Dallas Cowboys thrive as farm system as ex-players bask in Super Bowl glory with Chiefs
Four former Dallas Cowboys players were crowned Super Bowl champions Sunday night as members of the Kansas City Chiefs, a route none of them were not expecting to take but were sure glad they did.
Linebackers Damien Wilson and Anthony Hitchens along with cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Morris Claiborne achieved life-long dreams by reaching the Super Bowl.
“We’re champions, and we’re bringing the trophy home!” exclaimed Hitchens, a fourth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2014. “It hasn’t really hit me yet. I’m going to try to enjoy this with my family.”
Wilson, Hitchens and Ward played a huge roles as starters on a defense that held the San Francisco 49ers scoreless in the fourth quarter while the Chiefs’ offense posted 21 straight point in rallying from a 10-point deficit to win, 31-20.
“We never out of the game, never,” Wilson said. “It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. I think we’re the embodiment of that.”
For Hitchens, it was the fulfillment of a dream he had when he left the Cowboys two years ago in free agency. He said he came to Kansas City to be a part of something great.
One year later, he recruited Wilson to join him, making two of the three starting linebackers former Cowboys. Wilson, a fourth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2015, also said he felt the best chance for him to win a title was with the Chiefs.
Ward signed with the Cowboys as a rookie free agent in 2018 but was traded to the Chiefs before the final preseason game. Claiborne, a first-round pick of the Cowboys in 2012, was inactive for Sunday’s game.
It didn’t look good entering the fourth quarter with the Chiefs trailing 24-10 and seemingly having no answer for the 49ers’ running game. But then the Chiefs defense found another gear and shut down the 49ers the rest of the way. Kansas City allowed just three first downs in the fourth quarter and yielded only 32 yards in the final stanza, with 17 coming on one meaningless play.
Ward, Hitchens and Wilson were each credited with four tackles as the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to rally from double-digit deficits in three consecutive playoff games en route to a Super Bowl title.
“We’re a clutch team,” Wilson said. “I said we are a very clutch team. All across the board, all 22, just staying out there and playing our best ball when we need it the most.”
It’s the first championship for the Chiefs in 50 years, which was the last time the team reached the championship.
The Cowboys on the other hand have not been to the Super Bowl in 24 years, dating back to their last title in 1996. But they do have five titles in 10 trips to the big game.
If there is a sliver lining for fans of America’s Team, it’s that the former Cowboys were able to help deny San Francisco a sixth Super Bowl title which would have broken the tie with Dallas. Instead, both clubs remain tied for third-most behind the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, each of whom have six.
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 10:14 AM.
