The Dallas Cowboys sign linebacker Keith Brooking

The Cowboys have signed 33-year old linebacker Keith Brooking to a 3-year contract.  Brooking played in all 16 games for the Falcons last season and he made 102 tackles and defensed 3 passes.  8 times in his 11 year NFL career Brooking has made more than 100 tackles in a season.  Brooking has now played in 161 games in his NFL career and he has made 1,127 tackles, has defensed 46 passes, has 17 sacks, forced 8 fumbles and he has 12 interceptions.  Brooking’s signing will probably end Zach Thomas’ time in Dallas.

The Dallas Cowboys acquire Jon Kitna for Anthony Henry

The Cowboys have acquired 36-year old quarterback Jon Kitna from the Lions for 32-year old cornerback Anthony Henry.  Kitna played in 4 games for the Lions last season and he completed 68 of 120 passes (56.7%) for 758 yards with 5 TD passes and 5 interceptions (72.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the football 6 times for 34 yards (5.7 ypc) last season.  Kitna’s season was ended after four games last year because of a back injury but he claims to be healthy now.  Kitna should be a huge upgrade over Brad Johnson as Tony Romo’s backup in 2009.  Kitna has now played in 128 games in his NFL career and he has completed 2,462 of 4,114 (59.8%) passes for 27,293 yards with 152 TD passes and 151 interceptions (76.6 QB Rating).  Kitna has also carried the football 279 times for 811 yards (2.9 ypc) with 10 TD runs in his career. 

The Cowboys might miss the 32-year old Anthony Henry who made a lot of big plays in his four seasons in Dallas.  Henry played in all 16 games for the Cowboys last season and he made 50 tackles, defensed 5 passes, had 2 sacks, forced 1 fumble and he intercepted 1 pass.  Henry played in 57 games in his career with the Cowboys and in those games he made 215 tackles, defensed 54 passes, had 2 sacks, forced 2 fumbles and he intercepted 12 passes (2 of which he returned for TDs).

50 Seasons Series: The Cowboys’ First Collegiate Draft

Dallas took TCU defensive tackle Bob Lilly in the first round of the 1961 NFL draft.

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.

The Cowboys did not have the opportunity to participate in the draft held at the end of the 1959 NFL season, so the collegiate draft held on December 28 and 29, 1960 was the team’s first.

The team had previously traded its first- and sixth-round picks to Washington to pick up quarterback Eddie LeBaron. However, the team was able to acquire the 13th pick of the first round, which was Cleveland’s position.

The first round that year was extraordinarily stacked. Four of the 14 players selected were eventually elected to the Hall of Fame. This included tight end Mike Ditka (selected by Chicago), defensive back Jimmy Johnson (selected by San Francisco), defensive back Herb Adderley (selected by Green Bay), and defensive tackle Bob Lilly (selected by Dallas). Ditka and Adderley eventually joined the Cowboys, as they teamed up with Lilly to help Dallas win Super Bowl VI.

This draft is remembered, of course, for Lilly. He was a concensus All-American at TCU, and both the Cowboys and the Dallas Texans took him in the drafts that year.

The Cowboys’ draft would have been outstanding if all of the draft picks had played for the Cowboys. Two of the first three picks– E.J. Holub and Stew Barber– played in the AFL, and both went to the AFL Pro Bowl multiple times. Dallas also selected Billy Shaw, who had a Hall of Fame career with the Buffalo Bills.

Tackle Don Talbert (Texas), the Cowboys’ eighth round pick, played three seasons with the Cowboys, though they were scattered over the course of nearly a decade. He played for Dallas in 1962, 1965, and 1971. He played for the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints from 1966 to 1970.

The other picks who stayed on the team were not well known. This included receiver Sonny Davis, end Glenn Gregory, and center Lynn Hoyem. None of the three ever developed into a starter, in Dallas or otherwise.

The table below shows the full results of the 1961 draft.

