Story of the Week

ROGER STAUBACH

    Roger Staubach is my all-time favorite quarterback. I’m not stating that he’s the best quarterback ever, and I’m not stating that he isn’t, but he is my favorite. Quarterbacks are not simply supposed to be part of winning teams; they are supposed to cause wins for their respective teams as well. Roger did this repeatedly for the Dallas Cowboys for 11 years. He did it with his intelligence, his arm, his mobility and his heart. He had the total respect of his teammates in the process. This fierce competitor was a winner period.

    Staubach graduated the United States Naval Academy in 1965. His landmark year was 1963. He was named quarterback on the Sporting News College All-America Team. He was also named the Sporting News College Player Of The Year. He was the recipient of the Heisman Trophy in 1963 as well.

    Roger was selected by the Dallas Cowboys as a future draft choice in the tenth round of the 1964 NFL draft. The Cowboys’ general manager, Tex Schramm, was astute enough to make that pick, knowing that Staubach had a four-year commitment to military service after his graduation from Navy.

    Staubach had a truly sensational career as QB of the Cowboys. He was their leader for 11 years, 1969-1979. He amassed 22,700 passing yards in his pro career, and another 2,264 yards and an amazing 5.5 yards-per-carry rushing the football. He passed for 153 TD’s, and rushed for 20 TD’s. He played in five Pro Bowls. He led the Cowboys to six NFC Championship games, four Super Bowls and two Super Bowl titles. He was MVP of Super Bowl VI.

    I was at both of those Super Bowl wins, VI and XII, in New Orleans. I was obviously a major contributing factor to the Cowboys’ success in the big game; when I went, they won. Yet my name is nowhere in the record book.

    Earlier in this column, I wrote that quarterbacks are supposed to cause victories for their teams. They are supposed to make positive things happen. They are supposed to make their respective teams believe that they can win the game under the most adverse circumstances. 

    Roger Staubach did that throughout his career. He led the Cowboys to comeback victories 23 times, 14 of which took place in the last two minutes or overtime, making him a consummate clutch performer. Roger Staubach was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. To read more about his career, I suggest the autobiography ‘Time Enough To Win.’

Last Week’s Trivia

    Who is the only player to be named MVP of both the ABA and the NBA? Julius Erving won three straight MVP awards in the ABA with the New York Nets in the ‘70’s, and was MVP in the NBA in 1981 with the 76ers.

Trivia Question of the Week

    I’ll preface it by stating that three friends and one cousin have been able to answer almost all of my trivia questions. OK, friends and cousin, so you think you know sports trivia; try this one on. Who was John Murphy? See next week’s Sports Junkie for the answer.