Bill Romanowski built a reputation as one of the most ruthless linebackers of his era, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers who made a career out of testing opponents’ limits. Long before his intensity defined him, Romanowski’s career could have taken a completely different turn. Romanowski recently opened up about a moment involving the Dallas Cowboys that, in hindsight, left him counting his blessings.

“The Dallas Cowboys called me on draft day,” Romanowski said on The Banner Show. “And they said, you know, ‘We’re making a decision between you and Ken Norton Jr.’ And thank God that they didn’t take me. I’m glad they took Ken Norton.

Dallas drafted Norton Jr. in the second round of the 1988 draft. while the 49ers picked Romanowski in the third. The Cowboys ended up with a bust in the former linebacker, who missed a lot of his rookie season due to a thumb injury. But Romanowski was off to a hot start.

Nobody expected much from him early on, but a wave of injuries to San Francisco’s linebackers gave Romanowski his shot as a rookie. In Super Bowl XXIII, he came up big with a third-quarter interception that shifted the game towards the 49ers, who beat Cincinnati 20-16. The Polish American Journal called him ‘The Super Pole in the Super Bowl.’

Romanowski spent six seasons with the 49ers, playing in 96 games and winning two championships along the way: Super Bowl XXIII in 1989 and Super Bowl XXIV in 1990. He got better pretty much every year at San Francisco, racking up 104 total tackles in his final season with the 49ers.

Romanowski played the rest of his career with the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders, and won two more Super Bowls with the former. However, his career wasn’t without controversy. Often regarded as one of the more infamous players in the league, the linebacker built that reputation for violently engaging with others on the field. While with the Philadelphia Eagles, Romanowski kicked Arizona Cardinals’ Larry Centers’ head, prompting his removal from the game. In 1997, he broke quarterback Kerry Collins’ jaw after a helmet-to-helmet hit in a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.

He retired as the first linebacker to start five Super Bowls and one of just three players ever to win back-to-back titles with two different teams. Along the way, he racked up 1,118 tackles, 39.5 sacks, 19 forced fumbles, and 18 interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He also made two Pro Bowls, both while with the Broncos in 1996 and 1998.