Results of the 1961 NFL Draft for the Dallas Cowboys.

Held Dec. 28-29, 1960.
No.
 Player
 Pos.
 Experience
1a Traded in 1960 to Washington for Eddie LeBaron
1b Bob Lilly DT Dallas Cowboys, 1961-74.
2 E.J. Holub (went to Dallas of the AFL) LB Dallas Texans, 1961-62; Kansas City Chiefs, 1963-70.
3 Stew Barber (went to Buffalo of the AFL) G Buffalo Bills, 1961-69.
4 Arnold Allen “Sonny” Davis WR Dallas Cowboys, 1961
5 Traded to San Francisco for Gene Babb
6 Traded along with first round choice to Washington for LeBaron
7 Art Gilmore HB DNP
8 Don Talbert T Dallas Cowboys, 1962, 1965, 1971, Atlanta Falcons, 1966-68; New Orleans Saints, 1969-70,
9 Glynn Gregory HB Dallas Cowboys, 1961-62.
10 Traded to Green Bay for Fred Cone
11 Norris Stevenson HB DNP
12 Lowndes Shingler QB DNP
13 Don Goodman HB DNP
14 Bill Shaw (went to Buffalo of the AFL) G Buffalo Bills, 1961-69.
15 Julius Varnado (went to AFL) T DNP?
16 Jerry Steffen HB DNP
17 Everett Cloud HB DNP
18 Randy Williams HB DNP
19 Lynn Hoyem C Dallas Cowboys, 1962-63; Philadelphia Eagles, 1964-67.
20 Jerry Morgan QB DNP

Players the Cowboys Missed

In addition to the players the Cowboys lost to the AFL, there were other players Dallas could have taken during the 20-round (!) 1961 draft. Excluding those who played for the AFL, here are some notable names:

Grade This Draft

Here is your chance to grade the 1961 draft for the Dallas Cowboys:

My Grade: B

I originally gave this draft a low score, since it yielded so few quality players other than Lilly. However, Lilly’s selection alone is worth some points, and had some of the other players stuck with the NFL instead of the AFL, this draft could have been great.

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Bob Hayes Family Saga Hopefully Will Be Resolved Soon

Some are interested in the facts and evidence involved in Bob Hayes’ family saga. Others are upset with the focus on it, since his induction should be about him and not about the family feud. It is really a bizarre mess, but the reason it is so bizarre is because all signs point to a carpetbagger who has tried to take glory away from those who deserve it and for her herself.

Today, Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com posted a rather amusing list of reasons suggesting that Lucille Hester is at the least a liar and and the worst a complete con.

Shortly after that article was written, Dallas Morning News reporter Brad Townsend posted a story noting that the letter that Hester read at the Hall of Fame press conference on Saturday appeared in Calibri font, which was not available to the public until the release of Microsoft Office 2007.

Coupled with some other facts– Hayes’ signature is obviously forged, Roger Staubach’s name is misspelled, the San Francisco 49ers’ name is spelled “49rs,” the letter was written before his induction to the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor– and it is beyond reasonable doubt that this letter is a fake.

Fisher conducted a great interview with Bob Hayes Jr., the 30-year-old son of the sports icon. Bob Jr.’s reasons for the family not stopping or not being able to stop Hester are very believable. It seems pretty obvious that he’s the one who should be representing his father, not the alleged sister. According to Fisher’s interview, and perhaps according to the Dallas Morning News interview that will appear tomorrow, Hayes Jr. is going to try to put an end to the mess this week.

There are some more statements from Bob Hayes’ 1990 autobiography, Run, Bullet, Run, which are relevant to this discussion:

On older brother Ernest:

. . . I’ve looked up to him all my life.

On older sister Lena Mae and mother Mary:

Lena and my mom sacrificed a lot to make sure that I would have opportunities they never had.

On family in general:

We were a close-knit family . . .

