In football, it’s all about the QBs and skill position players. They’re the ones fans covet in fantasy football. They get all the media coverage, and fans wear their jerseys.Today, we’re giving the spotlight to an often forgotten about group of players: kickers. Nobody cares about them unless they screw up, and that’s not right. So who are the best Dallas Cowboys kickers of all-time?
Maybe it’s because they’re not as strong or fast as their teammates. But when it’s late in the fourth quarter and the Dallas Cowboys need a clutch field goal, the fate of the game rests on their legs.
It’s time we start showing special teamers more respect, so we’re ranking the five best kickers in Cowboys history:
5. Eddie Murray
The Halifax, Nova Scotia-native was a journeyman in the NFL. He played for seven teams in 20 seasons, spending most of his time with the Detroit Lions.
But Murray was Dallas’ kicker during the Super Bowl-winning 1993 season, and again in 1999. Murray only played four games with the Cowboys in 1999, so his contributions in 1993 are what earned him a place in our rankings.
Murray was nails in the 1993 playoffs. He made all 11 PATs and all six field goals.
In the Super Bowl, he and Emmitt Smith led all scorers with 12 points each. Murray hit three field goals and three extra points.
While he spent a short amount of time with the team, his postseason contributions can’t be overlooked.
4. Chris Boniol
Boniol signed with the Cowboys in 1994 as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana Tech. He only served as Dallas’ kicker for three seasons, but left his mark in the franchise’s record books.
Boniol made 81 field goals with the Cowboys, the third-most in team history. His 87.1% field goal success rate is also third all-time.
Boniol was a member of Dallas’ 1995 Super Bowl team. He opened the scoring in the game with a 42-yard field goal, and hit a 35-yarder later in the game. He also split the uprights on all three extra point tries.
3. Richie Cunningham
Cunningham was a flash in the pan for Dallas, playing with the team from 1997 to 1999. In his final season with the Cowboys, Cunningham was traded to the Carolina Panthers after a rocky start to the year.
While Cunningham didn’t have the longevity of the other kickers on this list, his rookie campaign was one for the record books.
In Cunningham’s first season, he nailed 34 field goals. At the time, that was just one field goal short of the NFL’s rookie record for most made in a season. Currently, Cunningham ranks fourth on the all-time list.
Cunningham’s 34 field goals is tied with Greg Zurlein for the most in a single season in Cowboys history. His prolific rookie year earned him All-Pro honors.
2. Rafael Septien
Spetien played nine seasons with the Cowboys from 1978 to 1986. The Mexico-native was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler after leading the NFL with 27 made field goals, and converting 100% of his PATs in 1981.
Septien’s 388 extra points made are the most in Cowboys history, and is over 100 more than the player in second. He also made the second-most field goals in team history.
Only Smith’s 986 career points rank higher than Septien’s 874 points.
1. Dan Bailey
The Cowboys had an exceptional class of rookies in 2011. DeMarcus Ware was Dallas’ first round draft pick, and DeMarco Murray was selected in round three.
Another headlining addition that offseason was undrafted free agent Dan Bailey who went on to have an amazing career in Big D.
Bailey spent seven seasons in Dallas, making one Pro Bowl and one second-team All-Pro. Fans’ lasting memories of Bailey might be from his 2017 season where he was cut after making just 75% of his field goals. But don’t let that soil the great things Bailey did beforehand.
Bailey is the Cowboys second-most accurate field goal kicker of all-time, knocking in 88.2% of his tries. Only Kai Forbath has a better make percentage, but he only kicked seven field goals for Dallas.
The former Oklahoma State Cowboy drilled 276 extra points at a 99.3% clip. That’s the second most PATs made in franchise history. Bailey’s 834 career points ranks third in the Cowboys record books
