Centers like Travis Frederick are hard to come by. When he was at his best, #72 in silver and blue was perhaps the most invaluable centerpiece of Dallas’ high-caliber offense. He held multiple roles as a captain of the Cowboys during his six-year tenure with the squad, serving as the brains, brawn and backbone of a unit responsible for multiple league-leading rushing seasons.
Frederick racked up five Pro Bowl appearances (the only one he missed was in his rookie year) in what had the potential to be a Hall of Fame career. So naturally, when he retired prematurely due to an autoimmune deficiency, Cowboys personnel scrambled in desperation to try and find a replacement that would be half as worthy as his predecessor.