Football Greats - Roger Staubach

Roger Thomas Staubach, born in Cincinnati in 1942, is a former NFL professional football player and current prominent businessman. He attended Purcell High School (a Catholic school) and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1965. After spending four years as a United States Naval Officer, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, he returned to the New Mexico Military Institute for a year, then proceeded to play quarterback for the United States Naval Academy.

As a junior in 1963, he won not only the coveted Heisman Trophy but also the Maxwell Award. For this, in 1981, Staubach was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In the 1964 NFL draft, he was a 10th round pick by the Dallas Cowboys, though his military commitment kept him off the field until 1969, at 27 years of age. He became the starting quarterback for the team in 1971 and led them to their first Superbowl victory over the Miami Dolphins, earning him the Most Valuable Player Award for Superbowl VI. He continued playing for the Cowboys through 1979, with Tom Landry as head coach.

Staubach was elected to the ProBowl six times and led the Cowboys to the Superbowl Championship twice. He was considered one of the most exciting players in the NFL during the 1970’s due to fourth quarter comebacks and scrambling efforts, all of which helped the Cowboys emerge victors in games where the odds seemed impossible. One of his most famous plays is the “Hail Mary Pass” in the 1975 playoff game versus the Minnesota Vikings. There were only seconds left in the game, and the Cowboys were behind, 14-10. Staubach fired a 50-yarder to Drew Pearson, wide receiver, who caught the pass and crossed into the end zone for an unbelievable 17-14 win.

When he retired in 1979, Staubach was the highest rated passer of all time, and he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, upon eligibility. In 1977, he used his fame to enter into the commercial real estate business, which is his current entrepreneurial endeavor. He also is a joint owner with Troy Aikman of Hall of Fame Racing, a NASCAR Nextel Cup team that will begin competing in the 2006 circuit.

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