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| Douglas Benton. 16th September, 2005 - 10:26 pm
 On Monday Night, in the stadium they grew up in and thrived, Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, and Troy Aikman will join other Cowboys? legends as they take their rightful place in the Ring of Honor. In doing so, the Cowboys will officially close the door to their dynasty in the 1990?s and reopen the discussion of how great this group really was.
It started in 1988 with Irvin, continued with Aikman in 1989 and finished with Smith in 1990. Irvin was the one that embodied what this team was able. He was brash, confident, and ready to take on the world. This attitude was taken by the Cowboys and led them on their assault of the NFL.
Aikman on the other hand, was the general of the team and let his play do the talking. He was the poster boy for the early years as he took most of the bruises from that 1-15 season that introduced Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson to the NFL. However, Aikman took his lumps and went on to become one of the winningest quarterbacks in the history of the league.
Then in 1990, Emmitt Smith came to Texas and the Cowboys were poised for greatness. Smith was the star of the team, which became very evident when the Cowboys went 0-2 during his 1993 holdout. With all three together, the Cowboys improved by six games and started their march on rewriting the record books and that they did.
Before the Patriots matched this last February, the Cowboys were the only team that won three Super Bowls in four years. While the roster was loaded and each player had an essential role, it was the Triplets that made the engine turn. Throughout their illustrious career, each has put up numbers that would make even the most informed football fan blink.
First off, Smith holds the all-time rushing record with 18,355 yards, and the most consecutive 1,000 yard seasons with 11. Aikman, on the other hand has amassed over 3,000 yards five times in his career and is one of only four quarterbacks to win at least three Super Bowls. To round out the group, Irvin hit the 1,000 yard mark seven times, helping him earn over 11,000 yards for his career.
So, with such a great legacy, it is only fitting that they go in together. Monday Night will be special not only in Irving. We might never see a group like this again, so we should cherish this night and marvel at how great this group really was. |
