A look back: Five decades of receiving greatness.

There’ve been some great quarterbacks in Dallas history, from Meredith to Aikman (and hopefully Romo soon), and part of the reason why they were so good is that they had some good targets to throw to.

From Bullet Bob to ‘The Playmaker,’ Dallas has been home to some explosive receivers.

1960s

In the first few years in Cowboys history were rather unforgettable, as Dallas was a woeful 25-53-4 from 1960-65. But, during that time, Don Meredith emerged as a star at quarterback, and the Cowboys had their first star at receiver in Frank Clarke. Clarke played for the Browns from 1957-59, and made only 10 catches in his brief Browns career before moving to Dallas for their expansion season. He made only nine catches in his first season, but those nine catches were for a 32.2 yard average and three scores.

But, he took off in 1961, and from ‘61-64 was one of the NFL’s top receivers. In each of those seasons, he finished among the league leaders in at least one of the main receiving categories. In ‘61, he caught 41 passes for 919 yards (8th) and nine touchdowns (6th). In ‘62, he had his best season, catching 47 passes for 1,043 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns. In ‘63, Don Meredith’s first full year as a starter, his numbers dropped to 43-833, but he still finished fourth in the league with 10 TD catches. In 1964, his numbers went back up, as he caught a career-best 65 passes for 973 yards and five TDs.

His numbers dipped the next year due to the emergence of a rookie from Florida A&M named Bob Hayes, but he still caught 41 passes for 682 yards and four TDs. He would finish out his Dallas and NFL career in 1967, having caught 291 passes in his career for 5,426 yards and 50 touchdowns.

Where Clarke left off, Hayes picked up and sped off. Hayes came into Dallas with the lofty distinction as the world’s fastest man, having won two gold medals in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, including one in the 100-meter dash, where he tied the world record at the time. Hayes put that speed to great use in his rookie year and immediately became one of the league’s top receivers, after hauling in 46 passes for 1,003 yards and a league-leading 12 TDs. He topped those marks in his second season, catching 64 passes for 1,232 yards and 13 touchdowns. Those marks were fourth, second, and first in the league. Hayes made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, and would reach double-digits in touchdowns three more times in his Cowboys career, which lasted until 1974. He played his final season with San Francisco in 1975, and finished his illustrious career with 371 catches for 7,414 yards and 71 touchdowns, a Cowboy record that still stands today.

1970s

When you think of Cowboys receivers in the 70s, one name stands above the rest: Drew Pearson. Pearson was the go-to guy on the teams that went to three Super Bowls in four years from 1975-78. Pearson broke Hayes’ catch and yardage records in his 11-year career (1973-83), totalling 489 receptions for 7,822 yards, and 48 touchdowns. He had two 1,000 yard seasons (1974, 1979) and made three Pro Bowl appearances (1974, 1976, 1977). He also led the NFL in receiving yards in 1977, with 870.

But, he’s most remembered for his clutch catches, most notably his game-winning touchdown catch against Minnesota in a 1975 NFC Divisional playoff game. His 50-yard catch and run from Roger Staubach in the final seconds carried Dallas to a 17-14 win and was one of the most memorable plays in NFL history, not only because Pearson set off a controversy with an apparent pushoff that wasn’t called but also because it was when the term ‘Hail Mary’ was coined.

1980s

As Pearson’s career wound down, Tony Hill emerged as the new go-to guy at the end of the 70s and into the 80s. Hill, the Cowboys’ third-round pick in 1977, led the team in receiving yards eight straight seasons from 1978-85. His best seasons were 1979, 1980, and 1985, when he went over 1,000 yards each season. 1985 was his next to last season, but his best as well, as he caught a career-best 74 passes for 1,113 yards and seven TDs. He broke Pearson’s yardage record late in his final season in 1986, and finished with 7,988 yards receiving. He came up just short of Pearson’s receptions mark, hauling in 479 passes. And, he finished his career in second in touchdowns, just ahead of Clarke and Pearson with 51. In his 10 seasons, he went to the Pro Bowl three times (1978, 1979, 1985), and was also a solid postseason performer, with 46 catches, 618 yards, and four TDs in 13 playoff games.

1990s

Without a doubt, the main man in the 90s was Michael Irvin. He was Troy Aikman’s go-to guy on three championship teams, and obliterated the previous marks for catches and receiving yards. In twelve seasons, he caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards. He finished his career in second behind Hayes in touchdowns with 65. In his career, he had seven 1,000 yard seasons, made five Pro Bowls, and was one of the NFL’s most unstoppable receivers from 1991-95.

Of the stars from the first four decades, only Irvin is in the Hall of Fame, though the late Bullet Bob is certainly worthy of a bust. His numbers may not have been spectacular, but there’s no getting around how great he was from 1965-71, when he was unquestionably one of the league’s top pass-catchers and reached double digits in touchdowns five times in that seven-season span. And, Pearson has yet to be inducted into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, which is baffling given how pivotal a part of Dallas history he is. Hopefull he’ll get his due soon, because he deserves it.

The current decade has seen a revolving door of receivers in Dallas. Antonio Bryant was drafted in 2001 with the hopes that he would become a star, but after an unsuccessful three-year stint, he departed to Cleveland.

They haven’t had any trouble luring some of the NFL’s top and most headline-grabbing names in, but it’s been a mixed bag of results. Joey Galloway didn’t go over 1,000 yards in his four (minus one injury-shortened season) years in Dallas, and was traded to Tampa for Keyshawn Johnson in 2004. Galloway has gone for 1,000 yards in his last two seasons, while Johnson didn’t go over 1,000 in his two as a Cowboy.

But, things have turned for the better in the last couple of seasons. Terry Glenn came in 2003, after a bitter end to his career in New England and a one-year stint in Green Bay. Glenn suffered an ACL tear in his second season, but has come back strong and rejuvenated his career with two straight 1,000+ yard seasons.

Terrell Owens came on board last season, and despite the controversy surrounding him coming in, and the ones that arose during the season, gave the Cowboys only their second 1,000+ yard receiving duo in their history (Michael Irvin and Rocket Ismail were the first, with 1,057 and 1,097 in 1998).

Glenn and Owens are getting older, but there’s no doubt both have plenty of catches left in them, and by the time they’re done as Cowboys, both have the chance to become two of the top receivers in Cowboys history.

Who will follow them? It could be Patrick Crayton, who could have his chance to shine in a few more seasons when Glenn and Owens are done. Or Sam Hurd, who’s still developing his skills in only his second season, but has great potential.

Or will Dallas get their star of the next decade through the draft as soon as next season, and build up the next Hayes, Pearson, Hill, or Irvin? Or will the recent trend be followed, and acquire him (or them) through free agency or trades, as with Glenn and Owens?

But, no matter who he is, he certainly has some lofty expectations to live up to, without a doubt.