Before the Dallas Cowboys became America’s team, they were Roger Staubach’s.
The quarterback out of Navy led the Cowboys for 11 years between 1969-1979, winning the franchise’s first two Super Bowls and cementing himself as one of the NFL’s first great quarterbacks.
Staubach was the first face of the Dallas Cowboys
Staubach’s career would be forever immortalized in Canton, Ohio as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
However, this story isn’t Staubach’s, but rather it’s about a man most people have never heard of.
Clint Longley.
Best known for his heroics on Thanksgiving Day in 1974, when he came in for an injured Staubach and guided the Cowboys to an improbable 24-23 victory over the Washington Redskins.
The Cowboys were trailing 16-3 in the third quarter when Staubach was injured and the rookie Longley had to step in.
The Cowboys were facing elimination from the postseason with a loss.
It was up to the brash Longley to save the day and luckily for Dallas, the young man was up for the challenge that day.
Longley finished the game with 203 passing yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yard Hail Mary to wide receiver Drew Pearson to win the game.
It was a Thanksgiving miracle, and thus the legend of Clint Longley was born.
However, that would be as good as it ever got for Longley in his brief NFL career, as he and Staubach would find themselves butting heads over the next two seasons that ultimately led to a fiery interaction.
Longley had built up a resentment and jealousy over Staubach, believing that he should be the Cowboys starter.
It all came to a boiling point in 1976, when Longley inexplicably sucker-punched Staubach in the locker room, which led to the Cowboys immediately trading him to the San Diego Chargers.
Longley’s Thanksgiving game in 1974 was the highlight of his NFL career
Staubach would lead Dallas to two Super Bowl victories
Longley would start one game for the Chargers. Less than a year after being traded, he was out of the league.
He would go on to play for the Canadian Football League and the Toronto Argonauts, before having a brief cup of coffee with the St. Louis Cardinals.
He was out of football entirely by 1980. His career ultimately died the moment he attacked Staubach. He was never able to get his footing under him again.
As for Staubach, he led the Cowboys to a second Super Bowl victory a year after Longley had been traded.
In 1977, Staubach led the Cowboys to a 12-2 record, all the way to Super Bowl XII, where they defeated the Denver Broncos in swift fashion, 27-10.
Two seasons later, the Cowboy great would call it a career and announce his retirement. To this day, he remains one of the best players in not only franchise history, but in the entire history of the National Football League.
Today’s Dallas Cowboys are hoping they can recapture the magic of the 1970s, or the 1990s. Dallas hasn’t been back to the Super Bowl since they won it all in 1995.
It’s been nearly three decades of playoff futility, squandering around and not being able to get over the hump.
Long gone are the days of Staubach, Pearson and Tony Dorsett. Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith aren’t walking through that door.
It’s on Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and a disgruntled Micah Parsons to figure it out.
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