You can’t grow up in West Texas and not be a huge football fan….and if you love football while coming from the land of ranch barons and real cowboys ….there is absolutely no way you aren’t a Dallas Cowboy fan….which means you definitely pay homage to the most popular Dallas Cowboy of all time, Roger Staubach….and that my friends describes our Bone Daddy, the original Sportsphile ….for he has loved America’s Team since the days of its induction into the NFL in 1960. The truth be known, Bone Daddy was a huge fan of the original Cowboy quarterback…Dandy Don Meredith ….which was long before Roger The Dodger wore the colors of silver and blue….and we here at ImaSportsphile are also of the opinion that Meredith belongs in the Hall of Fame….but that’s a story for another day…..cuz today we are here to celebrate the football career and life of Roger Staubach….who became the cornerstone for America’s Team as Captain America from 1969 to 1979…. while leading the Cowboys to four Super Bowl appearances in his decade as quarterback at the helm of the best loved NFL team in the country.
NFL – 1961 – 1979 – Special – A Football Life – Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach (born February 5, 1942), nicknamed “Roger the Dodger”, “Captain America” and “Captain Comeback”, is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL)….after attending the U.S. Naval Academy ….where he won the 1963 Heisman Trophy….and after graduation he served in the U.S. Navy, including a tour of duty in Vietnam….then Staubach joined Dallas in 1969….and played with the club during all 11 seasons of his career. He led the team to the Super Bowl five times….with four being as the starting quarterback. He led the Cowboys to victories in Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII….and was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl VI….as he became the 1st of four players to win both the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP…. along with Jim Plunkett, Marcus Allen, and Desmond Howard. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times during his 11-year NFL career….and then after his career, he was the executive chairman of Jones Lang LaSalle until his retirement in 2018. He is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks of all-time.
NFL – 1969 To 1979 – Dallas Cowboys Special – Roger Staubach Highlights
NFL – 2017 – NFL Films – “Top 10 Clutch Quarterbacks of All Time” – # 4 Roger Staubach
Staubach was born in Cincinnati, Ohio as the only child of Elizabeth and Robert Staubach….for he is of partial German descent….. and grew up in a northeastern suburb of Cincinnati called Silverton….where he was a Boy Scout as a youth and attended St. John the Evangelist Catholic School….while graduating from Purcell Catholic High School in Cincinnati (now named Purcell Marian High School) in 1960….when after one year at New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell….that is when Staubach entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1961….and played quarterback for the Midshipmen.
NFL – 1961 To Present – Special – “Naval Academy + Dallas Cowboys + Real Estate Mogul = Roger Staubach”
NCAA & NFL – 1961 To 1979 – Special – Introduction Of Football Legend Roger Staubach
As a third-class midshipman (sophomore) at Navy in 1962, he got his 1st opportunity to play in the 3rd game of the season against the University of Minnesota on October 6….when he relieved starter Ron Klemick….as the Minnesota defense….which was led by Bobby Bell and Carl Eller was stifling in its 21–0 victory…..when Staubach was 0–2 passing and was sacked twice for -24 yards. A week later Navy was playing against Cornell University…. when with the offense failing, Hall of Fame coach Wayne Hardin decided to put Staubach into the game to see if he could improve the team’s offense…. when he led Navy to six touchdowns….while throwing for 99 yards and two touchdowns….and running for 88 yards and another score as Navy won 41–0. A few weeks later, Staubach started again in the famous Army–Navy game….when President John F. Kennedy (himself a former naval officer), who just 37 days earlier had negotiated the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, attended the game, performing the coin toss. Staubach led the team to a 34–14 upset over Army….while throwing for two touchdowns and running for another.
NCAA Football – 1962 – Newsreel & Highlights – President Kennedy Attends Army Vs Navy Game – Featuring Navy QB Roger Staubach
NCAA Football – 1962 – Special Highlights – Army Vs Navy – Featuring Navy QB Roger Staubach
NCAA Football – 1963 – Heisman Trophy Winner Navy QB Roger Staubach Talks About The 1963 Army Vs Navy Game
In his second class (junior) season of 1963, he earned the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy while leading the Midshipmen to a 9–1 regular season record and a final ranking of No. 2 in the nation. He appeared on the cover of Time in October….and he would also have been on the cover of Life magazine’s November 29, 1963 issue, but for the assassination of President Kennedy. On New Year’s Day, the Midshipmen lost the national championship to the No. 1 team, the University of Texas, in the 1964 Cotton Bowl. Earlier that season, Staubach led Navy to a 35–14 road victory in its annual rivalry with Notre Dame. Navy did not beat Notre Dame again until 2007, 44 years later.
