NFL Greatest Unsung Heroes In History of All 32 Teams

Dallas Cowboys

Not everybody is made to find success for a long period of time in the NFL. Many find theirs in brief snapshots. Men who rose from obscurity just long enough to make a huge mark on that moment in time before disappearing once again. Almost like a whale that jumps out of the ocean and then vanishes beneath the waves. That was Chad Hennings.

Most of his career was spent on those great Dallas Cowboys teams of the 1990s as a rotational defensive tackle. His name was hardly mentioned with the array of great players around him like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Charles Haley. Yet those men could actually stop for a brief second and wonder if they’d have three rings without Hennings.

This was made clear by their 1995 playoff run. Hennings, never one known for dominant pass rush skills, was unstoppable during that stretch. In three games he had 3.5 sacks and saved his best for last in the Super Bowl. He had two sacks in that game, one of which proved crucial as it forced Pittsburgh to settle for a field goal. The Steelers scored a touchdown minutes later, but Dallas still had the lead 20-17.

Hennings then helped apply pressure on the pivotal player where Neil O’Donnell threw a backbreaking interception to Larry Brown that set up the Cowboys’ touchdown to put the game out of reach 27-17, cementing their status as a dynasty.