Ralph Neely played 13 years for the Cowboys and was among the best of his time.
He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the second round of the 1965 AFL draft and by the Baltimore Colts in the second round of the 1965 NFL draft. The Colts traded his NFL contractual rights to the Cowboys in exchange for Billy Lothridge and a fourth-round selection in 1966.
Neely signed with the Oilers before the Cowboys acquired his rights. He returned his check to the Oilers and joined the Cowboys, and the Oilers sued. The teams resolved the lawsuit in 1966 as part of the NFL-AFL merger.