Does HOF finalist Everson Walls belong in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor?
Everson Walls will find out Feb. 3 whether he made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The longtime Dallas Cowboys’ defensive back is a finalist for the first time in his final year of eligibility, and may be a dark horse candidate to actually make it as there appears to be a push to get more defensive players to Canton.
There is no higher honor than that in football, of course. But could there be another honor on the horizon for Walls?
Walls is under consideration for the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, executive vice president Stephen Jones said.
“As far as the Ring of Honor is concerned, we look at all our great players,” Jones said. “Any time you’re considered for the Hall of Fame, you’re in that category as a great player. Obviously there is consideration.”
Jones went on to say that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has the final say on whether a player is inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.
But Walls certainly appears to have been an overlooked candidate throughout the years. This is a guy who led the league in interceptions three times with the Cowboys (1981, 1982 and 1985).
Walls spent the first nine of his 13 seasons in the NFL with the Cowboys (1981-89). He was selected to four Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro once and second-team twice in his career.
Walls finished his career with 57 interceptions, tied for 13th-most in league history. But Walls might be best remembered as the man who former San Francisco tight end Dwight Clark soared over in the end zone for “The Catch” in the 1981 NFC Championship Game.
Walls will discover his Hall of Fame fate on “Selection Saturday” (Feb. 3) when the Hall’s selection committee determines the 2018 class the day before Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis.
Stephen Jones made it clear that everybody within the organization is hopeful that Walls gets in.
“He’s very deserving. He had a great career, obviously,” Jones said. “A big part of his career was as a Dallas Cowboy and no one would be happier for Everson Walls than the Jones Family.”
This story was originally published January 25, 2018 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Does HOF finalist Everson Walls belong in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor?."