Dallas Cowboys Friday Flashback: Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones
The former Dallas Cowboys defensive end played in over 200 games for the franchise for 15 seasons, becoming one of the “larger than life” characters for the team in the ’70s and ’80s, but Ed “Too Tall” Jones should be better honored by “America’s Team.”
Ed “Too Tall” Jones played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1974 through 1989, except the one season in 1979 when he walked away from the game to pursue a professional boxing career. But in all, Jones played 15 seasons with the Cowboys, a total of 224 games, and he became a player most Cowboys should know about, and if they don’t, he’s a player they need to learn about.
Jones not only played in 224 games for the Ton Landry-led Cowboys, but he started 203 of them, where he finished with 57.5 sacks (from ’74-81, sacks weren’t an official stat), as those numbers began to be counted in 1982.
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Wearing No. 72 and standing in at 6-9 and weighing 271 pounds, Jones stood as one of the larger players for his day, and in ’85, he showed the world how good he was with 13 sacks, then in ’87 he totaled 10 sacks of the quarterback, which was a strike-shortened season. He also finished his career with three interceptions, and from the ’82 season through the ’89 season (his final year), he recorded at least one sack.
In the playoffs, Jones had 20 games of experience with the Cowboys, having an interception in ’81 and a fumble recovery in ’78. Pro Football Reference has Jones totaling 12 sacks in his playoff career, with his final playoff game coming in ’85.
Being that he was a No. 1 overall selection out of Tennessee State by the Cowboys in ’74, the team had him on the roster for 15 seasons, and he showed them they didn’t make a mistake in drafting him with the No. 1 overall pick that season. During his rookie season, he played in all 14 regular-season games.
Jones wasn’t just about sacks and tackles, he was also great at knocking down passes at the line of scrimmage, having two seasons when he knocked down 16 passes (he’s the reason the stat is tracked today), plus he was a three-time Pro Bowler from 1981-83. Jones was a first-team All-Pro in 1982 and was a second-team All-Pro twice by the Associated Press.
Officially, Jones ranks fifth all-time on the sacks list for the Cowboys, though again, the stat wasn’t officially tracked by the NFL for his entire career.
Earlier this year SportsDay Dallas News asked the question, “Does Ed “Too Tall” Jones belong in the Ring of Honor? That answer is a no-brainer, as that should be a resounding yes to that question.
In the SportsDay staff article, it states Jones unofficially totaled 106 sacks in his NFL career, and let’s not forget he is a Super Bowl champion, helping the Cowboys gain a victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII.
It is a shame Jones isn’t in the Cowboys’ “Ring of Honor,” but on this flashback day, what everyone should remember about Jones is just how great of an athlete he was. He was not only a part of one of the Doomsday Defenses of the Cowboys, but he also boxed at the heavyweight level and was one of the greatest sack artists in the history of the NFL.
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Jones deserves more respect for his place in Cowboys history. His career speaks for itself, and the Cowboys would have not had some of the great success they’ve gained without the services of Jones. It is only right, and a smart move, to give the man the credit he deserves and make him a member of the Cowboys’ “Ring of Honor,” because all Cowboys fans now and into the future should know who “Too Tall” Jones was when he played for the Cowboys.