In 1983, he started two regular season contests in place of an injured Donovan and played left tackle on all short-yardage and goal situations when the Cowboys went to a 3 three-tight end formation.
He started the 7th game of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles at right tackle in place of an injured Jim Cooper.
In 1984, after the retirement of Donovan, he beat former first round selection Howard Richards for the starting left tackle job (7 starts), before being moved to the right tackle position, when Cooper missed half of the season after being injured on a bizarre accident, when he slipped and broke his ankle while rising from a table at a night club, while watching Monday Night Football.
[2] He also received two infamous penalties that negated critical first downs during the final 75 seconds of a 17–14 loss against the New York Giants, propelling the team to a Super Bowl Championship.
[3] The coaches and media speculated that he became a target of the league's referees, gaining notoriety for holding and false start penalties.