WOULD'VE
WOULD'VE LOST THIS GAME. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
BUT AT THE VERY LEAST WE HAVE
ONE GOOD. VALLEY RANCH WAS HOME
FOR 31 YEARS BEFORE THEY MOVED
TO FRISCO.
TO FRISCO. THAT BUILDING HAS BEEN TO+@RN
DOWN BUT IF THOSE HOLES COULD
TALK AND TONIGHT THEY DO IN
THIS WFAA ORIGINAL.
♪
♪
♪ >>
♪ >> Reporter: FOR MANY YEARS I
WAS CONSIDERED -- IT WAS
CONSIDERED HALLOWED GROUNDS TO
FANS AND OWNERSHIP A LIGHT --
ALIKE.
ALIKE.
ALIKE. >>
ALIKE. >> IT WAS BEYOND HALLOWED WHEN
OPENED.
OPENED.
OPENED. >>+@ THE LOCKER ROOM, SUPERSTAR
MIRRORS, 30 ACRES UNDER ONE
ROOF.
ROOF.
ROOF. >>
ROOF. >> VALLEY RANCH WAS TATTOOED ON
THE BRAIN OF ANY FAN.
>> Reporter: IT WAS HOME TO
AMERICA'+@S TE+@AM.
AMERICA'+@S TE+@AM. >> WALKING IN AS A ROOKIE I
REALIZED I JUST GOT DRAFTED BY
THE COWBOYS.
THE COWBOYS. >> HOW OFTEN YOU GET TO PLAY
FOR YOUR FAVORITE FOOTBALL
TEAM?
TEAM?
TEAM? >>
TEAM? >> Reporter: TODAY -- FOR +@YEA
I WAS STALL -- TALL AND STR+@ON
>> WHEN I WAS AF+@RAID I DECIDE
I WOULD WAIT FOR THAT CARDBOARD
CUTOUT AND ASK HIM.
>> Reporter: NOT EVEN THE
STRENGTH OF MY WALLS NOR THE
CONCRETE OF MY PILLARS COULD
PREVENT TIME FROM DRIFTING AWAY
+@
PREVENT TIME FROM DRIFTING AWAY NOR MY SADNESS OF SAYING
GOODBYE.
GOODBYE.
GOODBYE. >> IT IS TOUGH WHEN YOU BREAK A
RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE HAD
FOR 29 YEARS.
>> IT WAS LIKE THE BERLIN WALL
COMING DOWN.
COMING DOWN. IT WAS LIKE NIXON KING
+@
+@ IMPEACHED.
IMPEACHED. IT WAS LIKE NEIL ARMSTRONG
LANDING ON THE MOON.
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS
THAT I KNEW I WOULD TAKE TO MY
GRAVE.
GRAVE.
GRAVE. >>
GRAVE. >> Reporter: I WAS +@BUILT TO
WITH+@STAND THE CHANGES THAT
WOULD COME.
WOULD COME. >> THIS IS A NEW GENERATION.
>> Reporter: TO THE TUNE OF
$140 MILLION.
$140 MILLION. >> IT WAS CHRISTMAS.
WE MUST WIN.
>> WE WILL WIN.
>> HE CAME DOWN THE STEPS AND
SAW EVERY PRESENT HE EVER
THOUGHT OF SEEING.
>> WIN IS THE NAME OF THE GAME.
>> WE ADOPTED QUICKLY.
>> Reporter: FROM MI+@AMI TO BI
D. JIMMIE JOHNSON'S WAY OR THE
HIGHWAY.
HIGHWAY.
HIGHWAY. >> HE SAID FATIGUE MAKES
COWARDS OUT OF ALL OF US.
>> YOU WOULD ALSO TELL YOU, I
DON'T NEED ANY FRIENDS, I ONLY
NEED WIN+@S.
NEED WIN+@S. IF YOU WANT TO BE MY FRIEND,
HELP ME WIN.
IF YOU CAN'T HELP ME WIN, TRUST
ME, YOU ARE OUT OF HERE, YOU
ARE NOW MY FRIEND.
>> Reporter: THE GENIUS OF
JIMMY, THE DEAL OF ALL DEALS.
THE GREATEST TRADE IN NFL
HISTORY. +@
HISTORY. +@ >> HERSCHEL WALKER TO
MINNESOTA.
