adams and Solomon Page, guards Larry Allen and Kelvin Garmon. [2]
The Cowboys kept making NFL history on October 27 at home against the Seattle Seahawks. Despite a close loss, Emmitt Smith broke the all-time career yardage rushing record previously held by Walter Payton. [3] The game was stopped momentarily in recognition of the moment, allowing an emotional Smith to briefly celebrate with teammates both current and past who attended the game, as well as members of Payton's family. Smith later scored the 125th rushing touchdown of his career on the same drive. The milestone moment would provide the lone bright spot of the year for the team and Smith, who failed to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season for the first time in his career since his rookie season of 1990. Overshadowed by the NFL rushing landmark, safety Darren Woodson quietly became the Cowboys' all-time leading tackler.
During a late-season loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, reports began to surface that owner Jerry Jones had secretly met with Bill Parcells, the former head coach of the New York Giants, New England Patriots and New York Jets, about the Cowboys' head-coaching position, on board Jones's private jet. Though this would prove to be a critical move to the Cowboys' future success, it was nonetheless embarrassing for current head coach Dave Campo, who had received no word that any potential moves were pending, and Jones was roundly criticized for the incident. On-field ineptitude and off-field controversy once again led to a 5–11 season, the team's third consecutive such finish. Dave Campo was predictably dismissed after the season.
Notable additions to the team included wide receiver Antonio Bryant and center Andre Gurode.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8, 2002 | at Houston Texans | L 10–19 | 69,604 | 0–1 | |
| 2 | September 15, 2002 | Tennessee Titans | W 21–13 | 62,527 | 1–1 | |
| 3 | September 22, 2002 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 13–44 | 65,537 | 1–2 | |
| 4 | September 29, 2002 | at St. Louis Rams | W 13–10 | 66,165 | 2–2 | |
| 5 | October 6, 2002 | New York Giants | L 17–21 | 63,447 | 2–3 | |
| 6 | October 13, 2002 | Carolina Panthers | W 14–13 | 61,773 | 3–3 | |
| 7 | October 20, 2002 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 6–9 (OT) | 59,702 | 3–4 | |
| 8 | October 27, 2002 | Seattle Seahawks | L 14–17 | 63,854 | 3–5 | |
| 9 | November 3, 2002 | at Detroit Lions | L 7–9 | 61,789 | 3–6 | |
| 10 | Bye | |||||
| 11 | November 17, 2002 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 3–20 | 57,057 | 3–7 | |
| 12 | November 24, 2002 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 21–19 | 62,204 | 4–7 | |
| 13 | November 28, 2002 | Washington Redskins | W 27–20 | 63,606 | 5–7 | |
| 14 | December 8, 2002 | San Francisco 49ers | L 27–31 | 64,097 | 5–8 | |
| 15 | December 15, 2002 | at New York Giants | L 7–37 | 78,698 | 5–9 | |
| 16 | December 21, 2002 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 3–27 | 63,209 | 5–10 | |
| 17 | December 29, 2002 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–20 | 84,142 | 5–11 | |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 19 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1) Philadelphia Eagles | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 11–1 | 415 | 241 | L1 |
| (5) New York Giants | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 320 | 279 | W4 |
| Washington Redskins | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 307 | 365 | W2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 217 | 329 | L4 |
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | ||||||||||
| 1 [lower-alpha 1] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .469 | .432 |
| 2 [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .482 | .432 |
| 3 [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .451 | .414 |
| 4 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .504 | .450 |
| Wild Cards | ||||||||||
| 5 | New York Giants | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .482 | .450 |
| 6 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 9 | 6 | 1 | .594 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .494 | .429 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | ||||||||||
| 7 | New Orleans Saints | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .498 | .566 |
| 8 [lower-alpha 3] | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .508 | .446 |
| 9 [lower-alpha 3] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .506 | .433 |
| 10 [lower-alpha 4] | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .527 | .438 |
| 11 [lower-alpha 4] | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .486 | .357 |
| 12 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–2 | 5–7 | .498 | .417 |
| 13 [lower-alpha 5] | Arizona Cardinals | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .500 | .400 |
| 14 [lower-alpha 5] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .500 | .475 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .521 | .430 |
| 16 | Detroit Lions | North | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .494 | .375 |
| Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 6] | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
The Football Encyclopedia ISBN 0-312-11435-4
Total Football ISBN 0-06-270170-3
Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes ISBN 0-446-51950-2
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, and has played its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, since its opening in 2009. The stadium took its current name prior to the 2013 season, following the team's decision to sell the stadium's naming rights to telecommunications company AT&T. In January 2020, Mike McCarthy was hired as head coach of the Cowboys. He is the ninth in the team's history. McCarthy follows Jason Garrett, who coached the team from 2010 to 2019.
Roy Lee Williams, is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys eighth overall in the 2002 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals. He earned five straight Pro Bowl selections from 2003 to 2007. Williams was considered by some to be of the most violent hitters in football during his playing career, and sometimes received criticism for his perceived “dirty” play-style. Williams is currently a sideline reporter for Oklahoma football games.
