A few days prior to Longley's gutless act, Roger and Longley got into a shouting match on the practice field and Staubach proceeded to throw Longley to the ground and pound Clint into submission. The entire team was taken aback by this incident, but it was a reminder of Staubach's physical toughness. Longley basically waited a few days to get his revenge and after he hit Roger, he immediately left training camp and quickly became the Cowboy's version of D.B. Cooper.
It's about how Roger handled a person. He owned it. Respect for a player and human being. I remember this like 5 minutes ago. Roger is a class man. Clint Longley has not here from since.@@Jiltedin2007
Hey, I don't pretend to know Staubach's fighting ability, or Longley's for that matter, but knowing of Roger's military background and on-field toughness, I would NOT want to piss him off.
Without Roger I won’t be a 50 year cowboys fan. I picked the cowboys. Nobody in my family liked them and I didn’t grow up anywhere near Dallas or Texas.
An actual highly articulate NFL player with self control, something very rare to the game today with its foul mouthed dancing fools unable to put two sentences together without using the MF word. Up until the late 80s the NFL was comprised of very adult like professionals - today children with fast cars and guns. Staubach was simply class as a player and a man.
Very good point. I remember being struck years ago at how gentle, gentlemanly, and articulate some of the brawniest guys like Rosy Grier, Merlin Olsen, Were.
The story I heard was from Cowboys GM, Gil Brandt. He said it all started from a game of boredom. Staubach could bounce a football and it always came up perfectly, but Longley couldn't do it and it pissed him off. He started mouthing off to Staubach and challenged him to a fight. Staubach said let's do it on another field. They took off their pads and Staubach beat the hell out of Longley. It had to be broken up by Assistant Coach and former Cowboys player, Dan Reeves. It was either the next day or the day after when the sucker punch occurred. Cowboys owner, Tex Schramm, immediately cut Longley.
Just the fact that he was telling his side of the story shows where it's all gone in the last 40+ years. Now a days you would never hear someone on camera tell the truth about what happened. Even if there's footage of some sideline scuffle they won't say what your own eyes saw.
So why take it out on Roger? Longley would have been 28 in 1980 when Roger was gone from the NFL. Not old when you consider Roger didn't get the starter role until he was about 29.
@@jamesanthony5681 I would have changed my name to Clint Thanksgiving Longley, just in case anybody wondered if I was THE Clint Longley before buying me a drink.
I hear Roger later after the sucker punch whipped the socks off this guy! I’ve always liked Staubach and been a big fan, but I can’t recall ever hearing this story. Not only decent, but a real man!
Longley is lucky he walked out of the room under his own power after sucker-punching Staubach--Staubach is a guy who, being a former Navy officer and Vietnam War veteran, could have easily permanently injured him if he had wanted to after that (or worse). Remember, Staubach had beaten up Longley a few days earlier after a shouting match...
I don't think he ever played another down in Football after that. You never heard anything about Longley after that Thanksgiving game! I never knew why until I got older. I was only 15 when I seen that game.
@@francisbethel6277 Oh sure. The CFL has been around forever. Good football. Joe Theismann played 3 years ('71-'73) for the Toronto Argonauts coming right out of Notre Dame. Doug Flutie may have been the greatest player in CFL history, winning a bunch of MVP awards. A joke went around in the '70's and '80's (not so much now): The difference between the NFL and CFL is that in the NFL, the slower white athletes are quarterbacks and the faster black athletes are receivers; rather, in the CFL, the faster black players are quarterbacks, and the slower white athletes are receivers.
Longley is long gone. Funny thing, Longley being traded to San Diego where he played 3 games: 2 TDs and 3 INTs helped the Cowboys land Tony Dorsett in the 1977 draft. Interestingly, Dorsett (pick #2) was the only player to end up in the NFL HOF out of the 335 players drafted. The 1976 draft had 4 HOF players the 1978 draft had 3 HOF players.
Only because San Diego was stupid enough to send a 1st and 3 2nd round draft choices for a backup QB with no talent. That may be an even worse trade than Green Bay's for John Hadl - At least Hadl had success and was at the time a commodity
And Mr. Staubach has since gone on to be the richest ex-NFL player of all time--he founded a real estate conglomerate that when it was sold made his net worth >$600 million
Yes, he backed up Chuck Ealey with the Toronto Argonauts for the last 6 regular season games and the Eastern Semi-Final in 1977, completing 30 of 56 passes with 6 interceptions and 2 TDs.
