So just who were the DFW area’s top sports figures of 2020?

The Dallas-Fort Worth area has been home to, or served as the backdrop for, some of the best in the world of sports. And even as the pandemic has altered nearly every aspect of life, some athletes found a way to find another gear. So as 2020 ticks down, the Star-Telegram has canvassed the local sports scene, and is sharing some of the year’s top performers.

Dallas Cowboys: Amari Cooper

This could’ve easily been Dak Prescott, whose 371 yards per game before he went out is 55 more per outing than Patrick Mahomes. But it will go to the Cowboys’ Mr. Reliable and Mr. Consistent, wide receiver Amari Cooper, who leads the Cowboys in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Heading into Week 17, Cooper already has a new career-high of 86 receptions and is 116 yards shy of matching his personal best of 1,189 receiving yards, quite a feat considering all of target options and that the team had four different quarterbacks in 2020. —CLARENCE E. HILL JR.

Texas Rangers: Lance Lynn

The now former Ranger wasn’t selected as the team’s best player by the media, but he probably should have been. There was no other player who was as consistently good as he was, not even the two Gold Glove winners — Joey Gallo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Lynn finished sixth in voting for the American League Cy Young award, and likely would have been higher if not for the stubbornness he showed in allowing 10 runs in his final outing. He led baseball in innings pitched and starts, logging 100 pitches in every start, and finishing with a 3.32 ERA. —JEFF WILSON

Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic

This is a no-brainer. Luka “That Boy” Doncic is the basketball equivalent of Grogu from The Mandalorian, and if people didn’t know it before they do now. In his second season, the reigning Rookie of the Year finished second in All-Star voting, just slightly behind LeBron. Doncic went on to be named to the NBA’s All-First Team, after averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. And thanks partly to carrying the team on his young back — he turned 21 on Feb. 28 — he led the Mavs to their first playoff appearance in four seasons. This is the way. —TJ MACIAS

Dallas Stars: Miro Heiskanen

When a team makes a run to a Stanley Cup Final, there are always a handful of players who play pivotal roles. But the emergence of Heiskanen, the third overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is what flipped the Stars’ improbable dream of a deep playoff run into reality. After finishing the shortened regular season tied for 28th in scoring among defensemen, Heiskanen became the third-leading scorer of all players in the 2020 playoffs and he was the top postseason scorer among all defensemen. And, oh yeah, he’s just 21 years old. —MAC ENGEL

TCU football: Garret Wallow

A reliable tackler who led the Horned Frogs in that department once again, the linebacker had 295 tackles going into now-canceled Texas Bowl, meaning he was likely denied a chance to become just the fourth player to join the 300-tackle club in the Patterson era. Wallow was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and an honorable mention for the league’s defensive player of the year. He has also made an impact off the field as a second-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and a Lott IMPACT Trophy semifinalist. Wallow should be playing on Sundays next fall. —DREW DAVISON

TCU basketball: Desmond Bane

By becoming the last first-round pick of the NBA Draft, the selection made Bane TCU’s first first-round draftee since Kurt Thomas went to the Miami Heat 10th overall in 1995. Bane left as the school’s all-time leader with 84 wins and 249 threes. More impressively, he was an iron man who not only never missed a game at TCU, but only sat out one non-summer practice due to being sick. Bane went from an under-recruited prospect to a pro who’ll be running with the NBA’s 2020 Rookie of the Year, the Memphis Grizzlies’ high-flying guard Ja Morant. —DREW DAVISON

Western riding sports: Stetson Wright

The 21-year-old from Milford, Utah, clinched his second consecutive world all-around title during the 2020 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo held at Globe Life Field in early December. Wright was the only competitor who qualified in two events, saddle bronc riding and bull riding, and he dazzled the crowd on Dec. 6, when he won Round 7 in both. Wright earned a hefty $313,897 in saddle bronc riding and bull riding at NFR and his amazing pro rodeo performances come just when the sport is looking for its next superstar. —BRETT HOFFMAN

Honorable mention: Bryan Reynolds, FC Dallas

If you’re only a casual fan, or if you don’t yet refer to soccer as football then you may not be familiar with this budding superstar defenseman. But the 19-year-old Fort Worth native has been groomed to become a professional player since he was about 4. Although his presence is a reason why FC Dallas won a playoff game this season, odds are Reynolds will not be with his MLS club much longer. Like most major American soccer stars, he’ll likely soon sign a contract with a top European club, and then eventually join the U.S. Men’s National Team. —MAC ENGEL

This was written by Star-Telegram’s sports staff writers, Drew Davison, Mac Engel, Clarence E. Hill Jr., TJ Macias, Jeff Wilson and special contributor Brett Hoffman.

This story was originally published December 31, 2020 at 5:00 AM.