 Prior to the big game in February, D Magazine released a Super Bowl special edition featuring a wonderful article titled "Super Bowl Memories." Several former Dallas Cowboys, as well a couple of Texas-born stars from other teams, recounted to Mickey Spagnola how the Super Bowl changed their lives.
In part 2 of the 12-part series are the reflections of the man known as "Roger The Dodger" for his scrambling abilities, "Captain America" as quarterback of America's Team, and also as "Captain Comeback" for his fourth quarter heroics.
Roger Staubach
Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowls VI, X, XII, XIII
When I was in the service I was listening to the first Super Bowl while I was on a patrol boat in the Danang Harbor, listening to Green Bay play Kansas City in that first Super Bowl. And at that time I didn’t think I would ever play football. And then all of a sudden to get a chance to play in four Super Bowls, as a competitor and an athlete to get the opportunity to do that was—well, the biggest thrills of my life were those Super Bowls … and the Army-Navy game.
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The first one [Super Bowl VI], well we had lost the year before [V], and I got a chance to start the second one, and it was that team like, we were “Next Year’s Champions,” and all that stuff was coming out. So I think the biggest thing was winning that game and taking the pressure off of Coach [Tom] Landry. I used to always kid around about when Walt Garrison said, when asked if he had ever seen Coach Landry smile, “No, but I was only there nine years.” |
And Walt was carrying him off the field, if you ever see the picture of Tom being carried off the field with that big smile on his face, I think that was the most important victory he’s ever had. Because it just really showed, he’s a winning coach, but now you’re graded on winning a Super Bowl, even back then. And being in the locker room with actually Don Meredith’s team and me being the quarterback … just to see [Bob] Lilly and [Mel] Renfro, for me, and being the first season I really started, to win the Super Bowl was, I mean I still remember everything about that locker room. I can still see Duane Thomas up there being interviewed. I always remember it was a great moment being an athlete to win a Super Bowl.
I think just being a Dallas Cowboy has had a big effect on my life. We had a winning tradition, a city that was good to me. In the off-season I was working in real estate, and then the rest of my life, and the Cowboys were instrumental to me both on and off the field.
Source: D Magazine Special Edition Super Bowl; Wikipedia | Photography by Layne Murdoch
Part 1 of 12 Super Bowl Memories of Troy Aikman
Part 2 of 12 Roger Staubach's Super Bowl Memories
Part 3 of 12 Super Bowl Memories of Michael Irvin
Part 4 of 12 Tony Dorsett’s Super Bowl Memories
Part 5 of 12 Super Bowl Memories of Daryl Johnston
Part 6 of 12 Ed “Too Tall” Jones’ Super Bowl Memories
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