Countdown to the season opener: Day 70 Dan Bailey

We’re counting down to the season opener (Day 70) 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 70.

Dan Bailey

Born: January 26, 1988. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Position: Kicker
Dallas Cowboys: 2011-2017
Awards: All-Pro- 2015
Pro Bowl– 2015

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Dan Bailey played kicker for the Dallas Cowboys from 2011 to 2017 after joining the team as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State. He quickly established himself as one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, becoming a dependable weapon for Dallas in clutch situations. Bailey set multiple franchise records, including most career field goals at the time, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015. His calm demeanor and near-automatic accuracy made him a cornerstone of the Cowboys’ special teams unit during the 2010s. His accuracy and dependability was so elite fans and commentators used to refer to Bailey as simply, “automatic”.

Best known for:
Bailey was best known for being one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history during his time in Dallas, converting over 90% of his field goals in multiple seasons.

Lesser known fact:
Bailey was a walk-on at the University of Arkansas where he would lose the starting job as kicker during the offseason. He would move to Oklahoma State a year later where he would again become a walk-on and fight for the starting kicker position. This mental fortitude to never surrender would be pivotal in helping shape his career as a kicker for the Cowboys.