The 2005 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 46th in the National Football League (NFL), their 17th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 34th playing their home games at Texas Stadium, and their third season under head coach Bill Parcells. Despite the Cowboys being 7–3 by Week 11 and tying the Giants for first in the NFC East, the Cowboys suffered a season collapse going 2–4 during the last six games. The Cowboys missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season after the Washington Redskins beat the Philadelphia Eagles. However, the Cowboys were able to improve on their 6–10 record from last season and finished the season at 9–7.
This article contains an in-depth explanation of the history of the Dallas Cowboys, a professional American football team that competes in the National Football League (NFL).
The 1991 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 31st in the National Football League. They finished with an 8–8 record, improving on their 6–10 record from the previous season, and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Head coach Jerry Burns retired at the end of the season.
The 2004 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 45th in the National Football League (NFL), their 16th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 33rd playing their home games at Texas Stadium, and their second season under head coach Bill Parcells. The team failed to improve on their 10-6 record in 2003 and finished at 6–10, failing to make the playoffs for the fourth time since 1999.
The 2003 Dallas Cowboys season was the 44th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). For the first time since 1989, Emmitt Smith was not on the opening day roster, culminating with for the first time since 1987, neither Michael Irvin (1988-1999), Aikman (1989-2000) on the roster either. Coming off three consecutive 5–11 seasons, Dallas hired former New York Giants, New York Jets, and New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells. In a scheduling coincidence, the Cowboys faced all three said teams in the 2003 regular season. The team was vastly improved and posted a 10–6 record. In the Wild Card round of the playoffs the team lost to the Carolina Panthers 29–10.
The 2000 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 41st in the National Football League (NFL). Cowboys owner Jerry Jones promoted the team's long-time defensive coordinator, Dave Campo, to be the fifth head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. This was also Troy Aikman's last season with the team.
The 1996 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 37th season in the National Football League (NFL) and was the third year under head coach Barry Switzer. Following their victory in Super Bowl XXX, the Cowboys endured a rough year failing to improve their 12–4 record from 1995 but still reached the playoffs with a 10–6 record. Star receiver Michael Irvin was suspended by the league for the first five games and before the playoffs was accused along with lineman Erik Williams of sexual assault. Controversy also took place when writer Skip Bayless published a scathing account of the Cowboys' 1995 season. Longtime trainer Mike Woicik also left the team after the season following a sideline dispute with coach Barry Switzer although Woicik returned in 2011. Additionally, late in the season; defensive tackle Leon Lett would be suspended for the last 3 games of the season and the first 13 of the following season after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
The 1995 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 36th season in the National Football League (NFL) and was the second year under head coach Barry Switzer and final of the three Super Bowl titles they would win during 1992 to 1995. Dallas would be the first team to ever win three Super Bowls in a span of four seasons. Switzer guided the Cowboys to a fifth Super Bowl win by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–17 in Super Bowl XXX.
The 1994 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 35th season in the National Football League (NFL). Following their second consecutive Super Bowl title, the Cowboys would see a multitude of changes. In March, months of setbacks finally reached its climax as team owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson held a press conference and announced Johnson's resignation.
The 1993 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 34th season in the National Football League (NFL) and was the fifth and final year of the franchise under head coach Jimmy Johnson. During Johnson's tenure, the Cowboys made two of their three Super Bowl appearances between 1992 and 1995 and won back-to-back Super Bowl titles. The season is notable for seeing the Cowboys become the first team to start 0–2 and still reach the Super Bowl. The following off-season was marked by the surprising resignation of Johnson, who departed the Cowboys due to a dispute with owner Jerry Jones about who deserved more credit for the back-to-back Super Bowl wins. This would be Johnson's last head coaching job until 1996, when he became the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins to replace the retiring Don Shula, who had served as their head coach since 1970. They are, as of 2024, the most recent NFC team to repeat as Super Bowl Champions
The 1992 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 33rd season in the National Football League (NFL) and was the fourth year of the franchise under head coach Jimmy Johnson. The Cowboys made the first of three Super Bowl appearances between 1992 and 1995.
The 1989 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 30th in the National Football League (NFL), their first under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 19th playing their home games at Texas Stadium and their first season under head coach Jimmy Johnson. It was the team's first time in franchise history that Tom Landry was not the head coach, as he was fired by Arkansas oil executive Jerry Jones on February 25, 1989. Landry served as Cowboys' head coach since the team's inaugural 1960 season and led the team to 5 Super Bowl appearances, winning 2 of them in his 29 year tenure.
Solomon Page is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft.
The 2001 Dallas Cowboys season was the team's 42nd in the National Football League (NFL). The Cowboys matched their record from the season before, going 5–11 and missing the playoffs, finishing last in the NFC East. For the first time since 1988, Troy Aikman was not on the Cowboys roster as quarterback, as the three-time Super Bowl champion retired, after playing for the team from 1989 to 2000. For the first time, Pat Summerall and John Madden did not call any Cowboys games for Fox all year.
The 2014 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 55th season in the National Football League (NFL), the sixth playing their home games at AT&T Stadium and the fourth full season under head coach Jason Garrett.
The 2016 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 57th season in the National Football League (NFL), the eighth playing their home games at AT&T Stadium and the 6th full season under head coach Jason Garrett.
The 2022 season was the Houston Texans' 21st in the National Football League (NFL) and their only season under Lovie Smith, following the firing of David Culley at the end of the 2021 season.