On Bob Hayes Jr.:

I may be prejudiced, but I think Bob Jr. has the makings of a better athlete than his old man was. I know he has at least one advantage I never had: a father who adores him.

The stories in 2001 show that his family was still close to him when they set up a 24-hour vigil, thinking he was going to die. Hayes does not sound like a person who would give his prized possessions (Super Bowl ring, Olympic gold medal) to one of his alleged sisters and not to his son or at least to one of his other children. Hayes certainly doesn’t sound like the type who would want one sibling to take all of the glory and to exclude everyone else from this great moment.

Hester’s Possible Motivation for the Alleged Fraud

What may turn out to be really interesting is to find out about Hester’s work for the Bob Hayes Foundation. Hayes’ own son told Fisher he knows nothing about this nonprofit entity (first established in 2005), except that quite a bit of Hester’s focus has been on raising money. If this turns out to be little more than a scheme, it will really be a sad story.

There is even more to this bizarre story. Hester is the president of the Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C. When she became president of this club, the Washington Informer ran a short piece on her. The story mentions this about her:

Hester became the first female member of the club when she joined about six years ago. Then, Brig Owens, one of the 70 all-time greats for the Washington Redskins and a former quarterback for the University of Cincinnati, was president. Hester said she joined to enjoy the benefits and to offer the club another benefit.

Every sports legend had come through the Pigskins club, and I wanted the history of those legends and the organization to be presented by them so the story would be accurate,” Hester said. “I really wanted history to treat them with so much respect, because every opportunity today had to come from someone making that history years ago.”

She’s in the process of writing a book. She has four and a half decades worth of history in sports.

The Pigskins Club, based in Washington, D.C., is the oldest African American sports organization in the country. This year the club also honored its great Hall-of-Famers, including the first African American player for the Washington Redskins, Bobby Mitchell, Brig Owens, Larry Brown, an outstanding running back for the Redskins, Johnny Grier, the first African American referee in the NFL, and Dr. Thomas Hart, a former coach in the Washington area.

The story doesn’t mention she is Bob Hayes’ sister, nor does it mention that she runs the Bob Hayes Foundation, which according to Hester herself, is active enough to have its own attorney.

She is active with American Youth Football and Cheer, but a short bio on that site doesn’t mention anything about Bob Hayes or the Bob Hayes Foundation. She is also featured on the website for Black Women in Sport Foundation, but it also does not mention the connection to Hayes.

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Bob Hayes’ Biographies Don’t Mention Lucille Hester

The best news of Super Bowl weekend for the Cowboys was that receiver Bob Hayes was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame. The story had an even more touching moment when Hayes’ sister, Lucille Hester, read a letter that Hayes wrote in October 1999, thanking nearly everyone for his induction.

Two days later, the story turned sour, Dallas Cowboys-style. There are a bunch of stories out there, including:

Hester said today in a letter sent from her attorney she and Hayes were half-siblings, sharing the same father (George Sanders). There will probably be more to this story, and everything stated above has been covered elsewhere.

I should probably leave this one alone, but there are parts of this story that make no sense at all. According to one of Jean-Jacques Taylor’s blog entries, Hester claims to have travelled to Tokyo to see Hayes race in the 1964 Olympics, to Green Bay to watch the Ice Bowl, and apparently to all but three Super Bowls. Presumably, this would include a trip to Miami for Super Bowl V and New Orleans for Super Bowl VI, since Hayes played in those games.

1971 Biography: The Speed King

In 1971, after Dallas had lost Super Bowl V, Hayes was the feature of a biography entitled The Speed King: Bob Hayes of the Dallas Cowboys by David Lipman and Ed Wilks. The book (183 pages) is certainly above the level of a children’s book and provides quite a few details of Hayes’ childhood. According to the book, he grew up in a very poor neighborhood in Jacksonville called the Bottoms and grew up with brother Ernest and sister Lena Mae. It mentions that Hayes’ father’s name was George and that his parents separated when Bob was nine years old. After the separation, Bob’s uncle and aunt lived with the family for a while. Bob’s mother mentions that Bob was lazy as a boy, paying sister Lena Mae dimes to wash dishes for him. The book also mentions childhood friends Charles Grover and Charles Sutton.

