The Dallas Cowboys have somehow, over decades, remained both the NFL’s most popular and least popular team. A history of success created the status, and the human desire for schadenfreude has held it.
The Cowboys have won five Super Bowls in franchise history, just one behind the NFL leaders New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, and tied with the San Francisco 49ers. But it’s also been more than 30 years since Dallas’ last appearance.
Yet the “America’s Team” nickname remains. Quality has persisted, even if the Super Bowls have not. And one of the biggest reasons why the Cowboys are still so loved and hated is talent. The NFL’s all-time leading rusher made his hay in Dallas, one of the league’s best teams at drafting running backs.
So, who is among the top five running backs in franchise history? Let’s take a look. And don’t forget to check out our list of the five best Cowboys quarterbacks of all time when you’re done.
5. Don Perkins (1961-68)
Perkins’ greatest legacy with the Cowboys is his helping the franchise abandon the practice of segregating players on road trips in team hotels. The Iowa native, who was black, played for the Cowboys from 1961 to 1968, leading the team in rushing in six of his eight seasons, and was in the second class ever inducted in the franchise’s Ring of Honor.
4. Calvin Hill (1969-74)
Hill became the first Cowboys player to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in a single season when he ran for 1,036 in 1972. He managed the feat again in 1973. Hill left the NFL for the 1975 season, instead playing for the World Football League, but returned in 1976 with Washington, though he wasn’t the same player. During his six years with the Cowboys, he made four Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro twice.
3. Ezekiel Elliott (2016-22, 2024)