Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1974. The Dallas Cowboys are down 16–3 in the third quarter against their archrivals, Washington. Roger Staubach — the face of the franchise, a Navy veteran and Super Bowl champion — takes a blow to the head and leaves the game with a concussion. In trots Clint Longley, a 22-year-old rookie backup who had never taken a meaningful NFL snap.
The air in Texas Stadium feels heavy; even TV commentators are already talking about the Cowboys’ playoff hopes slipping away. But Longley plays like the moment was made for him. He throws with fearless precision, zipping passes into tight windows. In the final seconds, with the Cowboys down by two, Longley fires a 50-yard bomb to Drew Pearson for the winning touchdown. Final score: Cowboys 24, Washington 23.
Overnight, Longley is a Texas folk hero. “The Comeback Nobody Saw Coming,” blares the Dallas Morning News. Fans imagine he’s the next great Cowboys quarterback. Staubach himself publicly praises the young QB.
But two years later, in the summer of 1976, the fairy tale implodes. During training camp, Longley reportedly bristled at being Staubach’s understudy. A heated exchange turned violent — Longley sucker-punched Staubach in the face, requiring stitches near the star QB’s eye. Coach Tom Landry, a man of discipline, had no patience for such disrespect. Within days, Longley was traded to the San Diego Chargers.
His career spiraled. After just a handful of games in San Diego, he drifted out of the NFL, tried a brief CFL stint, and disappeared from football entirely. Today, he’s remembered in Dallas as a man who lived the dream for one magical afternoon — then destroyed it with one swing of his fist.
