Dallas Cowboys: Top 10 Fullbacks of All-Time

2. Don Perkins (1961 – 1968)

There are a handful of Dallas Cowboys whose names I instantly recognize, but know absolutely nothing about. If there is anyone else out there has this problem, I hope to curb it just a bit with this article.

It is hard to tell the story of the 1960’s Dallas Cowboys without mentioning Don Perkins. He was there from team’s dismal inaugural 1960 season through their championship forays in the latter half of the decade.

The Baltimore Colts originally selected Perkins in the ninth-round of the 1960 NFL Draft. However, the Cowboys, who were not able to participate in the draft(held in December 1959), signed him to a personal-services contract which guaranteed him to the team when they were finalized as a franchise.

Perkins missed all of the 1960 season with an injury sustained in pre-season. The Cowboys would go on to finish 0-11-1 that year.

In 1961, Perkins would win Rookie of the Year honors after picking up 815 yards on the ground and 235 through the air. He would become the first Dallas Cowboy to rush for 100 yards in a single game in Week Two against the Minnesota Vikings.

The rest of his career saw more of the same success. Perkins was selected to six pro bowls and helped the Cowboys reach the NFL Championship game two times.

Don Perkins retired as the fifth all-time leading rusher in NFL history with 6,217 yards. That is a measly sum by today’s numbers, but it speaks volumes for a player who helped turn the Cowboys from losers into winners in the span of a decade.