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 are running through 100 Days of Cowboys. So sit back and enjoy some Cowboys history while we countdown to football.
Today – number 20
Harvey Martin
Born: November 16, 1950. Dallas, Texas
Position: Defensive end
Dallas Cowboys: 1973-1983
Awards: Super Bowl champion- XII
Super Bowl MVP- XII
NFL Defensive Player of the Year- 1977
All-Pro- 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982
Pro Bowl- 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
NFL sacks leader- 1977
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Harvey Martin played defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys from 1973 to 1983, forming part of the feared pass-rush unit of the “Doomsday Defense”. A relentless and powerful edge rusher, Martin was a four-time Pro Bowler, a First-Team All-Pro, and the 1977 NFL Defensive Player of the Year after recording an unofficial 23 sacks that season. He was instrumental in the Cowboys’ Super Bowl XII victory, where he and Randy White were named co-MVPs—the only time defensive teammates have shared that honor in Super Bowl history.
Best known for:
Martin was best known for being a dominant pass rusher who anchored the Cowboys’ defensive line during their Super Bowl years and consistently harassed opposing quarterbacks.
Lesser known fact:
After football Martin struggled with ordinary life and turned to substance abuse. He soon turned his life around and became a motivational speaker to young adults and children about his personal struggles and looked to inspire them through his mistakes. Sadly, before Christmas in 2001, Martin passed away due to pancreatic cancer.
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