For most generations, the idea of the Cowboys as "America's Team" is becoming more and more distant.
In the 2000s and 2010s, it was the Patriots who dominated headlines and airwaves with a Tom Brady-led dynasty. In the 2020s, the Chiefs have been at the center of the NFL with their persistent dominance. Before modern dynasties resided in New England and Kansas City, however, the focal point of the NFL was northern Texas.
The Cowboys left behind a remarkable legacy in the early 1990s, even if they have struggled to live up to the expectations they set for themselves ever since.
The Sporting News takes a look back at the 1990s Cowboys dynasty and how it came together.
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Dallas Cowboys 1990s dynasty
After going 1-15 in Troy Aikman's rookie season of 1989, the Cowboys started to flip a switch in 1990. Dallas improved from one win to seven in 1990 and seven to 11 in 1991. By 1992, the dynasty was on: the Cowboys won Super Bowls in the 1992 and 1993 seasons, and they made it back to the top in 1995 after falling to a powerhouse 49ers team in the 1994 NFC championship game.
Dallas went 49-15 in the regular season between 1992-95, losing only one playoff game and making the Lombardi Trophy theirs in all but one of those four seasons. The Cowboys not only cemented their moniker as "America's Team" during the 1990s, but they created a new generation of fans that still boosts the franchise's profile to this day.
Here's a closer look at how such a dominant run was possible.
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Cowboys draft history: 1990s
No dynasty is possible in the NFL without success in the draft, and the Cowboys certainly had success in the draft in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Dallas selected Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith in three consecutive drafts, taking Smith using a pick acquired from the Vikings in the 1989 blockbuster trade that sent Herschel Walker to Minnesota.
In 1991, the Cowboys used a bevy of draft picks to select three Pro-Bowlers in Russell Maryland, Erik Williams and Leon Lett, along with two more early 1990s starters in Alvin Harper and Larry Brown. Dallas then drafted Pro Bowl safety Darren Woodson in 1992. The Cowboys even selected five-time Pro-Bowl WR Jimmy Smith in 1992, though he didn't make an impact until his time with the Jaguars.
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The Herschel Walker trade (supplied the draft picks)
The Vikings' infamous trade for RB Herschel Walker is widely viewed as the birth of the Cowboys' dynasty. While Irvin and Aikman were already drafted when the deal went down, the assets acquired by Dallas allowed the franchise to fill out its Super Bowl rosters.
Here was the full deal.
Vikings receive:
RB Herschel Walker
1990 3rd-round pick
1991 3rd-round pick
1990 5th-round pick
1990 10th-round pick
Cowboy receive:
LB Jesse Solomon
LB David Howard
CB Issiac Holt
DE Alex Stewart
1990 1st-round pick
1991 1st-round pick
1992 1st-round pick
1990 2nd-round pick
1991 2nd-round pick
1992 2nd-round pick
1992 3rd-round pick
1990 6th-round pick
While some of the picks came with conditions, the Cowboys ultimately received four players and eight draft picks for Walker and four picks, with none of the selections sent to Minnesota in the first or second round.
Dallas used the Vikings' 1990 first-round pick to move up four spots and select Emmitt Smith, while Minnesota's 1991 first-round pick was used on Pro Bowl DT Russell Maryland. In the years that followed, the Cowboys turned Vikings picks into two defensive starters in Kevin Smith and Darren Woodson, the latter of whom became a five-time Pro-Bowler.
.@ShannonSharpe on the biggest trade in sports history:
“It has got to be the Herschel Walker trade. The Dallas Cowboys got 5 players and 6 draft picks from Minnesota. The picks turned out to be Emmittt Smith, Russell Maryland, Kevin Smith, and Darren Woodson.” pic.twitter.com/5NirSJHxyY
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) August 3, 2022
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Who were The Triplets?
It takes more than three great players to win one Super Bowl, let alone three, but the faces of the Cowboys' dynasty were "The Triplets" — QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith and WR Michael Irvin. All drafted in a span of three years, the trio was part of all three championship seasons, and each player was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Troy Aikman
Aikman spent 12 seasons under center in Dallas, losing all 11 games he started as a rookie but quickly helping turn the Cowboys into a legitimate contender. The Hall of Famer was a Pro-Bowler in six consecutive seasons, leading the NFL in completion percentage in 1993 and going 56-19 between 1992 and 1996.
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Emmitt Smith
The Cowboys traded up to select Smith at No. 17 overall in 1990, and he would turn in one of the most legendary careers of any running back in NFL history. A 15-year player despite the wear-and-tear that comes with the position, Smith rushed for more than 1,400 yards in five consecutive seasons and at least 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons with the Cowboys. The Florida product led the NFL in rushing yards four times and rushing touchdowns three times; he finished each of the Cowboys' three Super Bowl seasons in the 1990s as the NFL's leading rusher.
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Michael Irvin
The earliest drafted of "The Triplets," entering the NFL in 1988, Irvin battled through inconsistency and absences over his first three seasons before breaking out with 1,523 yards in 1991. After a holdout in search of a new contract, Irvin put together another stellar year in 1992 to help the Cowboys win their first of three Super Bowls in the 1990s. He set a career-high with 1,603 yards during Dallas' 1995 title season and retired with 11,904 yards over 12 seasons with the Cowboys.
