Earlier than the Dallas Cowboys turned America’s crew, they had been Roger Staubach’s.
The quarterback out of Navy led the Cowboys for 11 years between 1969-1979, profitable the franchise’s first two Tremendous Bowls and cementing himself as one of many NFL’s first nice quarterbacks.
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Staubach’s profession could be ceaselessly immortalized in Canton, Ohio as a member of the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame. Nevertheless, this story is not Staubach’s, however reasonably it is a couple of man most individuals have by no means heard of.
Clint Longley.
Finest identified for his heroics on Thanksgiving Day in 1974, when he got here in for an injured Staubach and guided the Cowboys to an inconceivable 24-23 victory over the Washington Redskins.
The Cowboys had been trailing 16-3 within the third quarter when Staubach was injured and the rookie Longley needed to step in. The Cowboys had been dealing with elimination from the postseason with a loss.
It was as much as the brash Longley to avoid wasting the day and by chance for Dallas, the younger man was up for the problem that day.
Longley completed the sport with 203 passing yards and two touchdowns, together with a 50-yard Hail Mary to large receiver Drew Pearson to win the sport.
It was a Thanksgiving miracle, and thus the legend of Clint Longley was born.
Nevertheless, that will be nearly as good because it ever received for Longley in his temporary NFL profession, as he and Staubach would discover themselves butting heads over the following two seasons that finally led to a fiery interplay.
Longley had constructed up a resentment and jealousy over Staubach, believing that he must be the Cowboys starter.
All of it got here to a boiling level in 1976, when Longley inexplicably sucker-punched Staubach within the locker room, which led to the Cowboys instantly buying and selling him to the San Diego Chargers.
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Longley would begin one recreation for the Chargers. Lower than a 12 months after being traded, he was out of the league.
He would go on to play for the Canadian Soccer League and the Toronto Argonauts, earlier than having a short cup of espresso with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He was out of soccer solely by 1980. His profession finally died the second he attacked Staubach. He was by no means in a position to get his footing beneath him once more.
As for Staubach, he led the Cowboys to a second Tremendous Bowl victory a 12 months after Longley had been traded.
In 1977, Staubach led the Cowboys to a 12-2 file, all the way in which to Tremendous Bowl XII, the place they defeated the Denver Broncos in swift vogue, 27-10.
Two seasons later, the Cowboy nice would name it a profession and announce his retirement. To this present day, he stays probably the greatest gamers in not solely franchise historical past, however in all the historical past of the Nationwide Soccer League.
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At present’s Dallas Cowboys are hoping they’ll recapture the magic of the Nineteen Seventies, or the Nineties. Dallas hasn’t been again to the Tremendous Bowl since they gained all of it in 1995.
It has been almost three a long time of playoff futility, squandering round and never having the ability to recover from the hump.
Lengthy gone are the times of Staubach, Pearson and Tony Dorsett. Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith aren’t strolling by means of that door.
It is on Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and a disgruntled Micah Parsons to determine it out.