Texas Earnest Schramm Jr., served 29 seasons as president and general manager of the Cowboys, turning a 1960 expansion team into one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. Under Schramm, the team reached five Super Bowls, winning two, made 18 playoff appearances and compiled an NFL-record 20 consecutive winning season. Schramm was instrumental in creating the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, developing the Cowboys Ring of Honor and bringing an annual Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game to the nation. Schramm, as chairman of the NFL Competition Committee from 1966 to 1988, was a driving force behind the development of instant replay, giving the head referee a microphone for penalty announcements and developing the wild-card playoff system. One of Schramm’s most significant accomplishments was coordinating the merger of the NFL and the American Football League in 1966. He was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 1991. Schramm was inducted into the Ring of Honor at halftime of the Cowboys game against Philadelphia on Oct. 12, 2003.
