Staubach was a top collegian at Navy, but he didn’t play immediately by the NFL. That’s because he first completed a service commitment in Vietnam.
The Dallas Cowboys have had many great players over the years, including Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, and Troy Aikman in the 1990s. Earlier, another star graced the field, Roger Staubach.
Before playing in Dallas, Staubach was a star at the United States Naval Academy. 1963 was his best year when he passed for more than 1400 yards, completed nearly 70% of passes attempted, and led his #2 team to a 9-1 regular-season record, losing to #1 Texas in the 1964 Cotton Bowl. Staubach was named an All-America for his play that year, won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s best quarterback, and captured the coveted Heisman Trophy. Later, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Staubach in Viet Nam (photo courtesy American Warrior Radio)
But the NFL would have to wait. The Vietnam War was raging, and Staubach served overseas starting in 1964 following graduation from the Academy. Discovering that Staubach was color blind, Staubach was assigned to the Supply Corps, providing relief for Da Nang Air Base. Da Nang is the city where the first waves of U.S. troops landed in March 1965, and Staubach served in Vietnam until 1969.
While the NFL would have to wait, the league was eager to have Staubach committed to a team. He was the 129th pick in the 10th Round of the 1964 Draft. The low pick was because Staubach couldn’t play until his tour of duty ended, which in his case was 1969.
Once Staubach hit the field, Staubach had a Hall of Fame career. Playing for legendary coach Tom Landry, the Cincinnati native passed for nearly 23,000 yards, rushed for another 2,300 yards, won two Super Bowls, went to six Pro Bowls, and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Roger Staubach was a great football player and is a national hero, too. He put his football career on hold to serve his country.
This is an awesome story. I knew he was in the service and in Vietnam. I didn’t know about the details of his delay into the NFL and him being colored blind. He was an awesome quarterback. I thank him for his service in the military. Great article Matthew Paris.