Cowboys Nostalgia: Roger Staubach

I remember growing up, playing football, merely to impress my dad. What pissed me off the most, was that everyone was so much better then me.

You always had that one guy, whose looks pierced the hearts of class cheerleaders, whose talent long surpassed the extent that mine would ever reach. Subconsciously, you envied that guy, but you were thrilled that he was on your side.

That guy in someone else’s world evolved into one that became the face of America’s Team. Roger Staubach was Tom Landry’s “guy” so to speak in the early years of this evolving franchise. A man of man names-Captain comeback, Roger the Dodger, and Captain America, Roger lived up to all these names. His play was matchless, His heart was invigorating, but his passion and desire to win, that defined him.

Roger was a navy and Vietnam veteran, and drafted in the 10th round of the NFL draft in 1964. Staubach became in instant crutch to the Cowboy’s offense in week 8 of his rookie season when he took over full time duties ahead of Craig Morton. Staubach would take the Cowboys for 10 straight wins and a Super Bowl Victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Roger, a six time Pro-Bowler, lived up to his nicknames of Roger the Dodger and Captain comeback by his incredible scrambling abilities and his uncanny ability to orchestrate fourth quarter comebacks. Roger’s leadership was the kick starter to the careers of Bullet-Bob Hayes and Drew Pearson. He was a gunslinger who had the vision and speed to make the meanest of defensive players cringe.

With two Super Bowl victories it is undeniable that Roger is a player that always gave hope, you might not like this, but a similar player still holds that position today. One remarkable credit due to Roger is the invention of the “Hail Mary” pass. In 1975, in a game versus Minnesota, Staubach launched a 50 yard bomb to WR Drew Pearson for a TD to in the game in the last seconds to win the game. Afterwards he joked that he prayed a “Hail Mary” during the play.

Career accomplishments of Roger include:

• Pro Bowl Selection Six Times
• 4-Time NFL Passing Champion
• Super Bowl MVP
• Won two Super Bowl Titles
• Won Five NFC Titles
• Won Seven Division Titles
• Named NFL MVP
• Named to the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor (1983)
• Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1985)

Roger completed his career with 1,685 completions for 22,700 yards and 153 touchdowns, with 109 interceptions. Blazing 2,264 rushing yards and scored 21 touchdowns on a amazing 410 attempts.

As we progress through the days, it will be hard to ever see a player with the leadership, skill, and heart that Captain America played with. His impact on the Cowboys was comparable to that of many of their other legends, but his greatest impact is the impact he made on the NFL as an Off the Field gentlemen and an On the Field perfectionist. His intelligence simply manhandled teams and we as Cowboys fans should honor the great things he’s done to the development of the Cowboys.