The Dallas Cowboys don't retire numbers, that's not their policy. But they don't make a habit of putting the numbers of certain legendary players in the regular rotation, no one else has worn Bob Lilly's No. 74, or Roger Staubach's No. 12. No. 8 has collected dust since Troy Aikman retired.....And in certain cases they believe there is no better way to honor a legend than by giving his number to someone they think is talented enough to live up to his predecessors, save for a few hiccups with tight ends Jackie Harris and Brett Pierce, that's how the Cowboys have treated the hallowed No. 88 worn by the two greatest receivers in franchise history, Drew Pearson and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. Source:Clarence E. Hill, Star-Telegram.com
