In one swing last night, Joey Gallo produced a better career as a Ranger than Joey Galloway had as a Cowboy.
While the Rangers’ rising star debuted with three hits, a homer and four RBI for DFW’s baseball team, it evoked hideous memories of his sorta/almost namesake that never lived up to the hype for the football team.
Needing a big-play receiver in the wake of Michael Irvin’s retirement in 1999, owner Jerry Jones rolled the dice and traded – gulp – two first-round picks to the Seahawks for Galloway. While Seattle turned those picks into Shaun Alexander (NFL MVP in ’05) and Koren Robinson (team’s leading receiver from ’02-06), Galloway’s potential was immediately short-circuited in Dallas.
After signing him to a seven-year, $42 million contract and hailing him as Troy Aikman’s deep-threat target of the new millennium, Galloway whetted appetites by catching four passes for 62 yards and a touchdown in the ’00 opener against the Eagles at Texas Stadium. But, inexplicably, head coach Dave Campo kept him on the field in the game in a 41-14 blowout loss and with two minutes he tangled with a defender and tore his ACL, costing him the season.
He went on to catch only 12 touchdowns in four seasons with the Cowboys.
A look at other noteworthy Cowboys’ debuts:
| Date | Player | Result | Stats |
| Sept. 19, 1965 | Bob Hayes | W, 31-2 | 2 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD |
| Sept. 21, 1969 | Roger Staubach | W, 24-3 | 7-of-15, 220 yards, 1 TD, 22 yards rushing |
| Sept. 18, 1977 | Tony Dorsett | W, 16-10 | 4 carries, 11 yards |
| Sept. 4, 1988 | Michael Irvin | L, 24-21 | 3 catches, 73 yards, 1 TD |
| Sept. 10, 1989 | Troy Aikman | L, 35-0 | 17-of-35, 180 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 13 yards rushing |
| Sept. 9, 1990 | Emmitt Smith | W, 17-14 | 2 carries, 2 yards |
| Oct. 29, 1995 | Deion Sanders | W, 28-13 | 1 catch, 6 yards, 0 tackles, 0 INT |
| Sept. 7, 2003 | Jason Witten | L, 27-13 | 1 catch, 13 yards |
| Sept. 10, 2006 | Terrell Owens | L, 17-14 | 6 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD |
| Oct. 15, 2006 | Tony Romo | W, 34--6 | 2-of-2, 35 yards, 1 TD |
| Sept. 12, 2010 | Dez Bryant | L, 13-7 | 8 catches, 56 yards |
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
