The Dallas Cowboys are woven into the fabric of the country as America’s Team. The quarterback slot is the premier position and puts the spotlight on those who play there. A look at the quarterbacks Dallas has drafted in its history.
*Don Meredith
The Dallas Cowboys franchise was admitted to the league too late to participate in the 1960 NFL Draft, so on Nov. 28, 1959, two days prior to the draft, Don Meredith signed a five-year personal services contract with Tecon Corporation which, like the Cowboys, was owned by Clint Murchison. This contract meant he would play for the Cowboys if and when they received an NFL franchise. He was also selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round (32nd overall) of the 1960 NFL Draft, after Bears owner George Halas made the pick to help ensure that the expansion Cowboys got off to a solid start. The league honored the contract, but made the Cowboys compensate the Bears with a third-round pick in the 1962 NFL Draft. He is considered by some to be the original Dallas Cowboy because he had come to the team even before the franchise had adopted a nickname, hired a head coach (Tom Landry), scout (Gil Brandt) or participated in either the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft or its first NFL Draft in 1961.
Lowndes Shingler
Lowndes Shingler was taken in the 12th round, 156th overall, in the Cowboys’ first draft. The quarterback had led Clemson in 1960 with 790 passing yards, 1517 overall in three years. Shingler went into the Army after graduating.
Sonny Gibbs
With no first round draft choice in the 1962 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Sonny Gibbs in the second round (18th overall) with a future draft pick, which allowed the team to draft him before his college eligibility was over. In 1963, the 6-foot-7 Gibbs entered the league as the tallest quarterback in NFL history (until 1991 when Dan McGwire broke the record). Being the third-string quarterback, he wasn’t activated for any game of the season. He was waived on Sept. 3, 1964.
Billy Lothridge
Billy Lothridge was selected in the sixth round (73rd overall) of the 1964 NFL Draft and by the Oakland Raiders in the 12th round (95th overall) of the 1964 AFL Draft. He signed with the Cowboys to be a punter and placekicker. As a rookie, even though he tore a ligament in his left knee in training camp, he was named the team’s punter and third-team quarterback. His net punting average of 37.9 yards wasn’t reached by another Cowboy until the 2006 season (Mat McBriar-38.6 yards).
Roger Staubach
An All-American legend, the Cowboys grabbed Roger Staubach late in the 1964 draft and the rest is history.
Jerry Rhome
Knowing that he had one more year of eligibility, the Cowboys selected Jerry Rhome in the 13th round (172nd overall) of the 1964 NFL Draft with a future draft pick. Rhome began his professional career in 1965 as the third quarterback behind Don Meredith and Craig Morton. He would serve in a backup role until the start of the 1969 season when Roger Staubach joined the team, and at his request the Cowboys traded Rhome to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a third round draft choice, later used to select Charlie Waters in the 1970 NFL Draft.
Craig Morton
Craig Morton was selected fifth overall in 1965. He spent his first four seasons as the backup for Don Meredith, but still received opportunities to play due to periodic injuries suffered by Meredith. In 1969, he became the starter at quarterback over Roger Staubach, after Meredith’s unexpected retirement. In 1971, Tom Landry created one of the most famous quarterback controversies in NFL history, when he began alternating Morton with Staubach as the starting quarterback, reaching its extreme against the Chicago Bears, where they alternated between plays. After this famous game, Landry settled on Staubach and the Cowboys went on a 10-game winning streak that included a 24–3 victory in Super Bowl VI over the Miami Dolphins.
Steve Laub
Steve Laub was drafted in the eighth round out of Illinois Wesleyan and did not accumulate any NFL stats.
Paul Brothers
Paul Brothers was selected by the in the 16th round (416th overall) in 1967, but opted not to sign with the team. On March 15, 1967, he was signed by the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, who already had veteran quarterback Joe Kapp, but did not know if he would re-sign.
Bob Belden
Bob Belden was selected in the 12th round (308th overall) in 1969, though he never started a game at Notre Dame. As a rookie, he was able to make the team after Jerry Rhome was traded to the Cleveland Browns and Don Meredith unexpectedly retired. He was active for the first game and was placed on the taxi squad the rest of the season. He was waived on Sept. 9, 1970 and placed again on the taxi squad.At the end of the year, he decided to leave professional football and pursue a career in the private sector.
Steve Goepel
Steve Goepel was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 12th round (311th overall) of the 1971 NFL Draft He was waived on Sept. 7. It was reported that after he was cut, Washington invited Goepel for a tryout, that turned into an interrogation session by then head coach George Allen, to obtain information about the Cowboys offense.
