Dallas Cowboys: Top 10 Receiving Targets of Troy Aikman Era

If there is any knock on the Cowboys of the 90’s, it's that the team had an unfair advantage in talent.

Critics say that Emmitt Smith isn’t the greatest running back of all time because he had one of the greatest offensive lines in front of him.

Some say that Aikman’s ability was overstated because if Irvin and Harper were on different teams, Troy would have never made it to the Hall of Fame, let alone the Super Bowl.

Well, take Greg Jennings and Donald Driver away from Aaron Rodgers and see how that works out for Green Bay. Remove Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne from the Colts Super Bowl team and maybe the Bears are world champs.

Talent is just a piece of the puzzle and while the Cowboys enjoyed the spoils of having great players, there was a lot of drive, determination, and focus involved as well.

Speaking of that talent and focus, Troy Aikman did have more than a few great targets to toss the pigskin to.

Lets take a look at ten of the best receiving targets during the Troy Aikman era in Big D.

Michael Irvin, WR

Mike was simply that dude for Dallas. He was a leader on and off the field and one of the offensive enforcers. The NFL Network ranked Aikman and Irvin as the number 6 all-time best pass combos.

Aikman’s accuracy acumen was due in part to Irvin. Michael was big and strong and Aikman knew that he could always count on the emotional receiver.

Both men are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and together they combined for 49 touchdowns.

Jay Novacek, TE

Novacek’s hey-day came during a time when tight ends weren’t the receiving types they are now. The ‘Boys have another great tight end in Jason Witten, who routinely catches over 80 balls and has double digit touchdown seasons.

But Novacek’s role wasn’t that of a Jason Witten during the 90’s. He was Aikman’s fail safe just as Witten is for Tony Romo.

Jay recorded over 3,500 receiving yards during his six year stay in Dallas and his best statistical year came during his final season.

Jay’s career was cut short by back problems, but the ‘Boys enjoyed their star tight end while he was there.

Alvin Harper, WR

Growing up, I always thought that Harper was one of the best receivers in the history of the NFL. Seeing that highlight of him skate across Candlestick Park against the Niners in the ’94 NFC title game is still a classic to me.

Harper is no Michael Irvin, but his importance to that team’s success is immeasurable.

Alvin never caught more than 40 balls during his time in Dallas, but his ability to make big plays was key for Dallas. One year Alvin averaged almost 25 yards per catch which proved to be the best of his career.

Daryl “Moose” Johnston, FB

Mooooooooooooose. The echoes of Dallas fans saying “Moose” can still be heard in the rubble of the old Cowboys stadium.

Johnston opened a million and one holes for Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, but he also caught a ton of balls from Troy Aikman.

In 1993, Moose pulled in 50 balls for 374 receiving yards. He caught a lot of swing passes, but it was just another way to involve Johnston in the offense.

Emmitt Smith, RB

Believe it or not, Emmitt caught more than 500 passes during his illustrious career. During a seven year period, Smith hauled in at least 40 balls for the Cowboys.

Aikman turned to the talented running back for more than just handing the ball to him; he also threw to him.

Smith was never the type of receiving running back that Marshall Faulk turned out to be, but he could hold his own.

Emmitt logged 11 receiving touchdowns and over 3,000 receiving yards when he retired.

Deion Sanders, WR/CB

The reason why Sanders is on this list is due to his potential explosiveness. Sanders was just about full-time in 1996 for Dallas when he caught 36 balls for 475 yards and one touchdown.

Neon Deion’s ability was never exaggerated because he was also able to back-up any talk he did with his play. But when it came to playing the position of receiver, Sanders was on Aikman’s radar for his big play ability.

Rocket Ismail, WR

The Rocker’s speed is still legendary. The missile and the rocket are the names attached to Rocket and his brother because they were able to blow past everybody.

When Ismail arrived in Dallas, his impact was immediate. He had over 1,000 yards receiving and six touchdowns in his first season in Dallas.

Aikman was on his way out, but he still had a pretty good receiver to toss the ball over to.

Kevin Williams, WR/PR/KR

Williams was more of a specialist on special teams, but he still earned enough of Aikman’s trust during his stay in Dallas.

He caught 38 balls in 1995 for 613 yards, but Williams never logged more than two touchdowns in a season.

I’ll always remember Williams as the little guy with the big numbers. Number 85.

Joey Galloway, WR

Technically Galloway only played one season with Aikman and that season was plagued by injuries.

But Galloway was still young and the Cowboys were grabbing for straws when they traded for Joey.

But the sheer potential of the two hooking up was filled with intrigue. It never truly came to fruition, but Galloway was a mighty healthy target for Aikman even if the two never succeeded in fulfilling their potential.  

Kelvin Martin, WR

Martin’s short time in Dallas was punctuated by his 732 receiving yards in 1990.

While the Cowboys were down and looking to make their way to the top of the NFL in the late 80’s and early 90’s, Martin was actually one of the lone bright spots.

Martin was also a pretty good return guy in addition to his receiving duties from Troy Aikman.