The 10 Greatest Kick Returners in the History of the Dallas Cowboys

Over the years the Dallas Cowboys have had their fair share of gifted kick returners. Though some of them held the position for only a brief period of time, they nevertheless contributed to the overall success of one of the NFL's best franchises. Here then are the top 10 kick returners in Dallas Cowboys history.

Deion Sanders (1995-1999)

Love him or hate him Deion Sanders was one of the greatest kick returners in NFL history. During his tenure with the Cowboys, Sanders was mostly limited to returning punts (though he did return a kick off or two), which he did in spectacular fashion.

In 63 games for Dallas, Sanders returned 89 punts for 1,184 yards and 4 TDs. His career average of 13.3 yards per punt return is the highest in club history (minimum of 25 returns), and in 1998 he led the NFL in punt return average (15.6) and punt return touchdowns (2).

Mel Renfro (1964-1977)

A Hall of Fame cornerback who picked off 52 passes in his stellar career, Mel Renfro was also an outstanding kick returner early on in his career, leading the NFL in both kick-off (1,017 yards) and punt (418 yards) return yardage during his rookie season in 1964. The following season he returned a kick-off 100 yards for a touchdown and ended the season averaging 30.0 yards a return. Renfro's lifetime kick return average of 26.4 is the highest in team history (minimum of 25 returns), and he finished his career in Dallas with 3,086 total return yards and 3 TDs.

Bob Hayes (1965-1974)

Bob Hayes, the gold medalist Olympic sprinter, made his mark in the NFL primarily as a receiver, though Hayes was also an electrifying kick returner. Hayes finished his career in Dallas with 104 punt returns for 1158 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading the league in punt return average in 1968 (20.0) and in touchdowns in 1967 -1968. Hayes also added 581 kick-off return yards to his total, averaging an impressive 25.3 yards a return in the process.

Kevin Williams (1993-1996)