Jay Novacek

By Chad Hollingsworth
Love of NFL Correspondent

As much as I had my hopes set higher for a competitive Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and Seahawks, it obviously wasn’t happening.

Not that I root for either of these two teams, but I wanted to see anything resembling a game after one of the best teams in the NFL beat up on the worst this season (and possibly of all time).

However, in the first half of the game, I saw something that made me think of the Cowboys teams of the early 1990s.

No, there weren’t beleaguered defensive tackles making boneheaded plays. And now that I think of it, Jerry Jones was up in the booth instead of pretending to coach on the sidelines.

No, what I’m talking about is Jason Witten.

He had over 90 yards receiving with a touchdown in the first half and ended up with nine catches and 115 yards. He actually reminded me of the pass-catching tight end from the ‘90s glory days of the Cowboys, Jay Novacek.

After putting up solid numbers at the University of Wyoming, Novacek was drafted by the St. Louis (pre-Phoenix/Arizona) Cardinals in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. Hey, at least he’d get a chance to play, considering the Cardinals hadn’t been too successful since the ‘70s, right?

Unfortunately, Novacek couldn’t get on the field, grabbing only two receptions his first two seasons. Even when he was on the field more the next two years, he still could only muster 58 catches in two seasons. However, seven of those receptions were for touchdowns.

A legitimate red zone threat? Whatever should the Cardinals do?

Well, what they did was let Novacek sign with the Cowboys as a free agent after the 1989 season. It’s not like he could make a difference for the Cowboys, though, right? After all, they’d just gone 1-15 and traded Herschel Walker for a bunch of draft picks.

Novacek, though, found a consistent starting gig with the Cowboys. As Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones began to assemble a team, he became a significant part of it. In 1990, he had 59 receptions for 657 yards and four touchdowns. Dallas also improved to 7-9 due to guys like Novacek and NFL Rookie of the Year Emmitt Smith.

The next year, the Cowboys shot up to second place in the NFC East, and Novacek’s stats were nearly identical to his previous year. However, the better finish for the team earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl. Dallas made the playoffs, but couldn’t get past the Lions in the divisional round.

In 1992, the Cowboys quickly became the team to beat, with Troy Aikman, Smith, Michael Irvin and Alvin Harper energizing the offense. Novacek also contributed with career highs in receptions (68) and touchdowns (six). The Cowboys smoked the Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, their first since 1977. Novacek returned to the Pro Bowl and also earned All-Pro honors for the first (and only) time in his career.

The Cowboys continued to dominate for the next few years, winning Super Bowls in 1993 and 1995 (the 49ers defeated them in the 1994 NFC Championship to go to the Super Bowl that year). Novacek remained a consistent part of the offense with 153 catches for 1,625 yards and eight touchdowns over the next three seasons, earning trips to the Pro Bowl each season.

However, due to nagging back problems, Novacek retired in 1997 with career numbers of 422 catches for 4,630 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Seeing Jason Witten catch those short passes from Tony Romo on Thanksgiving reminded me of Novacek getting just enough first down yardage from Aikman about 15 years ago. Novacek might not have the jaw-dropping stats of Irvin or the big play capabilities of Harper. However, his blocking for Smith and role as Aikman’s safety valve made him just as important to the 1990s Cowboys dynasty as any other offensive player on the team.

That’s why Novacek deserves a shot of Old School Love from us today!