NCAA Football – 1963 – Highlights – SMU Vs Navy – SMU Upsets Roger Staubach’s 4th-Ranked Navy Squad 32 – 28
Newsreel – 1963 – Roger Staubach Is Awarded The Heisman Trophy At The Downtown Athletic Club, New York City
NCAA Football – 1964 – Cotton Bowl Classic – # 1 Texas Vs # 2 Navy – Featuring Navy QB Roger Staubach + Texas QB Duke Carlile
During three seasons at Navy, Staubach completed 292 of 463 passes with 18 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, while gaining a school record 4,253 yards of total offense. Staubach is the last player from a military academy to win the Heisman Trophy. As a senior in 1964, he injured his left heel in the opening game victory over Penn State and missed the next four games, and Navy finished the season at 3–6–1. The Naval Academy retired Staubach’s jersey # 12 during his graduation ceremony after his senior season…..then in 1981, Staubach was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2007 Staubach was ranked # 9 on ESPN’s Top 25 Players In College Football History list. His collegiate football career completed, Staubach closed out his Academy sports career as captain of the Academy’s 1965 baseball team.
NCAA Football – 1964 – Highlights – Navy Vs Maryland – Featuring Navy QB Roger Staubach
NCAA Football – 2005 – US Naval Academy Alumni Assn. Special – “Leaders Lead” – Interview With Roger Staubach About His Naval Academy Days
During his junior year at the Naval Academy, Staubach’s color-blindness was detected….so, upon graduation from the Naval Academy in June of 1965, he was commissioned directly into the Supply Corps….which did not necessitate being able to tell the difference between red (port) and green (starboard) lights or to discern the color differences in electrical circuitry. Staubach could have requested an assignment in the United States….but he chose to volunteer for a one-year tour of duty in South Vietnam…..where he served as a supply officer for the Navy at the Chu Lai Base Area until 1967…..when he supervised 41 enlisted men.
NCAA Football – 1964 – Cotton Bowl Highlights – # 1 Texas Vs # 2 Navy -Featuring Navy QB Roger Staubach + Texas QB Duke Carlile
NFL – 1969 To 1979 – Stat Tiger Special – “Roger Staubach Highlight Video”
Staubach returned from South Vietnam in September 1967, and spent the rest of his naval career in the United States. He played football on various service teams to prepare for his future career in the National Football League. During his tour at the naval air station in Pensacola, Florida, he quarterbacked the Goshawks….which was a team consisting of fellow U.S. Navy officers like himself…. and played games against college football teams. He had access to the Dallas Cowboys playbook, and the Goshawks defeated many of the college teams they played against.
NFL – 1969 To 1979 – Highlights – Tribute To Roger Staubach
Staubach was a tenth-round “future” selection in the 1964 NFL Draft by the Cowboys….as the NFL allowed the Cowboys to draft him one year before his college eligibility was over because he was four years out of high school…. albeit due to his four-year military commitment, he would not play professionally until 1969 as a 27-year-old rookie. He was also drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 16th round (122nd overall) of the 1964 American Football League Draft, also with a future selection.
NFL – 1969 To 1979 – Special – “The 17 Longest TD Passes Of Roger Staubach’s Career”
NFL – 2016 – NFL Network Special – “The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players” – Roger Staubach # 46
While still in the Navy during 1968, he went to the Cowboys’ rookie camp….when he used most of his annual military leave…..then during 1969, Staubach resigned his naval commission just in time to join the Cowboys training camp. The Cowboys won their first NFC title in 1970 with Craig Morton starting at quarterback….but lost to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl V….while losing by three points on a last-second field goal.