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Jerry Jones-Jimmy Johnson feud
Jimmy Johnson served as the Cowboys' head coach during their championship runs in 1992 and 1993, but he was ousted amid a feud with owner Jerry Jones ahead of the 1994 season.
With Jones looking to take power away from Johnson and Johnson believing he shouldn't have to relinquish any control over the team after back-to-back titles, the feud reached a boiling point in March 1994. Jones told reporters that any coach could have won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys' talented roster, and the two sides agreed to split less than two months after Dallas' Super Bowl 28 victory.
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Jerry Jones brings in Barry Switzer
Once Johnson was out of the picture, Jones turned to the college ranks and hired former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer. Switzer played at Arkansas, Jones' alma mater, and he went a dominant 157-29-4 over 16 seasons with the Sooners, winning three national championships.
Multiple scandals ended Switzer's tenure at Oklahoma after the 1989 season, and he stayed away from coaching until Jones convinced him to become head coach of the Cowboys in 1994 — a fairly easy sell, given Dallas' championship-level roster. Switzer won the Super Bowl in his second season with the Cowboys, though he oversaw the tapering of the dynasty before his resignation at the end of the 1997 season.
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Defensive dominance
Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin are the faces of the Cowboys' dynasty along with Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones, but it's hard to be as dominant as Dallas was for such an extended period without stellar play on both sides of the ball.
The Cowboys had a top-five defense in points allowed in each season from 1992-95, twice finishing with the fewest total yards allowed. While Dallas never finished near the top of the league in turnovers forced during that stretch, the defense made a habit of playing sound football.
Russell Maryland and Leon Lett were key presences up front on the defensive line, while Hall of Famer Charles Haley and veteran Jim Jeffcoat each pressured the quarterback even in the latter stages of their careers. Darren Woodson led the secondary as a dominant safety, while Ken Norton Jr. led the defense in tackles in both 1992 and 1993.
1995 saw some changes for the Cowboys, with Hall of Famer Deion Sanders coming in and instantly making an impact for Dallas' defense despite missing seven games due to injury. Brock Marion and Larry Brown combined for 12 interception out of the Cowboy' secondary in 1995.
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Super Bowl wins
Super Bowl 27: Cowboys 52, Bills 17
Emmitt Smith, Super Bowl 27
The Bills endured some heartbreak during their run of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, but this one was simply not competitive. Dallas scored four touchdowns in the first half and turned a two-possession lead entering the fourth quarter into a five-possession lead with with a 52-point onslaught. Bills QB Jim Kelly left the game in the second quarter after aggravating a knee injury and was replaced by Frank Reich.
Aikman threw four touchdowns on his way to his first title, with Irvin grabbing two touchdowns on 114 yards. Norton gave the Cowboys a defensive touchdown, returning a fumble in the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach for Buffalo.
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Super Bowl 28: Cowboys 30, Bills 13
Troy Aikman, Super Bowl 28
The Cowboys and Bills met again in the Super Bowl a year later, and Buffalo was able to stay competitive most of the way despite the score. Dallas trailed 13-6 at halftime but turned the momentum by returning a Bills fumble to even the score at 13 in the third quarter. The Cowboys outscored the Bills 24-0 in the second half and waltzed to their second consecutive Super Bowl win despite the slow start. Aikman was held without a touchdown pass in the win, but Smith rushed for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
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Super Bowl 30: Cowboys 27, Steelers 17
Emmitt Smith, Super Bowl 30
In a matchup of one team with an ongoing dynasty and one with a former dynasty, the Cowboys got off to a strong start and outlasted the Steelers in Super Bowl 30. Aikman threw a first quarter touchdown pass to Jay Novacek, and Dallas led 13-0 before the Steelers cut the lead to six at halftime. Pittsburgh pulled within three on a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the Cowboys' offense handled the pressure well and responded with a Smith touchdown to ice the game. Dallas intercepted Steelers QB Neil O'Donnell three times in the win.
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Why did the Dallas Cowboys dynasty end?
The Cowboys still won 10 games in 1996, but their offense lagged behind a strong defense led by Deion Sanders. Aikman threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and Irvin missed a portion of the season due to a suspension. Irvin and OT Erik Williams were also accused of sexual assault late in the season, offering one more distraction for the organization.
Dallas was eliminated by the Panthers in the divisional round, after the final playoff win of Aikman's career.
Given how physical of a sport football is, success is often fleeting. As Aikman, Smith and Irvin got older, the pieces around them changed as well. Ray Donaldson and Mark Tuinei, both Pro-Bowl offensive lineman during the 1995 season, were quickly out of the picture, with Donaldson released after 1996 and Tuinei limited to six games in 1997, his final season. The defensive side of the ball held up well, but Haley and Jeffcoat were already near the end of their careers when they helped Dallas win back-to-back Super Bowls and couldn't be so easily replaced.
The Cowboys have not reached the NFC championship game since their title-winning 1995 season.
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