I am a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys. I am regarded as one of the most successful wide receivers in the history of the National Football League.
I am nicknamed "The PlayMaker" due to my penchant for making big plays, I spent my entire professional playing career as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, and then I became one of the seventeen finalists to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame on January 10, 2007.
I was a football star at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale and I was recruited by the University of Miami, one of the top collegiate football programs in the nation. Under coach Jimmy Johnson, I set school records for career receptions (143), receiving yards (2,423) and touchdown receptions (26). I was part of Miami's 1987 National Championship team, and made one of the most legendary plays in school history that year, scoring on a 73-yard fourth quarter touchdown pass from Steve Walsh that provided the margin of victory in Miami's triumph over archrival Florida State.
I was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th selection in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft. I was the last first-round draft pick made by the Cowboys under the leadership of long-time general manager Tex Schramm, player personnel director Gil Brandt, and coach Tom Landry.
On the field, I did experience many injuries in 1989 and 1990. But in 1991, I had a breakout season, leading the NFL with 1,523 yards receiving and setting a Cowboys' record with 93 receptions. Along with NFL rushing champion Emmitt Smith, we became the first pair of teammates in the history of the NFL to lead the league in both rushing and receiving yardage.
In 1992 and 1993, I was a key player on the Cowboys' Super Bowl teams. In 1994, I enjoyed another stellar campaign with my fourth consecutive Pro Bowl season, but that year the Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. For my part, however, I had one of the most productive games in NFL playoff history, with 12 catches for an NFC championship record 192 yards and two touchdowns.
One of my greatest performances was in Super Bowl XXVII, where I caught 6 passes for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. My 2 touchdowns catches were both in the second quarter and occurred in a span of just 18 seconds, the fastest pair of touchdowns ever scored by one player in Super Bowl history. I also became only the second player ever to score 2 touchdowns in one quarter of a Super Bowl, after Ricky Sanders in Super Bowl XXII.
In 1995, I set an NFL record by recording 11 straight 100-yard games receiving. I broke my own team records with career highs in receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,603). Dallas steamrolled through the playoffs and, that year, I was a Super Bowl champion for the third time.
I finished my career with 750 receptions (10th all-time in the NFL) for 11,904 yards (9th all-time in the NFL) and 65 touchdowns. My 47 career 100-yard receiving games, which includes an NFL-record setting 11 in a row in 1995, remains the third most in NFL history, behind Jerry Rice (65) and Hall of Famer Don Maynard (50). I was selected to five Pro Bowls (2 more than any other wide receiver in franchise history) and was a key "playmaker" for the Dallas Cowboys that won 6 division titles and three Super Bowls. As part of Dallas' starting lineup on offense, I was a consistent force to be reckoned with in the regular season but I also excelled in postseason play where my six career 100-yard receiving days are just two shy of the NFL mark held by Jerry Rice (8). My 87 postseason receptions place me second in NFL playoff history, again behind Rice (151), and my 1,315 postseason receiving yards ranks second only to Rice (2,245).
I became eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. I was not selected, however, in 2005 or 2006, his first two years of eligibility.
Even though I no longer play football I continue to do radio shows and co star in movies along-side Adam Sandler and many other talented Actors. I have premiered in many movies such as The Longest Yard and more.