He is an american icon. He is a naval academy graduate and a Veitnam vet. Roger would have beat the shit out of him. Clint Longley is a coward and I hope lived the rest of his life feeling like coward.
Wow this is the first time I've ever heard of this, it's a damn shame too, in that game he looked like he could be legitimate over time as an NFL quarterback. But Captain America could kick his ass on the field or off the field, And his little chicken ass knew it!
Hollywood Henderson in his book said that Clint would keep a rattlesnake in his locker because coach Landry forbid lockers stating that cowboys do not steal that did not set well with the team and Clint attacked Roger as he was taking off hos pads and sucker punched him with his arms in his pad but then Roger whipped hos ads after getting free
The surprise attack happened when Clint should have already been out on the field practicing. He was waiting in the locker room (hadn't even put on any practice gear yet) ignoring everyone. Roger Staubach was running late because of some speaking engagement he'd come from (according to Drew Pearson in a book about it all) Seriously how chickenshit do you have to be to wait until not only someone's back is turned but having his shoulder pads over his head and his arms rendered immobile( because of the pads) for the moment? But that's the precise moment when Longley attacked, when Roger couldn't even see it coming or use his arms to fend him off or even catch his fall into the scale. You bet your ASS Roger went after him( took several teammates to restrain him )and would have killed him too. Clint Longley, after both quarterbacks had been separated ( Randy White yanked Clint and sat him down) picked up his stuff and ran off to the dorms knowing what the consequences were going to be because apparently this was all premeditated. Drew Pearson had a front row seat to it all and his account of it all in the book " The Cowboys have Always been my heroes" from the scuffle out on the practice field(Thousand Oaks Training Camp when Roger kicked his A$$) to Clint's cowardly easy way out a day or two later is the best account of it I've come across. And to this day Staubach and Longley have never even crossed paths because Longley basically went into hiding after his career petered out.
Clint Longley was a great quarterback, but he was narcissistic bully and brat which ruined his whole career in the NFL. Too bad, because he was very talented as a quarterback.
Roger didn’t know how to swim despite going to the Naval academy. Lot of vets resented him for being Showy like he Captain America when he didn’t fight but served. I say this: nobody went to help Roger. They didn’t help Clint because he was a being a fool as Roger’s backup. Hence, Danny White.
as a Redskins fan i can say Roger is a good man and a role model
As a Cowboy fan the Redskins were hard to hate with Joe Gibbs as their coach. I always liked that guy. George Allen on the other hand... : )
Completely agree with prior poster. Roger is the man!
Someone who fights is a good man ??
Nothing wrong with defending yourself
Pound for pound Roger is one of the toughest players ever to play for the Cowboys he was nobody’s punk.
I think romo may have took that title
romo couldn't carry Staubachs jock strap @@FreshPrincex4
You’re comparing Romo the choke artist to Roger???? What the heck have you been smoking???
Thomas Henderson once said if he was choosing up sides for a gang fight among the old Cowboy roster Roger would be his first pick.
I love Roger but who’s he kidding, Randy White would be the first choice
A few days prior to Longley's gutless act, Roger and Longley got into a shouting match on the practice field and Staubach proceeded to throw Longley to the ground and pound Clint into submission. The entire team was taken aback by this incident, but it was a reminder of Staubach's physical toughness. Longley basically waited a few days to get his revenge and after he hit Roger, he immediately left training camp and quickly became the Cowboy's version of D.B. Cooper.
Prove that story
@@deragon59
Prove it didn’t happen. Now.
I remember this story like it was yesterday, it's true youngbloods
You made that up
Roger Staubach will always be a man with class both on and off the field!
Coming from a Dallas Cowboys Hater during his time at Quarterback.
you can see class good for you
@@oldaggieb9403
I'm surprised that you're not punking on the Redskins Fan below me calling him a role model.
It's about how Roger handled a person. He owned it. Respect for a player and human being. I remember this like 5 minutes ago. Roger is a class man. Clint Longley has not here from since.@@Jiltedin2007
Roger is a class act! Great interview!
Roger is a class act
Hey, I don't pretend to know Staubach's fighting ability, or Longley's for that matter, but knowing of Roger's military background and on-field toughness, I would NOT want to piss him off.
Without Roger I won’t be a 50 year cowboys fan. I picked the cowboys. Nobody in my family liked them and I didn’t grow up anywhere near Dallas or Texas.
With that Clint Longley signed his cowboy death warrant.
Sure did. One lucky game against the Redskins does not make him the starting quarterback.