Gordon Longmire
Gordon Longmire played quarterback at Utah, throwing for a combined 1,752 yards in 1970 and ’72. He was a 16th-round draft pick of the Cowboys with no NFL stats.
Dan Werner
The Cowboys drafted Dan Werner with an eighth-round pick in 1973. He didn’t make it as a player, he stayed on with the organization in various capacities. From Dallasmorningnews.com in 2016: Werner started out as a film grader in scouting and then spent time as a scout and in the ticket office before becoming business manager and, finally, the director of business operations for the Cowboys. Werner also was the inside project manager for Valley Ranch, working on a day-to-day basis with the architects and construction teams.
Danny White
The Dallas Cowboys selected Danny White from Arizona State in the third round (53rd overall) of the 1974 NFL Draft, but were mainly interested in him as a punter, so he chose to sign with the World Football League’s Memphis Southmen. In 1976, he signed with the Cowboys after the World Football League folded. Through 1979, White was the Cowboys’ punter and the backup to Roger Staubach. After Staubach’s retirement following the end of that season, White became the Cowboys’ starting quarterback.
Keith Bobo
Keith Bobo provided more than 2000 yards of total offense at SMU as a running back/quarterback. He was a 12th-round pick in 1974.
Cornelius Green
Cornelius Green was selected by the in the 11th round (318th overall) in 1976 but was thought of as a wide receiver. On Aug. 24, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for future considerations. He was released two weeks later.
Mark Driscoll
Mark Driscoll was selected in the13th round (374th overall) of the 1976 NFL Draft. He was waived before the start of the season on July 15. On July 19, he was signed as a free agent by the San Francisco 49ers, but was released on Aug. 3.
Glenn Carano
In the 1977 NFL Draft, the Cowboys didn’t have a second-round choice, after trading three of them to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the package to acquire Tony Dorsett. On May 3, the Cowboys traded wide receiver Duke Fergerson to the Seahawks in exchange for the 26th position in the second round, used to select Carano. The Cowboys used to carry only 2 quarterbacks on their roster until drafting Carano, who became the third-string quarterback after passing fellow rookie Steve Deberg on the depth chart. From 1977-79, Carano was the third-string quarterback behind Roger Staubach and Danny White. In 1980, he became the backup after the retirement of Staubach. In 1982, Carano was passed on the depth chart by Gary Hogeboom for the backup quarterback role behind White
Steve DeBerg
Steve DeBerg was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 10th round (275th overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft, but was waived before the start of the season when he could not displace fellow rookie quarterback Glenn Carano. DeBerg went on to a long career in the NFL, playing for seven teams.
Gary Hogeboom
Gary Hogeboom was selected in the fifth round (133rd overall) of the 1980 NFL Draft out of Central Michigan. As a rookie, he earned a roster spot following the retirement of Roger Staubach. He was the third-string quarterback in his first two seasons. He remained with Dallas until April 28, 1986, when he was traded to the Colts in exchange for switching positions in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft and a conditional draft choice (not exercised).
Reggie Collier
The Dallas Cowboys, gambling that the USFL was not going to last, acquired Reggie Collier’s NFL rights by selecting him in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft, even though he had already signed with the Washington Federals. On May 23, 1986, he signed a four-year contract, which was a transaction that was overshadowed by the acquisition of running back Herschel Walker. He was the first African-American quarterback to make the Cowboys roster. In the season finale against the defending Super Bowl Champions the Chicago Bears, he became the first African-American quarterback to start in fanchise history. He had four turnovers (three came in his first three series) and was replaced with Steve Pelluer in the third quarter. Collier played in four games in 1986, completing 8 of 15 passes for 96 yards and one touchdown. He was waived on June 17, 1987.
Stan Gelbaugh
Stan Gelbaugh was selected in the sixth round (150th overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft. On Aug. 18, he was waived after not being able to pass Reggie Collier on the depth chart.
Steve Pelluer
Steve Pelluer was selected in the fifth round (113th overall) in 1984. He was the third-string quarterback in his first two years. In 1985, with the first place in the NFC East division at stake, he was forced to enter a close game against the New York Giants and make his career debut, because both starting quarterback Danny White and backup Gary Hogeboom had been injured. Pelluer on his second series directed a 72-yard drive (which included a third-and-15 conversion) for the winning touchdown, leading the Cowboys to a victory that clinched the division title.
