Roger Staubach Wins Heisman Trophy
Roger Staubach was hailed by Navy coach Wayne Hardin as "the greatest quarterback Navy ever had." In 1963, he completed more than 115 passes, nine for touchdowns, and as a sophomore completed 67 of 98 pass attempts and was the leading percentage passer in the nation. In the Michigan-Navy game of 1963, he connected on 14 passes for 237 yards, and against West Virginia he completed 17 passes. He was the fourth junior to win the Heisman Trophy. Of Roger's subsequent professional career with the Dallas Cowboys, not much needs to be said other than that he proved himself to be one of the finest quarterbacks in history in terms of both performance and team leadership. Roger joined the Cowboys in 1969 following four years service in the Navy, with one year in Vietnam. He was voted MVP in Super Bowl VI and voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, the first year he became eligible for this honor. Roger is Chairman and CEO of The Staubach Company, a diversified commercial real estate company headquartered in Dallas.
Roger was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1981.
Roger Staubach's 1,356-point margin over Billy Lothridge of Georgia Tech is the seventh largest in Heisman history. Staubach became the second Navy player in four years to win the Heisman and one of the few to win it as a junior. Staubach won going away, taking all five sections and registering 517 first place votes, more than twice the amount compiled by the balance of the candidates.
Roger Thomas Staubach, also known as Roger the Dodger, The Jolly Roger, Captain Comeback, and Captain America, (born February 5, 1942, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a businessman, former US Navy officer and a former professional American Football player. He was a Heisman Trophy winner and Hall of Fame quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was key in developing the Cowboys to become America's Team and led the team to nine of the Cowboys record-setting twenty consecutive winning seasons. Staubach led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl victory and as a result he was named MVP in Super Bowl VI. Staubach was described by legendary coach Tom Landry as "possibly the best combination of a passer, an athlete and a leader to ever play in the NFL."
He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in suburban Silverton, Ohio, graduating from a Catholic parochial school, Purcell High School (now called Purcell Marian High School). After one year at New Mexico Military Institute, Staubach played quarterback for the United States Naval Academy. As a third class midshipman (sophomore), he got his first opportunity to play in the third game of the season, against the University of Minnesota on October 6, 1962. Staubach relieved starter Ron Klemick as the Minnesota defense, led by Bobby Bell and Carl Eller, was stifling in its 21-0 victory. Staubach was 0-2 passing and was sacked twice for a minus 24 yards. A week later, against Cornell, with the offense misfiring, Wayne Hardin decided to put Staubach into the game to see if he could spark the team's offense. Staubach went on to lead Navy to six touchdown drives, throwing for 99 yards and two touchdowns, while running for 88 yards and another score, as Navy won 41-0.[1] A few weeks later, Staubach started again in the famed Army/Navy game, which featured president John F. Kennedy (himself a former Naval officer), who just 37 days earlier had negotiated the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, performing the coin toss. Staubach led the team to a 34–14 upset over Army, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another.
In his second class (junior) season of 1963 he won the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award while leading the Midshipmen to a 9-1 record and a final ranking of #2 in the nation. That year he led Navy to victory over their annual rivalry with Notre Dame. Navy did not beat Notre Dame again until 2007. In his three seasons at Navy, he completed 292 of 463 passes, with only 19 interceptions, and gained a school record 4,253 yards of total offense. Staubach is the last player from a military academy to win the Heisman Trophy.
He was a 10th round draft pick in the 1964 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, but due to his military commitment, did not begin playing until 1969 as a 27-year-old rookie. He was also drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 16th round (122nd pick overall) of the 1964 American Football League Draft[2]. After graduating from the Naval Academy, Staubach could have requested an assignment in the States but he chose to volunteer for a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam where he served as a supply officer for the United States Navy until 1967. He spent the rest of his Naval career in the United States, playing football on various Naval service teams to prepare for his future career in the NFL.
In 1969, Staubach resigned his commission, just in time to join the Cowboys training camp. The Naval Academy retired Staubach's jersey number (#12) during his graduation ceremony after his senior season. In 1981, Staubach was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2007, Staubach was ranked #9 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list.
