Events News
Staubach Speaks at Moore School
Roger
Staubach, executive chairman of The Staubach Company and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback,
spoke to graduate students October 29.
Staubach was the third speaker in the 2007 Wachovia Lecture Series, sponsored by Wachovia and the Moore School of Business. Darla Moore, for whom the school is named, introduced Staubach. Moore and her husband, Richard Rainwater, are longtime business associates and friends with the former Dallas Cowboy.
Staubach led the Dallas Cowboys to four Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s. He founded his Dallas-based, global real estate advisory firm in 1977, two years before retiring from the National Football League.
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(l - r) Roger Staubach, Darla Moore and
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Staubach recalled needing to support a young family with five children early in his 11-year career with the Cowboys. Working in the real estate industry in the off-season gave him the flexibility he needed, and he discovered he liked sales. He worked for Henry S. Miller, his mentor in real estate, who resembled his football coach, Tom Landry, in two ways, Staubach said: One, "they had the same haircut," and two, "they wouldn't benefit themselves at the expense of someone else."
"Have goals and drive the heck out of them," Staubach told Moore
students, but not to the detriment of others. "Be able to put yourself in someone else's
shoes."
Staubach displayed a dry wit as he related one story about teamwork from his early days in the NFL. "In 1971, we [the Cowboys] had the most talent, but we didn’t have the spirit. At the midpoint in the season, we were an ugly 4 (wins) and 3 (losses)." As Staubach recalls, his teammate, Mike Ditka, to whom "everyone listened because they were afraid of him," stood up to urge the team to put aside individual interests and blaming, and to work together. The team made a dramatic turnaround, winning all seven of their final games and winning the Super Bowl that year.
Staubach earned a bachelor of science in engineering degree at the U.S. Naval Academy and won the Heisman Trophy in 1963 as quarterback of the Navy football team. After completing service in the United States Navy, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, Staubach joined the Dallas Cowboys. He led the club to four Super Bowl appearances, with victories in Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII. Staubach was named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl VI, and was named to the Pro Bowl six times during his 10-year NFL career.
Perhaps his most famous moment was the "Hail Mary Pass" in the 1975
playoff against the Minnesota Vikings. With seconds on the clock and the Cowboys trailing
14-10, Staubach launched a 50-yard pass to wide receiver Drew Pearson, who caught the ball and ran
into the end zone for a 17-14 victory. Afterwards, Staubach quipped that he said a "Hail
Mary" before throwing the pass. Ever since, such a last-minute bomb has been called a "Hail
Mary Pass."
Staubach jointly owns Hall of Fame Racing, a NASCAR Nextel Cup team, which began racing for the 2006 season. On Jan. 25, 2007, he was named chairman of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Bid Committee, whose goal is to have the Dallas area host the Super Bowl in 2011.
He has won numerous awards, including a Distinguished Graduate Award from the U.S. Naval Academy, The Torch of Conscience Award from the American Jewish Congress, and the Congressional Medal of Honor’s Patriot Award.
Staubach currently serves on the board of directors of AMR Corporation and Cinemark Holdings. He continues to be involved with The Children’s Cancer Fund, the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, and numerous other civic, charitable, and professional organizations.
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Gail Crouch
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