Roger Staubach Career Biography and Statistics

Bio:
There are some things in life that are well worth the wait. In some cases, this can refer to people. A good example of this is Roger Staubach, former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys drafted Staubach in the 1964 Draft, but they had to wait four years for him to join the team. This was due to the fact that Staubach attended the United States Naval Academy and was required to serve four years of duty upon graduation. Upon arriving at the Cowboys, Staubach proved time and again just how worth the wait he was.

Staubach was born on February 5, 1942 in Cincinnati, OH. After high school he attended one year at New Mexico Military Institute before moving on to the United States Naval Academy. He played quarterback at Navy and enjoyed an outstanding career. He started some games as a sophomore but took over the starting spot as a junior in 1963. He led the Midshipmen to their most recent victory over rival Notre Dame, and to the #2 rank in the country. After that season, Staubach was awarded the Heisman Trophy, college football’s highest honor. His reception of the award marks the last time a player from a military academy has won the Heisman. He finished his three-year career at Navy with a school record 4,253 yards in total offense and threw only 19 interceptions. The Naval Academy retired his #12 jersey during his graduation ceremony, and he was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

Staubach was then selected by the Dallas Cowboys in 10th round of the 1964 NFL Draft but was unable to start playing until he had fulfilled four years of service with the Navy. He spent one year in Vietnam then returned to the States where he played on a variety of Navy football teams to help prepare himself for the NFL. He was finally able to report to the Cowboys in 1969, where he became a rookie at 27 years of age. He played in a limited role for his first two years, playing in a combined fourteen games. However, Staubach was handed the reigns as starting quarterback partway through the 1971 season. Once he assumed his new role, the Cowboys did not lose again for the rest of the year, and Staubach led his team to their first ever Super Bowl title.

Staubach missed nearly all of the 1972 season with a separated shoulder injury, but he returned as the starter in the playoffs, and he did not surrender the role for the rest of his career. He played seven more years for the Cowboys, leading them to three more Super Bowl appearances along the way, including a second title in 1977. He was one of the most exciting football players of the 1970s, due to his ability to throw or run/scramble for yards. He was also known for his ability to lead the Cowboys to comeback victories, doing so 23 times in his career. Staubach is also recognized for creating the “Hail Mary Pass” in a playoff game in 1975. In that game the Cowboys were down 14-10 with only seconds remaining on the clock, when Staubach heaved a 50-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to receiver Drew Pearson. After the game, Staubach said that he uttered a “Hail Mary” prior to throwing the pass, and the term has been a part of football ever since. He was voted into the Pro Bowl six times, led the NFL in passer rating four times, and led the NFL with 23 passing touchdowns in 1973. He finished his career in 1979 with 1,685 completions, 22,700 yards passing, 153 passing touchdowns, 2,264 yards rushing, and 20 rushing touchdowns. Staubach was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.