This biography thus has some stories of mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, aunt, and two friends, but no mention of Lucille at all. This book was written just three years after the Ice Bowl, which Lucille claims she attended to watch her brother, but Hayes and the others make no mention of her.

1990 Autobiography: Run, Bullet, Run

After Hayes’ career ended, he made some mistakes. He was convicted for selling cocaine and spent time in prison. He struggled for the remainder of his life, especially financially. In 1990, he wrote an autobiography (along with Robert Pack) entitled, Run, Bullet, Run: The Rise, Fall, and Recovery of Bob Hayes. The book features a detailed account of his trip to Tokyo for the 1964 Olympics, where he established himself as the world’s fastest human. He also details how he paid for his mother’s flight, marking the first time she flew in an airplane. She flew from Florida to Los Angeles with ten suitcases, but she had to consolidate her belongings because she was only allowed to bring three suitcases on the flight. Teammate Ralph Boston’s girlfriend, Mary Thompson, helped Hayes’ mother during the stopover.

Hayes notes that after the race, he had dinner with his mother. He also noted that his “mom made out fine, too. She came back to the United States loaded down with televisions, watches, and all sorts of clothing people gave her in Tokyo.”

So, this account refers to Bob’s mother’s trip to Tokyo, all of his teammates, and Ralph Boston’s girlfriend. But there is not one mention of “sister” Lucille travelling to Tokyo to watch him race, even though she claims to have gone.

Problems with the 1999 Letter

Taylor posted the contents of the letter Hester read on January 31. The letter is dated October 29, 1999, which means it was written about three years before his death. This letter anticipates that he might be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame sometime after his death, and in the letter, he thanks the Dallas Cowboys, Roger Staubach, and just about everyone else.

Some have noticed that the actual letter misspells Staubach as “Stauback.”

What is more troubling to me is this phrase: “You know I am not sure I am going to be around if I get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . . . .”  Hayes would have written this letter two years before he was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. The man who had the foresight to write such a letter thanks the club that had not yet inducted him into its own hall of fame? This makes absolutely no sense, but Hayes purportedly writes, “I would like to thank everyone who supported me to get into the NFL Hall of Fame, the Dallas Cowboys organization, all of my team mates (sic) and everyone who played for the Cowboys, (thank the San Francisco 49ers too).”

Health Trouble in 2001

Hayes nearly died in March 2001 due to complications with prostate cancer. Taylor, then a reporter, quoted Lena Mae Johnson about Hayes’ condition.  Taylor also quoted Johnson when Hayes’ health improved.

“He’s improving quite a bit,” she said. “He’s doing much better. The doctors are real happy considering how sick he was four days ago.”

Johnson said any notes or cards to Hayes should be sent to: Bob Hayes , 4305 Detaille Dr., Jacksonville, Fla. 32209. - Jean-Jacques Taylor (March 7, 2001).

Several stories in 2001 focused on Hayes, especially once the Cowboys inducted him into the Ring of Honor. The great columnist Frank Luska prematurely wrote an obitutary about Hayes in March and then wrote another column in September, noting:

Hayes said he owed much to many. To family - brother, sister, niece and 82-year-old mother - who kept a 24-hour bedside vigil during his crisis.

The stories referred to mother, sister Lena Mae, brother Ernest, son Bob Jr. But not one of those stories mentioned Lucille Hester as Hayes’ older sister. In fact, as Whitt noted yesterday, the Dallas Morning News obituary of Hayes makes no mention of Lucille as Hayes’ sister (though a Jacksonville newspaper apparently did).

So What Does This Mean?

