The Doomsday Defense was the nickname given to the famous defensive of the American football team the Dallas Cowboys during their late 1960s - 1970s dynasty years. This defense was the backbone of the Cowboys' dynasty, which won two Super Bowls (VI, XII) and played in three more (V, X and XIII).
Often recognized as two different generations of the famed "Doomsday Defense". However, there is no agreed-upon
definition of exactly when those defenses existed or who their members were, which is why you
may see different listings of players and time periods. The original "Doomsday Defense" can generally be identified as the Cowboys' defenses from 1966 to 1975. "Doomsday II" had its heyday from approximately 1976 to 1982. "Doomsday III" was created in the 2009-10 season.
The first defensive player to win the Super Bowl MVP was linebacker
Chuck Howley (V). Later linemen
Harvey Martin and
Randy White became the first (and only) teammates (co-MVPs) to win the award (XII).