Countdown to the season opener: Day 76 Jay Ratliff

We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 76) with some Cowboys history

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 running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football.
Today – number 76.

Jay Ratliff

Born: August 29, 1981. St. Petersburg, Florida
Position: Nose Tackle
Dallas Cowboys: 2005-2013
Awards: All-Pro- 2008 & 2009
Pro Bowl– 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Jay Ratliff played defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys from 2005 to 2012 after being selected in the seventh round out of Auburn. He was considered seriously undersized by traditional nose tackle standards, but Ratliff used quickness, leverage, and relentless effort to become a dominant interior presence in the Cowboys’ odd front defense.

He earned four consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2008 to 2011, and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2009. Ratliff was a disruptive force up front, consistently collapsing pockets and making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. For a player taken so late in the draft, Ratliff proved that it’s not all about where you start, it’s where you finish.

Best known for:
Ratliff was best known for outperforming expectations as a seventh-round pick and becoming one of the NFL’s premier nose tackles during his peak, anchoring the Cowboys’ defensive line with power and tenacity.

Lesser known fact:
Early in his college career at Auburn, Ratliff actually played tight end before switching to the defensive side of the ball, moving from defensive end to defensive tackle in his final year. This unusual and unique path gave Ratliff an intimate understanding of offensive line blocking techniques he would later use to his advantage.