Best Dallas Cowboys player to wear jersey No. 79

In honor of the Dallas Cowboys season beginning in 79 days, here is the greatest player to ever wear 79 for the franchise.

Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

The days are counting faster and faster, as we are just 79 days from the Dallas Cowboys' Week 1 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.

We celebrated many wide receivers and tight ends in our quest to name the greatest players to wear numbers 89-80. Now that we enter the seventies, it could be time to celebrate more defensive players.

Here is the greatest player to wear the No. 79 for the Cowboys.

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Harvey Martin - DE/DT

Sep 6, 1981; Washington, DC, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Harvey Martin (79) gets past Washington Redskins tackle Mark May (73) at RFK Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports / Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

An anchor of the 1970s-80s Cowboys defense, Harvey Martin was an easy choice to represent the franchise as the greatest player to put on the 79. A third-round pick in the 1973 NFL Draft, Martin has a laundry list of accolades that put him on the top shelf of talent that has played in Dallas.

A Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year award in 1977, Martin's accomplishments should have given him a spot in Canton, Ohio.

Martin passed away in 2001 after a battle with cancer. The former third-round pick left a lasting legacy with his play on the field. Martin's ability on the gridiron will always be remembered as one of the best to get the opportunity to play for the Cowboys.