NFL – 1969 – Cowboys Highlights – QB Roger Staubach’s Rookie Season
NFL – 1970 – Special – Dallas Cowboys Season Highlights
In 1971, Morton began the season as the starter….. but after a loss to the New Orleans Saints, Staubach assumed the role….however, in a game against the Chicago Bears during the 7th week of that season, coach Tom Landry alternated Staubach and Morton on each play….while sending in the quarterbacks with the play call from the sideline…..when Dallas gained almost 500 yards of offense…..but committed seven turnovers that resulted in a 23–19 loss to a mediocre Bears squad….which dropped the Cowboys to 4–3 for the season, two games behind the Washington Redskins in the NFC East race…..and that is when Staubach assumed the full-time quarterbacking duties in a week-eight victory over the St. Louis Cardinals….and led the Cowboys to 10 consecutive victories….which included their first Super Bowl victory, a 24–3 over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI in January 1972. He was named the game’s MVP after completing 12 out of 19 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 18 yards. After the season, he negotiated his own contract, a three-year deal at about $75,000 per year.
NFL – 1971 – Special – Dallas Cowboys World Championship Season Highlights – With Frank Glieber
NFL – 1972 – Super Bowl VI – Miami Dolphins Vs Dallas Cowboys (Full Game) – With Ray Scott + Pat Summerall
NFL – 1972 – NFL Films – “The Path To The Title” – Super Bowl VI – Dallas Vs Miami – Narrated By John Facenda
In 1972, Staubach missed most of the season with a separated shoulder….but he relieved Morton in a divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers…..and threw two touchdown passes in the last 90 seconds to win 30 – 28. With that performance, he won back his regular job and did not relinquish it again during his career….plus, this was the point when he began his journey to become known as Captain Comeback.
NFL – 1972 – Special – 1972 Dallas Cowboys Season Highlights
NFL – 1973 – NFL Films – “Something Old…..Something New” – 1973 Dallas Cowboys Season Highlights – Narrated By John Facenda
NFL – 1974 – NFL Films – “Champion In Waiting” – 1974 Dallas Cowboys Season Highlights – Narrated By John Facenda
NFL – 1975 – NFL Films – “Against All Odds” – 1975 Dallas Cowboys Season Highlights – Narrated By John Facenda
NFL – 1976 – NFL Films – “Wild And Wooly” – 1976 Dallas Cowboys Season Highlights – Narrated By John Facenda
Staubach led the Cowboys to a second Super Bowl win in the 1977 season…..when he threw for 183 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions, in Dallas’ 27–10 victory in Super Bowl XII over the Denver Broncos….which was led by his former teammate Morton. Staubach also led the Cowboys to appearances in Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII….where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers both times by a total of eight points in two of the best Super Bowl games ever played.
NFL – 1977 – NFL Films – “The Day The Clock Struck Twelve” – 1977 Dallas Cowboys Season – Narrated By John Facenda
NFL – 1978 – Super Bowl XII (Full Game) – Denver Broncos Vs Dallas Cowboys – With Tom Brookshire + Pat Summerall
NFL – 1978 – Super Bowl XII Highlights Special – “Dallas Cowboys Dominate Denver Broncos”
Staubach’s offensive teammates included standout wide receivers “Bullet” Bob Hayes, Lance “Bambi” Alworth, Drew Pearson and Golden Richards….as well as tight ends Mike Ditka, Billy Joe Dupree and Jackie Smith…..along with tackle Rayfield Wright and running backs Robert Newhouse, Calvin Hill and Tony Dorsett. The result of this offensive machine is evidenced by the fact that in addition to Staubach, six other offensive players are in the Hall of Fame including Dorsett, Hayes, Wright, Alworth, Ditka and Smith….albeit the latter three were all with the Cowboys only at the end of their careers.
NFL – 1976 – NFL Films – Super Bowl X – “The Best Ever” – Dallas Cowboys Vs Pittsburgh Steelers – Narrated By John Facenda
NFL – 1976 – Super Bowl X (Full Game) – Dallas Cowboys Vs Pittsburgh Steelers – With Tom Brookshire + Pat Summerall
NFL – 1976 – Special – Super Bowl X Memories: “Staubach’s Big Mistake”
In his final NFL season of 1979, Staubach scored career highs in completions with 267….passing yards with 3,586…..and touchdown passes with 27….while having just 11 interceptions. He retired at the conclusion of the season in order to protect his long-term health….while declining the Cowboys’ offer for two more seasons…..which was based of the fact that he had suffered 20 concussions during in his playing career…..as six of those were when he said he was “knocked out”. After suffering two concussions in 1979, a doctor at Cornell told Staubach that while his brain tests were fine at the moment, another concussion could have life-altering consequences…..so, he chose to retire and was succeeded as the Cowboys starting quarterback by Danny White.
