Roger Staubach

At the U.S. Naval Academy, Roger Staubach first saw action as a third-class midshipman (sophomore) at quarterback. He gained the starting role later that season for his first Army-Navy game and held onto the role for the next two years. As a second-class midshipman, Staubach led Navy to a 9-1 record on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy. Maxwell left Navy after three seasons having thrown for a school record 4,253 career passing yards. Staubach was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL in 1964, but served his military commitment until 1969 when he resigned from the Navy and joined the Cowboys. He first took over the starting role in 1971, and by 1972 he earned that role and kept it for the rest of his career. Staubach led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories, including one in which he won Super Bowl MVP honors. Staubach’s famous last second bomb to win a 1975 playoff game was the creation of the “Hail Mary” when he said he prayed a Hail Mary while the ball was in the air. He ended his career in 1980 as the second highest quarterback rating in NFL history (83.4) and is often included in lists of top players of all time.