We’re counting down the days until the Dallas Cowboys battle the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener of the 2025 NFL season. To pass the time and mark the days, we are running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football.
Today – number 11
Cliff Harris
Born: November 12, 1948. Fayetteville, Arkansas
Position: Safety
Dallas Cowboys: 1970-1979
Awards: Super Bowl champion- VI, XII
All-Pro- 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978
Pro Bowl- 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
Cliff Harris played safety for the Dallas Cowboys from 1970 to 1979, becoming a cornerstone of the famed “Doomsday Defense.” Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Ouachita Baptist, Harris quickly proved himself as a hard-hitting, instinctive playmaker in the secondary. Over his 10-year career, he earned six Pro Bowl selections, was named All-Pro five times, and helped lead Dallas to two Super Bowl championships (VI, XII). Nicknamed “Captain Crash,” Harris set the tone for the Cowboys’ defense with his physical style and leadership, eventually earning induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
Best known for:
Harris was best known for his hard-hitting, fearless style of play that made him one of the most intimidating safeties of the 1970s.
Lesser known fact:
Harris is the only player from a small D2 school (Ouachita Baptist University) to be named to the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team, making his rise from an undrafted free agent to a Hall of Famer even more remarkable.
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