Randy White ( American football ) Randall Lee " Randy " White ( born January 15 , 1953 ) is a former American football defensive tackle . He attended the University of Maryland from 1971 to 1974 , and played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys from 1975 to 1988 . He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame , the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame . High School career . Playing both defensive end and linebacker at Thomas McKean High School in Wilmington , Delaware , Randy is considered to this day the “ Best All - Time Player ” in the history of Delaware high school football . Graduating in 1971 , he was a star player in the state ’ s 15th annual Blue - Gold All - Star high school football game played each year since 1956 at the University of Delaware stadium to benefit DFRC and its programs to provide services to Delawareans with intellectual disABILITIES . College career . White was recruited by the University of Maryland and played as a fullback during his freshman year . While Maryland finished the year with only 2 wins , White did little worth noting during that year . During his sophomore season , new head coach Jerry Claiborne moved Randy to defensive end , noting that he had the skill to be " one of the best five linemen in the U . S . " The move was a natural fit , as by his senior year , he was , as Claiborne put it , " as fast as some of the offensive backs I had coached . " In that senior year ( 1974 ) , he won numerous awards and honors , including the Outland Trophy , the Lombardi Award , and the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year . Though Maryland lost in the Liberty Bowl that season to Tennessee , Randy was named the game ' s Most Valuable Player . In 1994 , he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and in 2000 was named to ABC sports All - time All - America Team . Professional career . White was the Dallas Cowboys ' first pick and the second player selected in the 1975 National Football League Draft , and was moved to middle linebacker , where he was a backup to Cowboy legend Lee Roy Jordan , playing mostly on special teams his first two seasons , including his rookie season when Dallas lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl X . Jordan retired following the 1976 season , and his slot was filled by Bob Breunig , who held the position the next nine seasons . During his third season ( 1977 ) , White was moved to right defensive tackle , the same position formerly occupied by " Mr . Cowboy " , Bob Lilly , from 1961 through 1974 , a move which in turn moved veteran Larry Cole back to his natural defensive end position ( backing up Ed " Too Tall " Jones and Harvey Martin , though he did play left defensive tackle after the retirement of Jethro Pugh . That year would prove to be his breakout year ; he was named to his first All - Pro team , his first Pro Bowl , and ( on his 25th birthday ) was named co - MVP of Super Bowl XII with teammate Harvey Martin , making him one of only seven defensive players to win that honor . In 1978 , White was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year , and would be named to nine consecutive All - Pro and Pro Bowl teams . He would retire in 1988 ( coincidentally , also the last season on the sidelines for original Cowboys coach Tom Landry ) , having played 209 games in 14 seasons , only missing one game during that span . At the time of his retirement , he had played the second most of any Dallas Cowboy in history . During those 14 years , he played in three Super Bowl s , six NFC Championship Game s , and accumulated 1 , 104 tackles ( 701 solo ) and 111 sacks . His highest single season sack total was 16 in 1978 . He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994 . On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the naming of the only co - MVPs in Super Bowl history , Super Bowl XLVII , which like Super Bowl XII was played in New Orleans , Louisiana , was dedicated to White . ( Harvey Martin had died in 2001 . )