An actual highly articulate NFL player with self control, something very rare to the game today with its foul mouthed dancing fools unable to put two sentences together without using the MF word. Up until the late 80s the NFL was comprised of very adult like professionals - today children with fast cars and guns. Staubach was simply class as a player and a man.
Very good point. I remember being struck years ago at how gentle, gentlemanly, and articulate some of the brawniest guys like Rosy Grier, Merlin Olsen,
Were.
This is just a made-up supposition on your part.
@@astralwerks4 More like cluelessness and lack of reference on your part. Review the Hx.
As a Redskins fan I find this funny, but seriously I like Roger, I'm from Annapolis and he's a hero around the Navy Academy
The story I heard was from Cowboys GM, Gil Brandt. He said it all started from a game of boredom. Staubach could bounce a football and it always came up perfectly, but Longley couldn't do it and it pissed him off. He started mouthing off to Staubach and challenged him to a fight. Staubach said let's do it on another field. They took off their pads and Staubach beat the hell out of Longley. It had to be broken up by Assistant Coach and former Cowboys player, Dan Reeves. It was either the next day or the day after when the sucker punch occurred. Cowboys owner, Tex Schramm, immediately cut Longley.
I've always wondered what the rest of the story was. Longley had to know that this move was career suicide.
@@Stuntman-Jeff -- I think it's safe to say that Longley will never be accused of being the brightest bulb in the room.
Wow! Great interview! I’ve never seen this before!
Just the fact that he was telling his side of the story shows where it's all gone in the last 40+ years. Now a days you would never hear someone on camera tell the truth about what happened. Even if there's footage of some sideline scuffle they won't say what your own eyes saw.
Pure class.
Roger Staubach = CLASS ACT!
The arrival of Danny White posed a threat to young Longley who handled the situation as childish as can be
Thanks Howard
So why take it out on Roger? Longley would have been 28 in 1980 when Roger was gone from the NFL. Not old when you consider Roger didn't get the starter role until he was about 29.
@@jamesanthony5681 The Thanksgiving game against Washington in 1974 went to his head big time
@@untexan If Longley hadn't have done that (punched Roger), he wouldn't have ever had to pay for a drink in any bar in Texas the rest of his life.
@@jamesanthony5681 I would have changed my name to Clint Thanksgiving Longley, just in case anybody wondered if I was THE Clint Longley before buying me a drink.
I hear Roger later after the sucker punch whipped the socks off this guy! I’ve always liked Staubach and been a big fan, but I can’t recall ever hearing this story. Not only decent, but a real man!
Longley is lucky he walked out of the room under his own power after sucker-punching Staubach--Staubach is a guy who, being a former Navy officer and Vietnam War veteran, could have easily permanently injured him if he had wanted to after that (or worse). Remember, Staubach had beaten up Longley a few days earlier after a shouting match...
I don't think he ever played another down in Football after that. You never heard anything about Longley after that Thanksgiving game! I never knew why until I got older. I was only 15 when I seen that game.
Not in Dallas. He went to the Chargers, and then to the CFL.
@@jamesanthony5681
I didn't even know they had a CFL back then. Wow!
@@francisbethel6277 Oh sure. The CFL has been around forever. Good football. Joe Theismann played 3 years ('71-'73) for the Toronto Argonauts coming right out of Notre Dame. Doug Flutie may have been the greatest player in CFL history, winning a bunch of MVP awards.
A joke went around in the '70's and '80's (not so much now): The difference between the NFL and CFL is that in the NFL, the slower white athletes are quarterbacks and the faster black athletes are receivers; rather, in the CFL, the faster black players are quarterbacks, and the slower white athletes are receivers.
Roger would have beat the living hell out of him.
And that's why he ran.
He did beat the hell out of him 😂 he went outside and kicked his ass right after that they didn't mention that part
I just heard that by. Skip. Bayless
His teammates should have let him.
Longley is long gone. Funny thing, Longley being traded to San Diego where he played 3 games: 2 TDs and 3 INTs helped the Cowboys land Tony Dorsett in the 1977 draft. Interestingly, Dorsett (pick #2) was the only player to end up in the NFL HOF out of the 335 players drafted. The 1976 draft had 4 HOF players the 1978 draft had 3 HOF players.
Only because San Diego was stupid enough to send a 1st and 3 2nd round draft choices for a backup QB with no talent. That may be an even worse trade than Green Bay's for John Hadl - At least Hadl had success and was at the time a commodity
Loved Dorsett was a nightmare 4 Notre Dame. Pittsburgh tore em up with Tony 4tds one game
You wouldn't want to fight Roger fairly. He would kick your behind being a navy and war veteran.
