As the Cowboys prepare to face the 49ers on Sunday night, memories of these two teams' storied past come to mind. After all, this is a history that features nine meetings in the playoffs, which equals the Cowboys' most against any opponent in the postseason.
Six of their playoff matchups occurred in the NFC Championship Game with Dallas finishing 4-2 in those heavyweight bouts. The Cowboys also hold the overall postseason advantage with a 5-4 mark, although San Francisco has come out on top in their last two playoff affairs. Dallas is on the losing end of the all-time regular season series as well, posting a 14-16-1 record.
However, there are those who have experienced the intensity of Cowboys vs. 49ers from both sides of the fence. Within the annals of this rivalry, 74 players have suited up for Dallas and San Francisco during their careers with some having actually won championships as a member of each franchise.
So ahead of another prime-time showdown, let's take a look at 10 of the top players who saw action with both the Cowboys and 49ers.
Let's take a look at 10 of the top players who saw action with both the Cowboys and 49ers.
10. Jerry Tubbs • Linebacker • San Francisco (1958-59) • Dallas (1960-66)
Although Jerry Tubbs started all 12 games and recorded two interceptions at middle linebacker in 1959, the 49ers left him off their exempt list for the 1960 expansion draft. Big mistake. After the Cowboys grabbed the native Texan for their new club, Tubbs went on to start all but one game over the next six seasons, earning a Pro Bowl invite in 1962. Upon retiring as a player, he joined Tom Landry's staff and served as an assistant coach until 1988.
9. Aldon Smith • Defensive End • San Francisco (2011-14) • Dallas (2020)
Aldon Smith lived up to his first-round draft status when he posted 14 sacks as a rookie for San Francisco in 2011 and then came back with 19.5 the following season, still a 49ers record. Unfortunately, repeated suspensions for substance abuse eventually knocked him out of the league for four years. The Cowboys, though, took a chance on him in 2020, and he responded by starting all 16 games and recording five sacks.
8. Bob Hayes • Wide Receiver • Dallas (1965-74) • San Francisco (1975)
Many people forget that the "Worlds Fastest Human" actually finished his career with the 49ers. However, Bob Hayes' tenure there was admittedly brief, which is why he's further down this list. Traded to San Francisco in July 1975, he appeared in just four games for the team before being released. Of course, over his first 11 seasons in the NFL, the former Olympic gold medalist put up Hall of Fame numbers for the Cowboys.
7. Kyle Kosier • Guard • San Francisco (2002-04) • Dallas (2006-11)
As the 49ers' seventh-round pick in the 2002 draft, not much was really expected of Kyle Kosier. Instead, he went on to enjoy a 10-year NFL career. After three campaigns with San Francisco, he spent a year in Detroit before then signing as a free agent with Dallas in 2006. Over the next six seasons, Kosier would start all 80 games in which he played, blocking for an offense that finished among the league's top 10 four times.
6. Kevin Gogan • Offensive Line • Dallas (1987-93) • San Francisco (1997-98)
Kevin Gogan was one of the few players in Cowboys history who went through the transition of playing for both Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson. He endured four straight losing seasons, including a 1-15 mark in 1989, before eventually celebrating as a back-to-back Super Bowl champion. After time spent with the Raiders, Gogan crossed the bay to join the 49ers in 1997, where he earned Pro Bowl honors in both of his seasons there.
5. Ken Norton Jr. • Linebacker • Dallas (1988-93) • San Francisco (1994-2000)
Now a respected assistant coach, Ken Norton Jr.'s playing career was split between the Cowboys and 49ers. He spent his first six seasons in Dallas as a second-round draft pick, earning one Pro Bowl invite and two Super Bowl victories. That was followed by seven years in San Francisco, where he won another Super Bowl with two more Pro Bowls and an All-Pro nod thrown in. Beginning in 1991, he started 160 straight games between the two clubs.
4. Terrell Owens • Wide Receiver • San Francisco (1996-2003) • Dallas (2006-08)
A third-round pick of the 49ers in 1996, Terrell Owens earned both Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in each of his final four seasons with the club, 2000-03. After a two-year stint with the Eagles, the mercurial wide receiver would then join the Cowboys in 2006 and post 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three campaigns in Dallas. He also earned a sixth trip to the Pro Bowl in 2007 on his way to the Hall of Fame.
3. Larry Allen • Offensive Line • Dallas (1994-2005) • San Francisco (2006-07)
Larry Allen was drafted by the Cowboys in 1994 from tiny Sonoma State, which is located an hour or so north of San Francisco. All he would do is go on to become one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history, earning 10 Pro Bowls and six All-Pro nods in his 12 seasons with Dallas. He would then spend the last two years of his Hall of Fame career with the 49ers, tacking on another Pro Bowl honor in 2006.
2. Deion Sanders • Cornerback • San Francisco (2004) • Dallas (1995-99)
Deion Sanders spent only one season with the 49ers, but he certainly made the most of it, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 1994 while helping the team win the Super Bowl. He then jumped to the Cowboys in 1995 and was a part of their winning effort in Super Bowl XXX. Over his five years in Dallas, Sanders earned four more Pro Bowl trips and three All-Pro awards to secure his place in the Hall of Fame.
1. Charles Haley • Defensive End • San Francisco (1986-94; 1998-99) • Dallas (1992-96)
Who would trade a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl winner? The 49ers, that's who. Tired of his somewhat troubling antics, San Francisco called up the Cowboys, asking if they'd take the star pass-rusher off their hands. Jerry Jones welcomed him with open arms, and with the missing piece secured, Dallas went on to win three Super Bowls over the next four seasons. The Hall of Famer became the first player in NFL history to win five Lombardi Trophies.
