team), 3 passes defensed and one forced fumble. In 1991, he took advantage of a contract holdout by Stubbs and became the regular starter at left defensive end. He posted 73 tackles (fifth on the team), 7 sacks (led the team), 25 quarterback pressures (led the team), 5 passes defensed and 2 forced fumbles. In 1996, he was named to the Pro Bowl, when he had a career-high of 12 sacks and 85 tackles. Tolbert played with chronic knee pain through the final years of his career, because of a degenerative knee condition. Despite playing in pain, Tolbert started all 16 games in 1997, compiled five sacks and led all Cowboys defensive linemen in tackles for the seventh consecutive season, with 60. Tolbert's five sacks were the most on the team that year. On June 16 1998, he was released because of his declining performance while playing on aching knees. As a defensive end for the Cowboys from 1989-1997, he played an important role in the Cowboys' rise to prominence in the 1990s and their three Super Bowl victories. Tolbert became one of the stalwarts, on one of the best defenses of the 1990s. During that time, he teamed up with Charles Haley to become one of the top pass-rushing duos in the NFL. Although he came into the league as a pass rush specialist, he developed into an effective run stopper, making him the leading tackler among Cowboy defensive linemen for seven straight years. During his career, he recorded 59 quarterback sacks in 128 games played over the course of 9 seasons, plus he returned his only interception 54 yards for a touchdown. He had more sacks during the 90s than any other Cowboy player. Personal life Ten years after he retired, he had knee-replacement surgery on both knees, the result of seven knee surgeries during his nine-year career. References 1967 births Living people Dwight Morrow High School alumni People from Englewood, New Jersey Players of American football from New Jersey American football defensive ends UTEP Miners football players Dallas Cowboys players National Conference Pro Bowl players Sportspeople from Bergen County, New Jersey Ed Block Courage Award recipients