McIntosh said that Hester did not become a major part of Hayes’ life until just before or after Hayes’ death in 2002. The evidence supports this claim. The name Lucille Hester never arose in any of the stories about Hayes during his life, even when many other family names were included in those stories. Her name first appeared in the Dallas Morning News in 2006, when reporter Matt Mosley noted that Hester sent a message to Rayfield Wright, who was elected to the Hall that year. Taylor wrote a lengthy article in 2007 about Hester’s efforts to erect a headstone for Hayes’ grave and to get Hayes elected into Canton. Maybe this shows she has the heart of a good sister, but this all came long after Hayes had died.

We may know more after Bob Hayes Jr. travels to Hawaii to meet “Aunt Lucille” this week.

It also turns out, as Whitt reports, that Hester runs a non-profit foundation bearing Hayes’ name.

The bottom line, therefore, is that the Cowboys can’t put someone in the Hall of Fame without enduring a soap opera in the process!

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50 Seasons Series: Best Moment of 1960

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.

For each season covered in this series, we will take a look at the best plays and other moments during that year. Obviously, the 1960 season for the Dallas Cowboys did not feature many shining moments. However, there were a few worth mentioning.

Please take the time to participate in the poll at the bottom of this post.

Moment #1: LeBaron and Doran Provide Fireworks in the Opening Game

Just two and a half minutes into the first regular season game in Cowboys history against Pittsburgh, Eddie LeBaron hit end Jim Doran on a 75-yard touchdown pass. A block by halfback Don McIlhenny helped to spring Doran for the run after the catch.

Why this is noteworthy: Doran had two 100-yard games for the Cowboys in 1960, including the game against the Steelers, which helped him earn a Pro Bowl berth.

Moment #2: LeBaron Hits Clarke to Tie the Eagles in Week 2

LeBaron connected on his second long touchdown pass in as many games during week 2 when he hit Frank Clarke on a 75-yarder that allowed Dallas to tie Philadelphia in the second quarter.

Why this is noteworthy: Clarke was not a starter in 1960, but he showed flashes that allowed him to develop into a solid player in the team’s early history. The Eagles won the NFL title that season, so managing to stay tied with Philadelphia in the second half was not a small feat for the young Dallas team.

Moment #3: 2-Inch Pass Sets Record

In week 3 of the 1960 season, LeBaron hit Dick Bielski on the shortest recorded pass play in NFL history: two inches.

Why this is noteworthy: Obviously, any NFL record is noteworthy. This one falls more on the side of infamous.

Moment #4: Another Long TD Pass to Clarke Nearly Beats 49ers

Clarke scored on the longest touchdown of the 1960 season, a 76-yard pass from LeBaron against San Francisco. The play gave Dallas a 14-9 lead, but that lead vanished quickly as Dallas fell, 26-14.

Why this is noteworthy: Clarke again showed his big-play ability on what the Dallas Morning News described as the Cowboys’ home run pass.

Moment #5: LeBaron Hits Billy Howton to Tie the Giants

With only 2:37 remaining in the game and the Cowboys trailing by 7, LeBaron hit receiver Billy Howton on an 11-yard slant pattern for a touchdown, which tied the game at 31.

Why this is noteworthy: The Cowboys fought to a tie on the road against the Giants, who had been an NFL power for several seasons. This clutch play allowed Dallas to avoid an 0-12 season.

Poll

Here is your chance to vote on the best moment of the 1960 season for the Dallas Cowboys.

My Vote: Howton’s Catch

It’s tough not to go with Billy Howton’s catch against the Giants, given that the only really positive moment of the season was the tie at New York.

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50 Seasons Series: 1960 Regular Season, Part 2

This post is part of the 50 Seasons in 50 Weeks Series.


This shot is from the December 4, 1960 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. Dallas avoided an 0-12 season by tying New York, 31-31.

Below are summaries of the six games played in the second half of the 1960 season.

Please click here for the summaries of games 1 through 6.