And Mr. Staubach has since gone on to be the richest ex-NFL player of all time--he founded a real estate conglomerate that when it was sold made his net worth >$600 million
@GIL Favor and tell us genius what you've accomplished???
Being a pro football veteran is way more physically demanding than the military
The Cowboys owe Clint "Mad Bomber" Longley a debt of thanks. Dumping him on the Chargers led to drafting Tony Dorsett. Look it up. You're welcome.
How was that? Did they get a pick they sent to Seattle?
TD didn't want to play in Seattle the Cowboys sent 4 draft picks to the Seahawks for the 2nd pick in the draft in 1977 the Cowboys then took Dorsett
Didn't Longley end up washing out in the CFL?
Yes, he backed up Chuck Ealey with the Toronto Argonauts for the last 6 regular season games and the Eastern Semi-Final in 1977, completing 30 of 56 passes with 6 interceptions and 2 TDs.
Clint was a hero Thanksgiving day 1974. The rattlesnake hunter.
Here because of Undisputed
Total class
He is an american icon. He is a naval academy graduate and a Veitnam vet. Roger would have beat the shit out of him. Clint Longley is a coward and I hope lived the rest of his life feeling like coward.
I would take Rodger in a rematch with no sucker punch.
Wow this is the first time I've ever heard of this, it's a damn shame too, in that game he looked like he could be legitimate over time as an NFL quarterback. But Captain America could kick his ass on the field or off the field, And his little chicken ass knew it!
He was traded to the Chargers went to the CFL and supposedly disappeared
Last I heard he was living in my hometown in Corpus Christi. He won't do interviews ...
Clint was a troubled soul.
Hollywood Henderson in his book said that Clint would keep a rattlesnake in his locker because coach Landry forbid lockers stating that cowboys do not steal that did not set well with the team and Clint attacked Roger as he was taking off hos pads and sucker punched him with his arms in his pad but then Roger whipped hos ads after getting free
How dumb do you have to be to sucker punch Captain America !
The surprise attack happened when Clint should have already been out on the field practicing. He was waiting in the locker room (hadn't even put on any practice gear yet) ignoring everyone. Roger Staubach was running late because of some speaking engagement he'd come from (according to Drew Pearson in a book about it all) Seriously how chickenshit do you have to be to wait until not only someone's back is turned but having his shoulder pads over his head and his arms rendered immobile( because of the pads) for the moment? But that's the precise moment when Longley attacked, when Roger couldn't even see it coming or use his arms to fend him off or even catch his fall into the scale. You bet your ASS Roger went after him( took several teammates to restrain him )and would have killed him too. Clint Longley, after both quarterbacks had been separated ( Randy White yanked Clint and sat him down) picked up his stuff and ran off to the dorms knowing what the consequences were going to be because apparently this was all premeditated. Drew Pearson had a front row seat to it all and his account of it all in the book " The Cowboys have Always been my heroes" from the scuffle out on the practice field(Thousand Oaks Training Camp when Roger kicked his A$$) to Clint's cowardly easy way out a day or two later is the best account of it I've come across. And to this day Staubach and Longley have never even crossed paths because Longley basically went into hiding after his career petered out.
I wonder if Clint Longley knows how to spell RELIEF
A smart young quarterback would have been humble and took every chance to learn from Roger.
🌟
I think Longley liked to take a sip now and again.
Longley was nothing but a coward
See Roger got a cut above the eye!
Roger was the man,Langley was a punk
How to ruin your football career in 1 second - Sucker punch Roger Staubach. Bye-Bye Clint Longley.
Clint Longley was a great quarterback, but he was narcissistic bully and brat which ruined his whole career in the NFL. Too bad, because he was very talented as a quarterback.
Great quarterback? Based on what, 1 game?
Longley was a one game wonder, it was a cheap shot, and cowardly, Roger would of tore him up in a face to face fight.
Roger didn’t know how to swim despite going to the Naval academy. Lot of vets resented him for being Showy like he Captain America when he didn’t fight but served. I say this: nobody went to help Roger. They didn’t help Clint because he was a being a fool as Roger’s backup. Hence, Danny White.
Rodger S was color blind. He served as a supply unit officer in Vietnam .
Clint wiped the floor with staubach. Clint knocked staubach into next week Staubach cried and begged for help.
Bullshit
That's not what happened at all