NFL – 1979 – NFL Films – Super Bowl XIII – Dallas Cowboys Vs Pittsburgh Steelers – Narrated By John Facenda
NFL – 1979 – Super Bowl XIII (Full Game) – Pittsburgh Steelers Vs Dallas Cowboys – With Dick Enberg + Merlin Olsen
NFL – 1979 – Special – Documentary – Super Bowl XIII – Cowboys Vs Steelers
Overall, Staubach finished his 11 NFL seasons with 1,685 completions for 22,700 yards and 153 touchdowns, with 109 interceptions. He also gained 2,264 rushing yards and scored 21 touchdowns on 410 carries. For regular-season games, he had a .750 winning percentage. Staubach recorded the highest passer rating in the NFL in four seasons (1971, 1973, 1978, 1979)….and led the league with 23 touchdown passes in 1973. He was an All-NFC choice five times and selected to play in six Pro Bowls (1971, 1975–1979).
NFL – 1969 To 1979 – Roger Staubach Special – “A Fan Tribute To Captain America”
NFL – 1969 To 1979 – Dallas Cowboy Special – “Roger Staubach Highlights”
NFL – 1983 – Dallas Cowboys Special – “Induction Of Roger Staubach Into The Cowboys Ring Of Honor” – With Frank Glieber
Staubach retired from football in March 1980 with the highest career passer rating in NFL history at the time, 83.4….and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1999, he was ranked # 29 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players….as the 2nd-ranked Cowboy behind Bob Lilly.
TV Ads – 1978 – Cowbays QB Roger Staubach “Say No To Drugs”
NFL & Talk Show – 2019 – The Rich Eisen Show – With Roger Staubach Who Talks All Things Cowboys
NFL – 1960 To 1988 – NFL Films – Dallas Cowboys: “The Landry Years”
Staubach was one of the most famous NFL players of the 1970’s….who was known as “Roger The Dodger” for his scrambling abilities…..“Captain America” as quarterback of America’s Team….and then he morphed in “Captain Comeback” for his 4th quarter game-winning heroics….as Staubach had a penchant for leading scoring drives which gave the Cowboys improbable victories…..when he led the Cowboys to 23 game-winning drives during the 4th quarter…..with 17 of those in the final two minutes or in overtime…..of which 15 of those were comeback wins.
NCAA Football & NFL – 1961 To 1979 – Special – Roger Staubach: “The Story Of Captain Comeback”
NFL – 1979 – Cowboys Special – QB Roger Staubach’s Greatest Comeback Ever Was Verses Their Biggest Rival The Washington Redskins
NFL – 1979 – NFC Divisional Playoff Highlights Special – Rams Vs Cowboys – Roger Staubach’s Final Drive
NFL – 1979 – NBC Sports Special – Roger Staubach: “Salute To Captain Comeback”
Staubach’s most famous moment was the “Hail Mary pass” in the 1975 playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings…..when with seconds on the clock and the Cowboys trailing 14–10, Staubach launched a 50-yard pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson….who caught the pass and carried it into the end zone for a 17–14 victory. After the game, Staubach said he threw the ball and said a “Hail Mary”…..and since then, any last-second pass to the end zone in a desperate attempt to score a game-winning or tying touchdown is referred to as a “Hail Mary” pass.
NFL – 1975 – Special – “The Story of the Original Hail Mary!” – With Drew Pearson
NFL – 1975 – NFC Championship (Full Game) – Minnesota Vikings Vs Dallas Cowboys – Featuring The Original “Hail Mary” Pass
NFL – 2015 – Special – A Football Life – Roger Staubach “The Hail Mary”
In 1976, Staubach received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement…..then Staubach was named The Walter Camp “Man of the Year” in 1983….and was awarded the Davey O’Brien Legends Award in 2001. In 1996, the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation awarded Staubach its Lone Sailor Award for his naval service.
NFL – 2016 – NFL Films – Top 10 Quarterbacks of All Time – # 9 Roger Staubach
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Super Bowl VI in 2002, Staubach, accompanied by former President George H.W. Bush…..then flipped the coin at Super Bowl XXXVI….which was played at the Louisiana Superdome….. where his only other Super Bowl victory took place. On January 25, 2007, Staubach was named chairman of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Bid Committee….whose goal was to have the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex host the Super Bowl in 2011. On May 23, 2007, the NFL chose Dallas as the host city of Super Bowl XLV.