Week 7: November 6, 1960

Los Angeles Rams 38, Dallas 13

Frank Ryan, who later led the Cleveland Browns to a NFL Championship, threw three touchdown passes as the Cowboys suffered another blowout loss. The more significant aspect of this game was it featured the debut of Don Meredith as starting quarterback. He struggled, to say the least, as the Cowboys completed only nine passes for 75 yards and suffered three interceptions. Rookie fullback Walt Kowalczyk put in the best performance of the day, rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Dallas Morning News: Cowboys Bow, 38-13, For 7th Straight Loss | Box Score (Pro-Football-Reference)

Week 8: November 13, 1960

Green Bay 41, Dallas 7

Tom Landry turned to Don Heinrich as the starter in week 8 of the 1960 season, but he fared no better than Meredith or Eddie LeBaron. The Cowboys had no answer for the Green Bay ground attack, which gained 165 yards. Jim Taylor had three touchdowns. Dallas did not score until midway through the fourth quarter, when Meredith hit Kowalczyk on a 14-yard touchdown pass.

Dallas Morning News: Green Bay Runs Over Dallas Cowboys, 41-7 | Box Score (Pro-Football-Reference)

Week 9: November 20, 1960

San Francisco 26, Dallas 14

The Cowboys could not hold on to a 14-9 fourth quarter lead, giving up 17 late points and falling 26-14 to the 49ers. About 10,000 Cotton Bowl fans saw the longest play of the 1960 season when LeBaron hit Frank Clarke on a 76-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter that gave Dallas the 14-9 lead. However, on the ensuing drive, San Francisco quarterback John Brodie drove the 49ers into Dallas territory, and running back C. R. Roberts put the 49ers on top for good with a 20-yard touchdown run. Dallas fumbled on two consecutive kickoff returns, and San Francisco was able to put the game away with 10 more points.

Dallas Morning News: 49ers Scuttle Cowboy Lead, Post 26-14 Win | Box Score (Pro-Football-Reference)

Week 10: November 27, 1960

Chicago 17, Dallas 7

The “stubborn, luckless” Cowboys fell behind 14-0 in the first half to the Bears, who gained a total of 221 yards on the ground. Dallas cut the lead to 14-7 when Heinrich hit running back Don McIlhenny on a 64-yard catch-and-run. However, in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys turned the ball over deep in their own territory when a punt took a crazy bounce and hit safety Bill Butler. Chicago converted the turnover by kicking a field goal, which put the game out of reach.

Dallas Morning News: Cowboys Tumble, 17-7 | Box Score (Pro-Football-Reference)

Week 11: December 4, 1960

Dallas 31, N.Y. Giants 31

In what Tex Schramm later described as the Cowboys’ Super Bowl for the 1960 season, Dallas managed a 31-31 tie with Landry’s old team, the Giants. Eddie LeBaron played the entire game, completing 17 of 35 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns, including an 11-yarder to Billy Howton with 2:37 remaining. Running back L.G. Dupre also had a good game, catching two touchdown passes from LeBaron and running for another.

Dallas Morning News: Cowboys Battle New York To 31-31 Deadlock | Box Score (Pro-Football-Reference)

Week 12: December 11, 1960

Detroit 23, Dallas 14

The Cowboys played their final game of the 1960 season at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Lion running back Nick Pietrosante scored on touchdown runs of 43 and 40 yards in the first half, giving Detroit a 16-7 lead. Dallas was unable to make a dent in the lead in the second half and lost for the eleventh time.

Dallas Morning News: Cowboys Lose Finale, 23-14 | Box Score (Pro-Football-Reference)

Final Synopsis of the 1960 Season

The 1960 Cowboys had chances to make strides, but nearly all of the newspaper accounts of those games note that Dallas was prone to make mistakes. The Cowboys scored 14 or fewer points in five of their last six games and in nine of their games during the season. On the other hand, the team stayed in several of their games until late, which was a positive sign.

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