Cowboys hope Hardy follows Haley’s script for Super Bowl

If you are wondering why the Dallas Cowboys signed Greg Hardy, look no further than last weekend’s Hall of Fame induction of defensive end Charles Haley for the answer.

Haley was never accused of domestic assault.

Even more, there were no glaring legal incidents on Haley’s ledger during his 13-year career with the San Francisco 49ers and the Cowboys that included five Super Bowl titles.

But he was also no choirboy.

He was mean to his teammates, an old-school bully most of the time.

Former safety Darren Woodson recently recalled Haley as being “absolutely crazy.”

His former wife diagnosed him with manic depression, which he detailed in his rousing Hall of Fame speech.

The Cowboys knew all was not right with Haley and that he was a tough player to deal with.

But they traded for him anyway in what owner Jerry Jones calls one of the three greatest off-schedule moves that helped turn the Cowboys into three-time Super Bowl champions in the 1990s.

The first was the Herschel Walker trade with the Minnesota Vikings, netting the Cowboys a boatload of draft picks that became the foundation of those title teams.

The second was the acquisition of Haley in a trade with the 49ers to give the Cowboys the pass rusher they lacked and the edge they needed on defense to win their first title in 1992.

The third was the free-agent signing of cornerback Deion Sanders, who keyed the third Super Bowl title in 1995.

“Each one of them impacted us to win a Super Bowl,” Jones said. “Obviously if we don’t make the Herschel Walker trade then we have a difficult time to pull a Super Bowl off to begin with. There is no question in my mind without Charles Haley we don’t win a Super Bowl. He was that instrumental.

“It was pretty clear Deion was on the opposing team and they win the Super Bowl. We switch him to our team and we win the Super Bowl. That’s about as clear as you can do. That’s in three cases.”

This is where Hardy comes in.

The Cowboys know his history. They know his issues.

They have their eyes wide open.

They see Hardy as the player who not only could be a difference-maker on the field, but also one who can give them that emotional and psychological edge they need to become a champion.

That was the same thought process they had with Haley.

“Charles Haley was the reason we won our first Super Bowl,” former Cowboys guard Nate Newton said. “He was our first Super Bowl. We needed that defensive impact much like this team needs now. It needs somebody that is going to command two or three guys in a certain situation. That’s what they hope for with Greg Hardy.”

Newton was not alone. Former Cowboys defensive tackle Tony Casillas also referenced Haley when talking about Hardy’s potential impact on this team.

He is the pass rusher they need. He will command double teams, which will make his teammates better. He also has that passionate edge they hope will become contagious on defense.

The Cowboys feel fortunate to get Hardy. Much like Haley, if Hardy didn’t have an issue in another place, he wouldn’t have been available for the Cowboys.

Jones said you need moves outside the NFL Draft, in terms of player acquisition, to help put a team over the top.

“Those are additions that don’t come the normal way,” Jones said. “When you ask about a move like Hardy… it’s because the league is pretty scripted you are going to go .500. Things have to fall out of script for it to go good.

“We have seen Deion and Charles dictate a Super Bowl. Herschel Walker dictated a Super Bowl because of what you got in a trade.”

The Cowboys believe Hardy can have a championship impact or they wouldn’t have signed him.

The key is making sure the only trouble he gets into is with opposing quarterbacks.

This story was originally published August 10, 2015 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Cowboys hope Hardy follows Haley’s script for Super Bowl."