A question people will sometimes ask me is, Who is on your personal Mt. Rushmore? They ask this question to see what type of personality and values that you may have based on the people that you look up to. Personally my Mt. Rushmore would include Jesus, Ronald Reagan, Roger Staubach and John Wayne. These include all aspects of life, my faith, my interests, political views and personal. This brought me to start thinking about who is my Mt. Rushmore in sports?”, Then, “Who is my Mt. Rushmore in Dallas Sports?” So many great athletes and stars who embody what it means to be a star and someone to be looked up to in the world of sports.
There are four criteria that are required to be on this Mt. Rushmore Dallas Edition. The first is Statistics and Championships. The player/coach has to have excelled on the court, field, rink, etc. in order to make the cut. The second requirement is Likability, the player cannot be notoriously hated throughout the metroplex. For example I will not be putting Terrell Owens or Alex Rodriguez on my Dallas Mt. Rushmore. Third, are the things that they do off of the field, For example being involved in the community by either volunteering or leading the charge on fundraising campaigns, etc. Athletes have some of the highest influence out of anyone in our community and they need to be making a positive impact in the DFW/Texas Region. The final requirement is, When they were in Dallas, how long did they stay, did they enjoy being here, and do they still consider themselves a part of the team in Dallas?
#12 Roger Staubach – 11 Seasons Dallas Cowboys- 2-Time Super Bowl Winner- Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor- Hall of Fame Inductee
The First Player on my Dallas Sports Mt. Rushmore is from the Dallas Cowboys organization is none other than the great Roger Staubach. He is renowned in the community of Dallas as a selfless person. Someone who puts others in front of him self and takes pride in helping the people. Staubach was a two-time Super Bowl Champion, while playing in five. He played 11 seasons as a Dallas Cowboys Quarterback and was coached by the great Tom Landry. He finished his career with 153 TD passes in a game where teams focused on the run, 22,000 passing yards and a 83.4 QB rating. Kids of all ages wanted to be Roger when they grew up, they all imitated his Quarterbacking style and practiced his composure. He showed a pure love for the game and was a Quarterback’s Quarterback.Many would have put Tom Landry here, or maybe Troy Aikman, or others, but with Roger’s unwavering attitude, his selfless service to others, and his play on the field, made this a no-brainer.
#41 Dirk Nowitzki- 17 Seasons (and counting) Dallas Mavericks- 2011 NBA Finals Champion- Future First Ballot Hall of Fame Inductee
The second player on my Mt. Rushmore Dallas Edition list is none other than the late-great Dirk Nowitzki. How could he not be on this list? When you think of the Dallas Mavericks you think of the 7’0 German. His name is almost as synonymous with the Mavs as Kobe is with the Lakers or Jordan is with the Bulls. He has defined this organization as a perennial playoff team that doesn’t want to lose. The Mavs under Dirk’s leadership have made the playoffs 14 of the last 15 years and won the NBA Finals in 2011 against all odds and the heavy underdog to the Lebron James lead Miami Heat. Dirk won the MVP in 2008 and posted a finals appearance in 2006-2007 season. The Mavericks were dreadful before new owner Mark Cuban bought them and took a chance in drafting the at the time one-dimensional player from Germany. Dirk has since then moved to number 6 on the all-time scoring list with just over 29,000 points. He hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down either. Probably the most commendable act that Dirk has recently done for the Mavericks is during his contract year in 2014, accepted a much lesser contract to help the Mavericks get the once sought-after Deandre Jordan and other pieces to fit into a mold to make another championship run. When that fell through (We don’t need to re-open old wounds here) Wes Matthews was signed to a hefty contract and Dirk allowed the Mavericks to move on other free agents in order to put them in a position to win. The Mavericks this year were not favored to make playoffs and some predicted them to finish last. Under Dirk’s leadership and uncanny ability to reach back in the jar of time, were able to muster an almost impossible run to make the playoffs as a 6 seed. For these reasons and many more I have slated Dirk as my second Mt. Rushmore Dallas Sports Icon.
