Embarking on his second season in the pros, Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy is looking to build off a rookie season where he turned in fairly modest numbers.
But he'll do so wearing a number that has proven to be very productive in the franchise's passing game through the years.
The sixth-round draft pick out of Southeast Missouri State has a new jersey number, according the official team website. Flournoy will wear No. 19 in the upcoming season, leaving his former No. 80 for someone else. (He wore No. 18 during his rookie training camp and preseason.)
It doesn't carry the mystique of No. 88 in the annals of Cowboys wide-receiver lore, but No. 19 definitely has some history of its own. If it rings a bell of familiarity, consider a few of the former Cowboys receivers who have sported those digits previously.
Lance Rentzel led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1969 and- despite leaving the team after just four seasons 55 years ago- remains in the franchise's top 20 in receiving yards.
One of the most decorated stars of the old AFL, Lance Alworth took over the number when he was traded to Dallas in 1971. He stayed for just two seasons but helped the Cowboys to their first two Super Bowls and caught a touchdown in their first Super Bowl win.
Keyshawn Johnson brought the No. 19 back to the Dallas WR room in 2004. One of the most dominant pass-catchers of his era, the three-time Pro Bowler was a Cowboy for only two years but was the team's position leader in receptions in both campaigns. He is currently 48th on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list.
Miles Austin enjoyed one of the more improbable Cowboys careers in recent memory. Going undrafted out of tiny Monmouth University, Austin was a virtual unknown when he got his first NFL start in a 2009 Week 5 game versus Kansas City and went on to tally 250 yards as a fill-in for the injured Roy Williams. Austin subsequently made two Pro Bowls wearing No. 19 for Dallas and, after eight years with the club, remains in the top 10 for receiving yards.
The Cowboys made a rare midseason trade in 2018 for Amari Cooper, who wore No. 19 and nearly single-handedly turned around a disastrous season with his arrival. A five-time Pro Bowler, Cooper sits 10th in Cowboys all-time receiving yards, despite playing in Dallas for just three and a half seasons. Currently a free agent, Cooper would likely crack the league's top 50 in career receiving yards this season if signed by another team.
Players at other positions have worn No. 19 for Dallas, too, including infamous backup quarterback Clint Longley, punter John Jett, kicker Brett Maher, and Trey Lance.
Now the 25-year-old Flournoy, who logged 10 catches on 14 targets for 102 yards in 11 game appearances 2024, will hope to be the next Cowboys receiver to bring some glory to the No. 19 jersey as he looks to take a major step and become an instrumental component of the Cowboys aerial attack this season.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Ryan Flournoy's new number echoes star WRs of Cowboys' past
