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Roger Staubach is 82 years old. Yes, that is hard to believe, especially if you’re old enough to remember when Staubach was the face of the NFL during an era when pro football surpassed baseball as America’s No. 1 pastime.
Staubach’s football legacy is as good as it gets. The last Heisman winner to come from a military academy, Staubach fulfilled his military service before enjoying an 11-year career with the Dallas Cowboys. Staubach led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl wins and two other trips to the big game despite not becoming a starter until he was 29.
In honor of Staubach’s birthday (he was born on Feb. 5, 1942), we decided to look back at his most famous play, one that continues to be part of NFL lore.
The play
It’s been nearly a full half-century since Staubach completed a miracle pass that has forever been known as the “Hail Mary.” The pass, which took place on Dec. 28, 1975, lifted the Cowboys to an upset win over the defending NFC champion Vikings in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Back then, the Vikings played their games at Metropolitan Stadium. It had no roof, which gave the home team an enormous home-field advantage late in the season, especially against warm-weather teams like the Cowboys. The weather for this game followed suit, with the kickoff temperature at 25 degrees (with a 17 degree wind chill) and 8 mph winds.
Minnesota struck first when All-Pro running back Chuck Foreman blasted through the Cowboys defense from a yard out. It was the only score of a first half dominated by Dallas’ “Doomsday” defense and Minnesota’s “Purple People Eaters” gang. The best defender on this day was Vikings future Hall of Fame lineman Carl Eller, who managed to record three sacks of Staubach.
Led by Staubach and his three-headed backfield of Doug Dennison, Preston Pearson and Robert Newhouse, the Cowboys took their first lead on Dennison’s touchdown run in the fourth…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/roger-staubach-turns-82-revisiting-legendary-cowboys-qbs-most-famous-play-on-his-birthday/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2024-02-05 13:53:34
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