Dallas Cowboys NFL Championships 1996 Roster

Cowboys Super Bowl 1996 roster had Troy Aikman as the QB, Emmitt Smith as the RB, Daryl Johnson as FB, and Michael Irvin as WR.

The remaining members of the team were:

Quarterbacks

• Jason Garrett
• Wade Wilson 

Running Backs

• David Lang – RB
• Dominique Ross – RB
• Sherman Williams – RB

Wide Receivers

• Billy Davis
• Cory Fleming
• Edward Hervey
• Kevin Willaims

Tight Ends

• Jay Novacek
• Eric Bjornson
• Kendell Watkins

Offensive Linemen

• Larry Allen
• Michael Batiste
• George Hegamin
• Derek Kennard 
• Nate Newton
• Ron Stone 
• Mark Tuinei
• Erick Willams

Defensive Linemen

• Darren Benson
• Shante Carver
• Charles Haley
• Chad Hennings
• Leon Lett
• Russell Maryland
• Hurvin McCormack
• Oscar Sturgis
• Tony Tolbert

LineBackers

• Dixon Edwards
• Darryl Hardy
• Robert Jones
• Godfrey Myles
• Jim Schwantz
• Darrin Smith

Cornerbacks

• Robert Bailey – CB
• Alundis Brice – CB
• Larry Brown – CB
• Deion Sanders – CB
• Charlie Williams – CB

Safeties

• Bill Bates
• Greg Briggs
• Scott Case
• Brock Marion
• Darren Woodson

Others

• Chris Boniol – Kicker 
• Dae Hellestrae – Long Snapper
• John Jett – Punter

C Ray Donaldson, G Shane Hannah, CB Clayton Holmes, and CB Kevin Smith were on the reserve list.

Likewise, WR Oronde Gadsden and G John Jones made that year’s practice squad.

1996 Cowboys Pro Bowlers

Ten players from various positions were chosen for the Pro Bowl from the Dallas franchise. QB Troy Aikman was one of them who made 16 TDs in 3304 passing yards.

Other names included were:

• Micahel Irvin
• Larry Allen
• Nate Newton
• Emmitt Smith
• Darren Woodson
• Jay Novacek
• Ray Donaldson
• Charles Haley
• Mark Tuinei

Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl wins in the 90s include the XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX. The team made an impressive feat of three wins in four years.

The SB XXVII and SB XXVIII wins came against the same opponent. The Buffalo Bills lost 52-17 in 1992 and 30-13 in 1993.

They were defeated a year earlier by the Washington Redskins in SB XXVI. Before that, they suffered a narrow loss of 20-19 at the hands of the New York Giants in SB XXV.

The Bills and the Minnesota Vikings account for the teams with the most SB appearances without a win.

Cowboys last Super Bowl win 1996 saw them dominate the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout the match. They were 10-0 after the first quarter.

The lead was 13-7 heading into the halftime. Diana Ross’s Rake Me Higher: A Celebration of 30 Years of the Super Bowl entertained the audience on the field and watching from home.

The Cowboys scored two touchdowns in the 3rd and fourth quarters, while their opponent scored a TD and a field goal in the final quarter. The final score was 27-17.

Larry Brown took the Super Bowl MVP trophy.

Likewise, the remaining two SB wins came in SB VI and SB XII against the Miami Dolphins (24-3) and the Denver Broncos (27-10), respectively.

Cowboys Super Bowl coaches comprise Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, and Barry Switzer. Tom and Jimmy managed to win two, while Switzer had one.

The First And The Longest-Serving Head Coach

Tom Landry was the first coach of the franchise. He was hired in 1960 following a six-year run as a Defensive Coordinator at the Giants.

The first-time head coach remained with the team till 1988. His twenty-nine-year stay at Dallas saw him manage the team for 418 regular season games, where he won 250, lost 162, and tied six games.

His postseason record is 20-16, with two SBs in 1971 and 1977.

He received NFL Coach of the Year in 1966 and UPI NFL Coach of the Year in 1975. He is also inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jimmy Johnson

Jimmy Johnson took the head coach duty in 1989. Before that, he enjoyed a dominating tenure at Miami Hurricane from 1984 to 1988.

His record was 52-9, where every year was a winning season. The 1987 National Championship, following an unbeaten 12-0 overall record, was his best in college football.

As a Cowboys coach, he managed the team for five years, from 1989 to 1993. The last two years helped the team secure the third and fourth SBs.

His overall record was 44-36, with the 1992’s 13-3 being the best. He was 7-1 in playoffs.

Another college championship-winning coach was hired following Johnson’s departure.

Barry Switzer

Switzer managed the side from 1994 to 1997. His run with the Oklahoma Sooners from 1973 to 1988 helped him bag three National titles in 1974, 1975, and 1985.

The 157-29-4 record was one of the reasons the Cowboys persuaded him.

Barry took the America’s Team to three playoffs from 1994 to 1995, with an SB victory in 1995.

He was 40-24 in the regular season and 5-2 in the postseason.

Cowboys playoff wins since 1996 is 5-12. They have not been able to get past the Divisional Playoff round since their Super Bowl XXX win in 1995.

The five postseason wins amassed by the franchise from 1996 to 2022 are as follows:

• 1996 Wild Card round against Minnesota Vikings, score: 40-15
• 2009 Wild Card round against Philadelphia Eagles, score: 34-14
• 2014 Wild Card round against Detroit Lions, score 24-20
• 2018 Wild Card round against Seattle Seahawks, score 24-22
• 2022 Wild Card round against Tampa Bay Buccaneers, score 31-14

To put things in perspective, the team was 31-18 from 1960 to 1995.

Cowboys Playoff Drought

Cowboys failed to secure a playoff berth fifteen times from 1996 to 2022. The majority of the team’s postseason drought came after the 2000s.

Six coaches have been hired throughout this phase, and all were unsuccessful in replicating the past successes of Landry, Johnson, and Switzer.

Chan Gailey (1998-99), Dave Campo (2000-02), Bill Parcells (2003-06), Wade Phillips (2007-10), Jason Garrett (2010-19), and Mike McCarthy (2020-present) are the head coaches who were hired from 1998 to present.

Mr. McCarthy, the present HC, has a 30-20 regular season record but has failed to deliver big in the postseason with a 1-2 record. He is in the hot seat, and if the team fails to achieve something big in 2023, he might be shown the exit.

The Cowboys won two Super Bowls in a row in 1992 and 1993. Troy Aikman’s 1992 masterclass and Emmitt Smith’s 1993 sensational display must be credited.

The 1992 squad dominated their division and were 13-3 at the end of the regular campaign.

They beat the Eagles and the 49ers to reach SB XXVII. The mega event at the Rose Bowl saw them go head-to-head against the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills were no match for them as they suffered a heavy defeat of 52-17.

It stands in fourth place for the largest margin in the SB behind the 49ers (55) vs. the Broncos (10) of 1990 SB, the Bears (46) vs. the Patriots (10) of 1986 SB, and the Seahawks (43) vs. the Broncos (8) of SB 2014.

Although Steve Young claimed the AP NFL MVP and Offensive POTY, Aikman had his share of success in the NFL title game with an SB XXVII MVP award.

Likewise, a year later, on January 30, 1994, the Bills were again defeated by the Cowboys in the SB match. The 30-13 win handed them the SB XXVIII title and their fourth overall title.

The 1993 season saw the team produce another formidable result, winning the NFC East with a 12-4 win-loss record.

Smith was a menace for the opponents that year. His 1,486 rushing yards for nine TDs rewarded him with the AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He also bagged the SB XXVIII MVP award.