Tony Tolbert Anthony Lewis Tolbert ( born December 29 , 1967 in Tuskegee , Alabama ) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League . He was raised in Englewood , New Jersey , and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School . Tolbert was drafted in 4th round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys . Tolbert made the Pro Bowl in 1996 after recording 12 quarterback sacks . Early days . Born 29 December 1967 , in Tuskegee , Alabama . Tolbert grew up in Englewood N . J . and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School . He received a scholarship to play at the University of Texas - El Paso . Tolbert was light for a defensive end ( 6 feet 2 inches and 175 pounds as a freshman ) , but developed into a very good pass rush er at the college level . At UTEP , his best year was his senior season , when he tied a school record with 11 sacks , made over 100 tackles and earned All - WAC honors . UTEP ' s 1988 team is the winningest footbal team in school history with 10 wins . It also clinched an Independence Bowl bid , where they lost 38 - 18 to Southern Mississippi University . He graduated in 1991 with a degree in criminal justice . On September 27 , 2008 , He was honored for his achievements with the 1988 UTEP Miners , during a footbal home game against the University of Central Florida . Professional career . He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 1989 NFL Draft out of the University of Texas - El Paso . He was a low draft selection , because coming out of college he was what they called a tweener ( Not fast enough to play linebacker and too light to be a defensive end ) . He ended up , not just having a long career , but also excelling . He broke into the starting lineup at left defensive end in 1990 , and remained there for all nine of his seasons with the Cowboys . As defensive end for the Cowboys from 1989 - 1997 , Tolbert played an important role in the Cowboys ' rise to prominence in the 90 ' s and their three Super Bowl victories . Tolbert became one of the stalwarts , on one of the best defenses of the 90 ' s . During that time , he teamed up with Charles Haley to become one of the top pass - rushing duos in the NFL . Although he came into the league as a pass rush specialist , he developed into a rugged run stopper , making him the leading tackler among Cowboy defensive line men for seven straight years . Tolbert played with chronic knee pain through the final years of his career , because of a degenerative knee condition . He was a Pro Bowl er in 1996 , when he had a career high of 12 sacks and 85 tackles . Despite playing in pain , Tolbert started all 16 games in 1997 , compiled five sacks and led all Cowboys defensive line men in tackles for the seventh consecutive season , with 60 . Tolbert ' s five sacks were the most on the team that year . He was released after the 1997 season because of his declining performance while playing on aching knees . This happened only a year after he was selected to his first Pro Bowl team . During his career , he recorded 59 quarterback sacks in 128 games played over the course of 9 seasons , plus he returned his only interception 54 yards for a touchdown . He had more sacks during the 90s than any other Cowboy player . Ten years after he retired , he had knee - replacement surgery on both knees . The result of seven knee surgeries during his nine - year career .