Roger Staubach had as successful a football career as any player could hope for. The Hall of Fame quarterback played 11 seasons in the NFL, leading the Dallas Cowboys to four Super Bowl appearances, including championships in 1972 and 1978. He also won the Heisman Trophy in 1963 after leading Navy to a No. 2 national ranking and a win in the Cotton Bowl.
Of all the high-profile games he played in, the one Staubach, 64, recalls getting the most excited about was his first start against Army in 1962. The emotion he felt going into that contest, which Navy won, 34-14, is something hewill never forget.
“It?s the most nervous I?ve ever been before a game,” Staubach said days before Army and Navy meet for the 107th time Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. “There were 4,000 Midshipmen at Bancroft Hall counting on me to beat Army, and I knew it would be difficult to go back there that night if we lost.”
Staubach said being a part of the storied Army-Navy rivalry is something he holds close to his heart. Being part of that rivalry, he said, is a far different experience than the storied Cowboys-Redskins rivalry.
“There are so many people out there that have a direct affiliation with the military in one way or another,” Staubach said. “There are those that are alumni of Annapolis or West Point and many more that are associated through the different branches of the armed services. People can just relate to what happens with those football players on the field, and they have an interest in young people who are more concerned about defending this country than themselves.”
Staubach can relate to the current group of players at the Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy. After graduating, he did a year-long tour in Vietnam, and he understands the tough decision today?s players made in deciding to attend a service academy in a post-9/11 world.
“Those young men know they are going to receive a great education by going to a service academy,” Staubach said. “But they are also aware of their military commitment after graduation. That?s what makes this country great, that we have people that are working toward developing the leadership skills to help shape the future.”
Staubach said because of these uncertain times, he is even more impressed with the job current Navy coach Paul Johnson has done in leading the Midshipmen to a bowl game while retaining the Commander-in-Chief?s Trophy for the fourth straight year.
“It takes an entire effort to win atNavy today, and Paul?s done a great job,” Staubach said. “… You need to recruit the right people who want to come to the Naval Academy and are willing to work harder to succeed than they would at a traditional college.”
STAUBACH NOTES
» Roger Staubach, whom the Dallas Cowboys selected in the 10th round of the 1964 draft, earned entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility.
» From the time Staubach led Navy to a victory in the 1963 Cotton Bowl to when Paul Johnson became coach in 2002, the Midshipmen have posted just 10 winning seasons.