Kevin Sweeney
Kevin Sweeney was selected in the seventh round (180th overall) of the 1987 NFL Draft, After the players went on a strike on the third week of the 1987 season, those games were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the NFL decided that the games would be played with replacement players. Sweeney was signed to be a part of the Dallas Cowboys replacement team, that was given the mock name “Rhinestone Cowboys” by the media. He became the third rookie quarterback to start for the Cowboys, following Don Meredith (1960) and Roger Staubach (1969). When Danny White took over the team for the third replacement game against the Washington Redskins, the crowd started chanting “We Want Sweeney, We Want Sweeney” when the team didn’t perform well in the eventual 13-7 loss. He was kept on the roster for the rest of the year. In 1989, with the arrival of new head coach Jimmy Johnson and the team also intending to draft a quarterback, he was left unprotected in Plan B free agency.
Scott Secules
Scott Secules was selected in the sixth round (151st overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft. After Danny White was lost for the year in the third game, Secules became the third-string quarterback but was declared inactive in all 16 games. At the end of the season, the team also protected him in Plan B free agency. In 1989, new head coach Jimmy Johnson brought in a new coaching staff and drafted two rookie quarterbacks (Troy Aikman and Steve Walsh), so he was traded to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a fifth-round draft choice.
Troy Aikman
The first overall pick of the 1989 NFL Draft, Troy Aikman played 12 consecutive seasons as the starting quarterback with the Cowboys, the most number of seasons by any Cowboy quarterback. During his career he was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, led the team to three Super Bowl victories, and was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVII.
Steve Walsh
The Cowboys surprised observers by selecting Walsh with the second overall pick in the NFL Supplemental Draft, though they had already selected Troy Aikman No. 1 overall in the 1989 NFL Draft and had to surrender by rule an equivalent pick in the 1990 NFL Draft, which would turn out to be the number one overall selection. Walsh started five games as a rookie, while Aikman recovered from a broken finger. He recorded Dallas’ only win of the season, a 13–3 victory over the rival Washington Redskins. Walsh was never able to move out of Aikman’s shadow and was traded to the New Orleans Saints three games into the 1990 season, in exchange for first-, second- and third-round draft picks.
Bill Musgrave
Bill Musgrave was selected in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft. He went into training camp with Troy Aikman, Babe Laufenberg and Cliff Stoudt at quarterback. On August 25, the Cowboys traded for Steve Beuerlein to improve the backup position and released Musgrave and Stoudt.
Quincy Carter
In 2001, the Cowboys chose Quincy Carter out of Georgia in the second round (53rd overall). Although he was expected to spend time learning the game behind starter Tony Banks, after having a notable pre-season he was named the team’s starting quarterback midway through training camp. In his Cowboys career, he started 31 games, registering 507 completions in 902 attempts for 5,839 yards, 29 touchdown passes, 498 rushing yards, 3 touchdown runs, 36 interceptions and a 72.3 passer rating.
Isaiah Stanback
Isaiah Stanback was selected in the fourth round (103rd overall) in 2007. Despite playing mostly as a quarterback in college, he was drafted with the intention of being converted into a wide receiver. He was active for two games in his rookie season, but did not record any receptions. In 2008, he was active for eight games, catching two passes for 24 yards in the opener against the New York Giants. On Dec. 26, he was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. On Sept. 5, 2009, he was waived by the Cowboys after not being able to remain healthy during his time with the team.
Stephen McGee
In 2009, Texas A&M’s Stephen McGee was picked by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round (101st overall). He signed a four-year deal on July 28. After Tony Romo was placed on Injured Reserve in 2010, McGee became the Cowboys’ second-string quarterback, behind Jon Kitna. In the Cowboys’ season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, McGee started his first NFL game. He went 11-27, 127 yards, and threw a touchdown pass to Jason Witten with 55 seconds left to give Dallas a 14-13 victory. During the 2011 Christmas Eve loss to the Eagles, McGee replaced an injured Romo and completed 24-of-38 passes for 182 yards, and one touchdown. On Sept.1, 2012, he was waived before the start of the season.
Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott was a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State in the 2016 draft. He stepped right in and has been starting since becoming a Dallas Cowboy.
Mike White
The Dallas Cowboys selected Mike White of Western Kentucky in the fifth round (171st overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. Mn May 12, the Cowboys signed White to a four-year, $2.67 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $217,553. He made the team as the third-string quarterback. In 2019, he was given the opportunity to compete during the preseason for the backup job behind Dak Prescott. On Aug. 31, White was waived after the team decided to carry two quarterbacks on the regular-season roster. On Sept. 25, 2019, White was signed to the New York Jets practice squad.
