NFL Countdown: Super Bowl 30 success a distant memory for Cowboys fans

As a Dallas Cowboys fan, this pains me. It has been a long time since Dallas tasted success. Their last Lombardi Trophy was back in the 1995/96 season. The Cowboys, led by Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, finished the regular season atop the NFC East with a 12-4 record.

Dallas started the year with four consecutive wins before their first loss came at the hands of Washington in Week 5. It was a minor blip on the radar, as the Cowboys won the next four before losing to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11.

Dallas were in a rich vein of form at the back end of the season, winning their last five games to finish 12-4 for the year. Dallas were headed to the postseason.

Aikman had his usual solid season, throwing for 3,304 yards, 16 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Emmitt Smith was once again the league's leading rusher with 1,773 yards and a whopping 25 touchdowns.

Then there was Irvin. He was once again a star as he finished the year with 111 receptions for 1,603 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Dallas Cowboys fly to the Super Bowl

Dallas Cowboys v Atlanta Falcons

First up for Dallas was a division matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, a game in which they won convincingly 30-11. Next was the Conference Championship against the Green Bay Packers.

Dallas was behind 27-24 to start the fourth quarter. However, two Emmitt Smith rushing touchdowns saw them move on to the Super Bowl as they won 38-27.

That brings us to the NFL's ultimate game. Dallas faced off against the 11-5 Pittsburgh Steelers, led by Bill Cowher. 76,347 fans packed into Sun Devil Stadium for the contest and for Cowboys fans, it was well worth it.

Chris Boniol got Dallas on the board with an early field goal in the first quarter. Aikman then found Jay Novacek for a three-yard touchdown pass to put Dallas up 10.

Boniol nailed his second field goal of the contest, a 35-yarder that put the Cowboys up 13-0. But then the Steelers put some points on the board. Neil O'Donnell found Yancey Thigpen for a six-yard touchdown to get Pittsburgh into the game and at halftime, the Steelers were down six.

The third quarter only saw one score. It was Emmitt Smith with a one-yard rushing touchdown to again give Dallas some breathing space. The fourth quarter saw the Steelers close the gap to just three points thanks to a Norm Johnson field goal and a Bam Morris rushing touchdown.

But running back Emmitt Smith slammed the door shut with his second rushing touchdown of the game. Dallas won the Super Bowl with a 27-17 scoreline.

O'Donnell was picked off three times in the game, twice by Larry Brown, who was named Super Bowl MVP. That was the last time Dallas hoisted the Lombardi Trophy and boy, it certainly does feel like a lifetime ago.