MINNESOTA. >> I WAS SHOCKED BUT I
UNDE+@RSTOOD IT WAS ABOUT THE
TEAM.
TEAM.
TEAM. NOT
TEAM. NOT ABOUT THE PLAYER .
>> Reporter: I HAD DISTANT
MEMORIES BUT THE PLAN WAS IN
PLACE NOW THAT THE TRIPLETS HAD
BEEN DEPLOYED.
BEEN DEPLOYED. >> WE WERE LIKE THE MILITARY.
ATTACK FROM THE LAND.
THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO RUN.
>> WE WILL TAKE IT FROM THE AIR.
>> HOT, TOUCHDOWN!
>> EITHER WAY GOES WILL GET
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. >>
YOU. >> DOUBLE TROUBLE.
>> Reporter: A STORY ABOUT TO
UNFOLD, CHAMPIONSHIP SEASONS
LONG FORGOTTEN.
LONG FORGOTTEN. FOR ME, 15 YEARS IN WAITING.
SUPER BOWL DYNASTY OF THE 90s.
-- '90S.
-- '90S.
-- '90S. >> HOW ABOUT THEM COWBOYS?
>> MOST GUYS WILL PLAY A WHOLE
+@CAREER AND NEVER GET MOMENTS
LIKE WE HAVE HAD.
>> WE SHOULD HAVE WON 5. WE
SHOU+@LD HAVE ONE 5 SUPER BOWL'
>> Reporter: BACK TO BACK
LOMBARDI'S, NOT EVEN ENOUGH.
JIMMY IS OUT AND BARRY IS IN.
>> WE HAVE A JOB TO DO AND WE
WILL DO IT.
>> Reporter: YET ANOTHER SUPER
BOWL WIN.
BOWL WIN.
BOWL WIN. >> I THOUGHT HE WAS AN
EMBARRASSMENT OF A HEAD COACH.
THAT WAS JONES'S WAY OF
SLAPPING JIMMIE JOHNSON IN THE
FACE.
FACE.
FACE. >>
FACE. >> PRIME TIME PLAYERS WITH GOOD
T+@IMES HAD BY ALL.
>> $65,000 OR SO FOR THE PARTY.
JURY SPENT ABOUT 20 AND STUCK
THE OTHER 40 IN HIS POCKET.
>> Reporter: MY ST+@AR NEVER
SHINED SO BRIGHTLY.
BUT NOT EVEN STARS CAN SHINE
WITHOUT DARKNESS.
WITHOUT DARKNESS. >> KNOCK KNOCK, HERE COMES THE
COPS.
COPS.
COPS. MICHAEL'S FAMOUS WORDS, DO YOU
KNOW WHO I AM?
AS MICHAEL WOULD SAY LATER,
THEY DIDN'T GIVE A -- WHO I
WAS.
WAS.
WAS. >>
WAS. >> THE DAS OFFICE ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER MICHAEL IRVIN WOULD
APPEAR BEFORE A DALLA+@S COUNTY
GRAND JURY.
GRAND JURY. >> THERE IS NO ROAD IN LIFE
PAVED SMOOTHLY.
PAVED SMOOTHLY. THEY ARE PAVED WITH PEAKS AND
VALLEYS.
VALLEYS.
VALLEYS. WHEN +@ONE OF US FELL OFF AND H
WHEN +@ONE OF US FELL OFF AND H@ A SITUATION, WE COVERED EACH
OTHER.
OTHER.
OTHER. >>
OTHER. >> THE REASON I'M HERE TODAY IS
TO SUPPORT A FRIEND.
>> THOSE GUYS COVERED ME.
>> TROY AIKMAN TO MICHAEL+@
IRVIN.
IRVIN.
IRVIN. >>
IRVIN. >> Reporter: MY SPACE ABSENT OF
THE MAGIC I'VE KNOWN, SEASONS OF
DESPAIR.
DESPAIR.
DESPAIR. WAS BILL PURCELL THE ANSWERED
PRAYER?
PRAYER?
PRAYER? >> HE WAS HIRED TO GET A STADIUM
BUILT.
BUILT.
BUILT. >>
BUILT. >> HE TAKES OVER THIS 5-11, 5-
11, 5-11 TEAM AND THEY GO 10-6
AND GET A PLAYOFF GAME . THAT
HE WAS THE ANSWER.
>> JERRY DROVE DOWN BIG BILL.