NFL – 1974 – Cowboy Highlights – Washington Redskins vs Dallas Cowboys – Featuring Reserve QB Clint Longley
NFL – 1974 – Cowboys Special – Clint Longley Replaces Injured Roger Staubach & Shocks the Redskins On Thanksgiving
NFL – 1976 – Cowboy Special – “Roger Staubach Discusses His Fight With Clint Longley”
In 2010, Staubach was named the No. 1 Dallas Cowboy of all time according to a poll conducted by the Dallas Morning News.
NFL – 1969 To 1979 – NFL Films – “Roger Staubach – Dallas Cowboys”
In November 2018, Staubach was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Donald Trump, becoming one of only four recipients associated with American Football to receive the distinction. He was the first player to receive the award, given it at the same time as Minnesota Vikings DT Alan Page. The other two recipients, Earl Blaik and Bear Bryant, were both head coaches.
News & NFL – 2018 – Special – President Donald Trump Award Roger Staubach The Presidential Medal Of Freedom
NFL – 2016 – NFL Films – “Top 10 Dallas Cowboys of All Time” – # 2 Roger Staubach
NFL – 2017 – NFL 360 Life After Football Special – “Roger Staubach: From Captain America to a Captain of Industry”
In concluding this story about the most popular Dallas Cowboy to ever wear the Star and Silver & Blue…..there is no question that Roger Staubach was truly one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever bless the gridiron of the NFL…..as he left a blatantly undeniable mark in the Cowboys and NFL history history book…..and when you consider that he his NFL career was cut short by his military career of four years….then one can only imagine what sort of numbers and successes he would have achieved during his younger years from age 22 to 26. Roger Staubach played eight full seasons as the Dallas starting QB…..where he won six division titles….four NFC championships….. won two SBs by a combined 38 points…..and lost two SBs to the great Pittsburgh teams by a combined eight points. In half of the seasons he started, he took his team to the Super Bowl. At the ages of 36 and 37, he led the NFL in passing in 1978-79. In some ways, the career of Roger Staubach is almost like that of Gale Sayers…..as Sayers played only 68 NFL games….while being regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time….and was the youngest player ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Staubach, when judged by other great quarterbachs such as Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, John Elway, Dan Marino and Tom Brady, had a short career…..for any football fan can only imagine what kind of passing numbers he would post in today’s pass-happy NFL…..plus, can you imagine what his career would have looked like had he not endured so many concussions….which forced him into retirement while he was still at the top of his game. We at ImaSportsphile can only imagine if he had played for 12, 13 or 14 years….as his career, though legendary as it is, might be looked upon with even greater historical impact. Two heartbreaking losses to Pittsburgh – especially, Super Bowl XIII – are what prevents Staubach from being heralded as the greatest quarterback of all time…..cuz had Dallas won either of those Super Bowls, Staubach would have been 3-1 in four title games…..while having faced great defensive teams in all four games. The fact remains that Staubach wasn’t my favorite Cowboy quarterback….as that is a position held by Dandy Don Meredith… which is probably because I am more drawn towards Dandy Don‘s persona of being more “outside the box” with a suave and cool demeanor ….whereas, Captain America‘s persona was more “inside the box” with a straight-laced prim and proper demeanor….. and I guess the reason for that is because our Bone Daddy, the original Sportsphile is an “outside the box” sort of guy….but regardless of that personal preference, the fact remains that Roger Staubach was an incredibly outstanding football player….who is simply described in the sports world as a “winner”…..which is evidenced by the videos posted in this story herewith….and he will always be a Texas-sized hero down in Cowboy Country….cuz it is important to remember that Staubach missed his first four pro seasons to his commitment to the Navy…..as a lot of people forget about that aspect of his career…..and then he sat behind Craig Morton for two years…..which despite being one of the greatest all-time pro coaches, that was still Tom Landry’s biggest career blunder. Staubach is one of the greatest combined college and pro football players ever….and when you listen to what folks who played with Captain America….or those who coached him and covered him….the simple fact remains that they all admired the man and leader that he was.
NFL – 1969 To 1979 – Dallas Cowboys Special – Roger Staubach “The Story of Captain Comeback”
NFL – 1985 – CBS Sports Special – “Tribute To Roger Staubach” – With Curt Gowdy
