The 1975 Dallas Cowboys season was the team’s 16th season in the NFL….and their 16th under head coach Tom Landry….as they finished second in the NFC East division with a 10–4 regular season record….then advanced through the playoffs to Super Bowl X by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 17 – 14 in the NFC Dividional Playoff game…..followed by a 37 – 7 win in the NFC Championship over the Los Angeles Rams…..where they were defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers. in Super Bowl X by a score of 21 – 17.
For all of the accolades that the Dallas Cowboys scouting department had received throughout the years….the team had never kept more than nine draft choices….as their average number of draft picks kept was six….so, the 1975 draft is considered to be one of the Cowboys’ best in league history….cuz 12 picks made the roster….receiving a moniker nickname of The Dirty Dozen….which included DT Randy White, LB Thomas Henderson, OG Burton Lawless, LB Bob Bruenig, OT Pat Donovan, DB Randy Hughes and C Kyle Davis in the rookie class….and did not even include LB Mike Hegman….who was drafted that year but did not enter the NFL until 1976….nor did it include rookie undrafted free agent quarterback Jim Zorn….who made the team, but was later cut to make room for RB Preston Pearson….who had been waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The infusion of new talent not only provided an immediate rebuilding process….but also changed the course of the team in a significant way…..as this group helped the team reach Super Bowl X that season….and would play a key role in the Cowboys being given the name “America’s Team”.
The NFL didn’t start recognizing quarterback sacks as an official stat until 1982….however, the Cowboys have their own records and according to their stats…. Roger Staubach got sacked a league high 45 times the previous season and 43 the year before that….so, to reverse this trend….Coach Landry revived the Shotgun formation….which he called “the spread”….thus providing the NFL with another long lasting innovation.