>> IT TAKES AN ORGANIZATION AND
A COMMITMENT.
A COMMITMENT. WE WANT TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.
WE WILL SEE.
>> ROMO IN THE ANSWER,
TOUCHDOWN COWB+@OYS.
TOUCHDOWN COWB+@OYS. >> HE COULD PLAY, MAN.
>> DAVE FAHERTY, 1-1 HE CAUGHT
THE BALL.
THE BALL.
THE BALL. >> TEAM RECORD SET.
>> Reporter: SEASONS CAME IN
WET.
WET.
WET. SUCCESS IS NOT MEASURED BY WILL
AND INTENT.
AND INTENT. >> INTERCEPTOR, UNBELIEVABLE.
+@
>> INTERCEPTOR, UNBELIEVABLE. >> HE WAS A YOUNG SLIMMER --
SLINGER.
SLINGER.
SLINGER. ALL GUNSLINGERS WILL BREAK YOUR
HEART.
HEART.
HEART. >>
HEART. >> Reporter: CASPER THE COWBOYS
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROOKIE
CRACK -- PRACTICE.
THE BUILDING CAME CRASHING DOWN
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. ♪
♪
♪ >>
♪ >> Reporter: MAY 2, 2009 MY
SADDEST DAY OF EXISTENCE.
>> THE LIGHT STARTED SWINGING.
IT SEEMED+@ EERIE.
>> Reporter: A DAY THAT MOTHER
NATURE'S FURY WOULD CHALLENGE
+@MY VERY BEING. A DAY WHEN 10
QUALITY MEANT CHAOS IN THE
CROSSWINDS OF HELPLESSNESS AND
DESPAIR.
DESPAIR.
DESPAIR. >> THE CEILING WAS COMING
>>
>> WE
>> WE TURNED AND HEADED FOR THE DOOR.
DOOR.
DOOR. I
DOOR. I WAS THE FIRST ONE OUT THE
DOOR AND I REMEMBER RUNNING
ACROSS THAT MIDDLEFIELD.
AND I LOOKED BACK TO SEE A
TIDAL +@WAVE.
TIDAL +@WAVE. A BIG WHITE THING COMING DOWN.
I THOUGHT, THIS IS IT, I'M
DONE.
DONE.
DONE. SMACK.
SMACK.
SMACK. RIGHT TO THE GROUND.
THE DOCTOR WALKED IN AND SAID
YOU ARE PARALYZED FROM THE +@
WAIST DOWN AND YOU WILL NEVER
WALK AGAIN.
WALK AGAIN. I'M ALIVE, IT COULD BE WORSE
AND I COULD BE SIX FEET UNDER.
IT WAS ABOUT BEING AN EXAMPLE
FOR MY BOYS, MY GIRLS.
+@ BEING A ROLE MODEL TO THEM OF
FIGHTING THROUGH ADVERSITY.
>> Reporter: HOPE RENEWED, TEAM
RELOADED.
RELOADED.
RELOADED. REBUILDING U+@NDERWAY, THE DAWN
OF A NEW DAY.
>> PRESCOTT AIRS IT OUT, DEEP
DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE, THE BALL
IS CAUGHT BY EZEKIEL ELLIOTT .
TRUCK YOU HAVE A QUARTERBACK
AND A STUD TO GO WITH HIM AND
IN THIS CASE A RUNNING BACK.
HEY, THERE IS SOME SUNSHINE
AHEAD.
AHEAD.
AHEAD. >>
AHEAD. >> IT IS HARD FOR LOSERS TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO WIN.
BUT I THINK THEY WILL.
>> LET'S WAIT AND SEE.
THEY HAVE A CLAIM -- A PLAN AND
I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW IT COMES
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. >> Reporter: 31 YEARS HAVE COME
AND GONE.
AND GONE.
AND GONE. I WAS ONCE BUZZING WITH CLEAN
AND EXCITEMENT.
AND EXCITEMENT. I HAVE STOOD SILENT AND EMPTY.
NOW, ERASED FROM EXISTENCE. +@
WHILE +@MY MEMORIES CANNOT BE
DENIED, IT IS ALL OVER NOW.
MY PLACE, WHERE DREAMS CAME +@
TRUE.
TRUE.
TRUE. ♪
♪
♪ >>
♪ >> Report+@er: THAT STORY WAS
PRODUCED BY THE