#10 Michael Young – 13 Seasons Texas Rangers- 7 time all-star- 2 World Series Appearances
Ah, Michael Young, My third Mt. Rushmore candidate. Young was always my favorite player growing up. As a youth baseball player he encourage me to want to play second base and short stop just like him. He played the game of baseball with poise, confidence and wits. Young never seemed rattled in any situation and always seemed to come up clutch in the right moments on the biggest of stages. He was a familiar face in Arlington for 13 years and which made it hard to see him go in 2013. Young left because of the incoming younger talent with more upside. Michael never had a major drop off throughout his career, even when they moved him from Second, to Short, to Third, and sometimes even First. He means as much to me as a Ranger as Dirk does as a Maverick. Recently, he was hired by the Rangers Management to work in an Executive position, which brings him back to Arlington and back to the Texas Rangers. Michael Young was the type of ballplayer you wanted the young players hanging out with and wanted your kids watching on TV to learn how to play the infield. He did everything correctly and was an automatic glove. Young finished his 14 year career with a .300 Batting average and a .346 On base percentage which shows his consistency to produce at the plate. He was the total package for them for over a decade and was a reliable anchor to the infield throughout the years. Young was considered by many to be a great teammate, he was well respected throughout the clubhouse and the league as a guy to be respected on and off the field. Young finished his career a Ranger in 2014 when he signed a contract to come back to the Rangers and retire after a year hiatus. Now that he will be in Texas we will be seeing a lot more of this beloved and my Favorite baseball player of all-time.
#9 Mike Modano – 16 Seasons Dallas Stars (20 with franchise) 1999 Stanley Cup Championship Winner- Retired Dallas Stars jersey- NHL Hall of Fame Inductee
The Dallas Stars. Mike Modano. Number 9. 1999 Stanley Cup winners. None of these meant anything until the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993. Since then the marriage has been more than fruitful and created an “American” Hockey Legend. Mike Modano and the Dallas Stars go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly and is legend in the Dallas Sports world where the Dallas Cowboys and Mavericks rule the media and fan base. When you go to the AAC on Stars home games you can’t help but notice a ton of throwback Modano jerseys. These jerseys are at a premium and since 2014 no other Star will ever wear the number 9 again. Its fitting for the legend, since he helped the Stars transition to Dallas after being in Minnesota. They more than transitioned, in just six short years the Stars were at the top of the Hockey world and won their first and only, to this date, Stanley Cup Championship. Modano’s career consisted of versatility at the position of Center. He is 23rd, as an American born player, on the points list, in a game that is dominated by foreign stars. Modano, since his retirement, has worked tirelessly as a deal-closer and Public Relations face of the franchise since 2011. Recently the Stars decided to relieve Modano of his duties because of the distance of the commute. Modano is a family man and resides in Arizona with his wife and two kids. The Stars and Modano felt it was too much for him to make the constant trip over to Dallas. This more than likely won’t last long because of the pure nature of his legendary status in the city of Dallas. To many residents of the DFW area they only know the name of one hockey player and it’s Mike Modano.
These players barely missed the cut
- #22 Emmitt Smith- Dallas Cowboys Running Back- 3 Time Super Bowl Champ- Hall of Fame
- #8 Troy Aikman- Dallas Cowboys Quarterback- 3 Time Super Bowl Champ- Hall of Fame
- Tom Landry- Dallas Cowboys Head Coach- 2 Time Super Bowl Champ- Hall of Fame
- #34 Nolan Ryan- Texas Rangers Pitcher- Legend in Texas Baseball- Hall of Fame
- #7 Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez- Texas Rangers Catcher- Texas Rangers Hall of Fame
- Rick Carlisle- Dallas Mavericks Head Coach- 2011 NBA Finals Champ
- #82 Jason Witten- Dallas Cowboys Tight End- One of the Best TE’s of all time- Walter Payton Player of the Year
- #33 Tony Dorsett- Dallas Cowboys Running Back- 2 Time Super Bowl Champ- Hall of Fame
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