12 Roger Staubach
Quarterback
1969-1979
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Good things come to those who wait, and certainly the Dallas Cowboys' patience in the mid-60's was supremely rewarded, landing one of the best players in franchise history because they were willing to wait for Roger Staubach to fulfill his military commitment.
For that five years of patience, the Cowboys landed the guy who became better know as "Roger The Dodger" over the next 11 years when he was selected to six Pro Bowls - including five consecutively - and was named the NFL Players Association Most Valuable Player in 1971. Staubach led the NFL in passing four times and was selected to the All-NFC team four times.

"He is one of the finest to ever play the game," Green Bay Packers Quarterback Bart Starr once said of Staubach. "I think if I had some of that Staubach competitiveness, I'd have been much better."

Staubach was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1964 from the Naval Academy, but did not join the team until 1969 due to his Navy commitment. Former president and general manager Tex Schramm signed Staubach to a futures contract in a hotel room in 1964, actually scribbling out the details on a legal-sized tablet that would have Staubach paid annually to participate in training camp practices when he had enough leave built up.

The 1963 Heisman Trophy winner showed up in Dallas as a 27-year-old rookie, but in those 11 seasons still managed carve out the franchise's all-time leading quarterback rating of 83.42 and became a five-time NFL passing champion. But Staubach almost became better known for his scrambling ability, and to this day ranks eighth on the Cowboys' all-time rushing list with 2,264 yards.

Staubach owns the second most passing yards in club history, 22,700, and his 3,586 in 1979 still ranks as the second most passing yards in a single season for the Cowboys. He also still leads the club with a career average of 7.67 yards per attempt and his three, 300-yard passing performances in 1979 has him tied for the single-season lead with Don Meredith and Danny White.

Staubach also become known as "Captain Comeback" for his 23 fourth-quarter come-from-behind victories in regular season and playoff games, including 14 in the final two minutes or overtime. Never was this more apparent than in a 1975 playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings when Staubach connected with wide receiver Drew Pearson on a desperation 50-yard "Hail Mary" touchdown pass that knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs.

"You could never defeat Roger mentally or physically," late Cowboys head coach Tom Landry said in 1983. "He was like that in a game, in practice, or in the business world."

Staubach ended his Cowboys career with four Super Bowl appearances, including wins in Super Bowls VI and XII. In Super Bowl VI, Staubach was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Following the 1979 season, Staubach retired, fearing the after-effects of recurring concussions.

In 1983, Staubach became the sixth member of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor and two years later was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Born Feb. 5, 1942, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

6-Time Pro Bowl
5-Time NFL Passing Champion
MVP of Super Bowl VI
2 Super Bowl Titles
5 NFC Titles
7 Division Titles
1979 Byron "Whizzer" White Award
1975 Vince Lombardi Sportsman of the Year
1971 NFL Players Association Most Valuable Player
1971 Bert Bell Award
1975 Field Scovill Award - All-Sports Association of Dallas
1963 Heisman Trophy
1963 Walter Camp Memorial Trophy
1965 Naval Academy Athletic Association Sword




Passing
Yr G Att Cmp Yds TD Int Rtg
1969 6 47 23 421 1 2 69.5
1970 8 82 44 542 2 8 42.9
1971 13 211 126 1882 15 4 104.8
1972 4 20 9 98 0 2 20.4
1973 14 286 179 2428 23 15 94.6
1974 14 360 190 2552 11 15 68.4
1975 13 348 198 2666 17 16 78.5
1976 14 369 208 2715 14 11 79.9
1977 14 361 210 2620 18 9 87.0
1978 15 413 231 3190 25 16 84.9
1979 16 461 267 3586 27 11 92.3
Total 131 2958 1685 22700 153 109 83.4


Rushing
Year Team Att Yds Avg TD Fum
1969 Dal 15 60 4.0 1 2
1970 Dal 27 221 8.2 0 4
1971 Dal 41 343 8.4 2 6
1972 Dal 6 45 7.5 0 1
1973 Dal 46 250 5.4 3 5
1974 Dal 47 320 6.8 3 7
1975 Dal 55 316 5.7 4 5
1976 Dal 43 184 4.3 3 4
1977 Dal 51 171 3.4 3 8
1978 Dal 42 182 4.3 1 5
1979 Dal 37 172 4.6 0 8
Total 410 2264 5.5 20 55