The 1960 NFL Expansion Draft was a National Football League (NFL) draft in which a new expansion team, named the Dallas Cowboys,[1] selected its first players. The NFL awarded Dallas, Texas a franchise to compete for revenue with Lamar Hunt's Dallas Texans of the upstart American Football League.[2] The Dallas expansion franchise was approved too late for it to participate in the 1960 NFL Draft.[2] The Cowboys are the only NFL expansion team to not have had the benefit of a college draft in its first year.[2]
So that the Cowboys could become competitive with existing teams, the league gave them the opportunity to select current players from existing teams. That selection was provided by the expansion draft, held on March 13, 1960.[3] In this draft, the Cowboys chose thirty-six players from the existing twelve teams.[4] The NFL also assigned the rights to 1960 NFL Draft picks Don Meredith (who had been drafted by the Chicago Bears) and Don Perkins (drafted by the Baltimore Colts) to the Cowboys for a couple of future draft picks.[2]
Twenty-two players made the active roster that season. Eleven players played only one year with Dallas. Eight players (including Jack Patera, who was injured early in the 1961 season) played in 1960 and 1961. The three remaining players from the draft started for several years, including: Bob Fry, Tackle, 1960-64; Jerry Tubbs, Linebacker, 1960-66; and Frank Clarke, Wide Receiver, 1960-67.[5]
Rules of the Draft
Every existing NFL team listed nine players, and the Cowboys selected three players on the list from each team.
Player Selections
The players in bold made the active roster of the Cowboys in 1960.
| Player | Position | College Team | Original NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| L.G. "Long Gone" Dupre | RB | Baylor University | Baltimore Colts |
| Ray Krouse | DE-DT | Maryland | Baltimore Colts |
| Dave Sherer | WR-P | SMU | Baltimore Colts |
| Don Healy | DT | Maryland | Chicago Bears |
| Jack Johnson | DB-P | Miami | Chicago Bears |
| Pete Johnson | DB | Virginia Military Institute | Chicago Bears |
| Leroy Bolden | RB-KR | Michigan State | Cleveland Browns |
| Franklin Clarke | WR-TE | Colorado | Cleveland Browns |
| Ed Modzelewski | RB | Maryland | Cleveland Browns |
| Charley Ane | C | USC | Detroit Lions |
| Gene Cronin | LB | Pacific | Detroit Lions |
| Jim Doran | TE | Iowa State | Detroit Lions |
| Nate Borden | DE | Indiana | Green Bay Packers |
| Bill Butler | S | Tennessee-Chattanooga | Green Bay Packers |
| Don McIlhenny | RB | SMU | Green Bay Packers |
| Tom Franckhauser | CB | Purdue | Los Angeles Rams |
| Bob Fry | OT | Kentucky | Los Angeles Rams |
| Duane Putnam | OG | Pacific | Los Angeles Rams |
| Al Barry | OG | USC | New York Giants |
| Melwood “Buzz” Guy | OG | Duke | New York Giants |
| Don Heinrich | QB | Washington | New York Giants |
| Dick Bielski | TE | Maryland | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Gerry Delucca | OT | Tennessee | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Bil Striegel | LB | Pacific | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Ray Fisher | OT-DT | Eastern Illinois | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Bobby Luna | RB | University of Alabama | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Ray Mathews | WR | Clemson | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Bobby Cross | OT | Stephen F. Austin | Chicago Cardinals |
| Ed Husmann | DT | University of Nebraska | Chicago Cardinals |
| Jack Patera | LB | Oregon | Chicago Cardinals |
| Fred Dugan | WR | Dayton | San Francisco 49ers |
| John Gonzaga | DE-DT | None | San Francisco 49ers |
| Jerry Tubbs | LB | Oklahoma | San Francisco 49ers |
| Tom Braatz | LB | Marquette | Washington Redskins |
| Joe Nicely | C | West Virginia | Washington Redskins |
| Doyle Nix | RB | SMU | Washington Redskins |
See also
References
- ↑ Initially the team was called the Dallas Rangers.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Buck, Ray (2008-02-15). "From meager beginnings to America’s Team". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- ↑ "Cowboys draft for 1960". Dallas Morning News. http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/recordbook/draft/1960/index.html. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ↑ "Pro Football History". Pro Football Hall of Fame. http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=1450. Retrieved 2008-09-22.(listed as the Dallas Rangers)
- ↑ "1960 Expansion Draft". 2008-09-28. Archived from the original on January 05, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090105160119/http://www.knowyourdallascowboys.com/2006/08/29/1960-expansion-draft/. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
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