Of Dallas' three starting linebackers from 1966-72, heyday of the Doomsday Defense, two rank among the greatest in Cowboys history.
Count Dave Edwards as the odd man out.
Playing next to Chuck Howley and Lee Roy Jordan all those years, Edwards' star quality dimmed in their glare. He wasn't exactly a household name.
Like when Bill Mercer, the Cowboys' terrific play-by-play man, occasionally called him "Ralph," after the TV host. Or when Tom Landry once identified him as "Dave Manders."
"Figures," Edwards said.
His was a typical Cowboys success story: Taken in the 25th round of the '62 draft by Denver after starring as a two-way end at Auburn, he signed instead with the Cowboys. Worked his way up to starter in '65.
Then, in '66, Jerry Tubbs retired and Jordan took over at middle linebacker. Howley manned the weak side, and Edwards lined up over the tight end.
Over the next half-dozen years, no better set of linebackers roamed the NFL.
Edwards, 6-1, 225, took on the best tight ends of his era, which might have been the best of any, a group including Mike Ditka, Jackie Smith and John Mackey.
"They could never get a clear block, no matter who it was," Bob Lilly told Jaime Aron in Breakthrough 'Boys: The Story of the 1971 Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys. "He could stand 'em right up on the line of scrimmage.
"They couldn't push him around."
Edwards' primary job was to stop the run, hardly a glamorous assignment. Also explains how Howley and Jordan ended up with twice as many interceptions as their fellow linebacker.
Or as Jordan put it: "He got overlooked playing the grunt position."
Edwards' teammates and coaches understood his value. Jordan called him "a great team player." In the '71 season, when the Cowboys won their first Super Bowl, Edwards graded out as their most consistent linebacker.
Yet Howley and Jordan got all the publicity. Named to a combined 11 Pro Bowls.
Edwards? Nada.
"It's always been that way since I came to the Cowboys," he said in 1972, "and it'll be that way when I leave."
He played three more years, retiring after the '75 season. His last 11 years with the Cowboys, he missed one game.
Still, unless you're Cal Ripken, consistency generally doesn't rate headlines. After Edwards died in his sleep last week at 76, Gil Brandt, who signed him out of Auburn for a thousand-dollar bonus, tweeted, "Never got recognition he deserved."
On at least one occasion, it was probably Edwards' fault. The News' Bob St. John telephoned him for a feature story in the '70s but never got a return call.
"My wife wrote your number down on a piece of Kleenex," Edwards told St. John.
"Then she blew her nose."
