December 28, 1975

[cajuncocoa]

Hail Mary: Roger Staubach still celebrating his famous pass

Roger Staubach has a holiday sandwiched between Christmas and New Year's.

"It's Hail Mary Day,'' said the hall of fame quarterback. "It's a big day. My wife (Marianne) serves me breakfast in bed.''

Monday marks the 40th anniversary of Staubach uncorking the famous Hail Mary pass in the waning seconds to give the Dallas Cowboys a 17-14 playoff win over the Vikings at Metropolitan Stadium. Making Dec. 28 even more special is it's the birthday of Staubach's son, Jeff, who turned 1 on the day of the famous play in 1975.

Staubach, 73, won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys and the Heisman Trophy at Navy in 1963. But he perhaps gets asked about the Hail Mary more than anything else he did in football.

Staubach, who is Catholic, told reporters after the playoff game he said a "Hail Mary" before throwing the desperation 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson with 24 seconds left. It didn't take long for the term to catch on.

Now, just about every last-ditch long pass attempt is a Hail Mary, including the amazing 61-yard throw by Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers that beat Detroit earlier this month. But Staubach noted how the expression has evolved to be used outside of sports.

"It slowly became the term for anybody that was kind of in trouble, and you had a hope,'' Staubach said. "You used to have a wing and a prayer, and now the Hail Mary is used for politics, for business, and for football.''

Sometimes it's used for football players when it has nothing to do with football.

"O.J. Simpson was walking through a courtroom trying to get that retrial two years ago,'' Staubach said of the hall of famer in prison for a robbery conviction. "The announcer said, 'He'll need a Hail Mary to get a new trial.' ''

Staubach said it's "fun to be associated" with having popularized the term. Staubach, who became a successful businessman after he retired and is estimated to be worth $600 million, laughed when it was suggested he should have trademarked it for marketing purposes.

"The NFL has put out Hail Mary T-shirts,'' he said. "They have a big 'Hail Mary' on the front and it explains the play on the back. I bought a bunch for my grandkids.''

It would seem to be an ideal time to wear them on "Hail Mary Day.''

http://www.twincities.com/vikings/ci_29313135/hail-mary-roger-staubach-still-celebrating-his-famous

 

[Sarge]

Remember it like it was yesterday.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

That was the year I really started following the Cowboys. Loved Roger.

 

[jgboys1]

I remember watching it and saying to myself, " This sucks that our season is about to end", and then all of the sudden I'm watching Roger Staubach just throwing up the football and Drew Pearson walking into the end zone. It actually took a few seconds for me to realize that we had just taken the lead on a unbelievable play. I was one happy Cowboy fan that day.

 

[jwitten82]

Remember it like it was yesterday.

That means your old, you need to upgrade bruh..

 

[mrmojo]

Great moment...4th and forever and then Hail Mary just unbelievable. Back shoulder throw in todays NFL.

 

[cajuncocoa]

 

[jazzcat22]

I bet that play is hated by Vikings fans when shown, as the Tony Dorsett's 99 yard TD run is too. Just like we hate that stupid "catch" replay from SF game or the ice bowl game TD, when a false start should have been called.

Or like the Bills fans don't like the 3rd and one Ken Norton stuffing of Kenneth Davis in SB 27, then the next play, Thomas Everett's INT in the endzone.

 

[phildadon86]

That was the year I really started following the Cowboys. Loved Roger.

It amazes me watching games from then and looking at games now saying, wow, that formation leaves me guessing, in the 70s, a heck of a lot more then the formations we line up in now.

 

[Staubacher]

I was 10 and remember that game well. My family was on the verge of a move across the country that I was opposed to because I was happy in our little town. My life changed forever that following year.

Roger Staubach, the Cowboys and the Star were the one thing I could take with me wherever I went and it still is.

 

[Bleu Star]

That means your old, you need to upgrade bruh..

Wise not old padawan.

 

[plasticman]

I was in basic training, slept in an open bay with 49 others. We had a "day room" with one TV.

I'm watching this game with about 15 guys from New York, 10 from California, a half dozen from Minnesota, and one fellow Texan.

So at the end of the game, they are just harassing me and the other Cowboy fan...

"cowboys suck!"

"They"ll never win again!"

"Staubach is a f*g!"

Then Staubach goes back to pass long, and there is Drew pulling away from two defenders. Touchdown!

You could have heard a pin drop! Complete silence...

Then my fellow Cowboy fan...."Yeah!"

It was one of the beat most memorable plays in my 45 years as a fan.

 

[Nightman]

Just barely before my time, I'm sure I saw it but didn't quite understand it at 5 years old.

Funny how it was 1 WR vs 2 DBs. Today it is 4 WRs vs 6 DBs.

 

[AzorAhai]

Pearson was talking about this last night on the news. He said that he threw the ball out of the stadium, into the parking lot not thinking about it. To this day, he said that ball has never resurfaced. Someone found that ball and it probably got trashed by some unsuspecting family not knowing the significance thinking it was just a random football. I wonder just how much it would sell for if it somehow was found and authenticated.

 

[cajuncocoa]

That means your old, you need to upgrade bruh..

If you know how to do that, let me know. LOL

 

[big dog cowboy]

I can still remember sitting on the couch watching the old Zenith TV we had and just losing it when Pearson caught that ball.

 

[rynochop]

I can still remember sitting on the couch watching the old Zenith TV we had and just losing it when Pearson caught that ball.

View attachment 31

Haha, and having to use needle nose pliers to adjust the volume cause the knob was lost

 

[rynochop]

Thanks for posting...I for some reason always forget how roger had a cannon for an arm. That wasn't just a heave downfield like a punt like most Hail Marys, that Thing was thrown on a rope....53 yards

Also..didn't see Landry clapping on the sideline...(just a little red meat for the Garrett bashers)

 

[fredp22]

interesting year as well
year of the dirty dozen draft
Lilly retired prior year and replaced by newly drafted White
Hollywood drafted to replace Howley
team rebuilding with its 12 rookie starters finished a surprising 10-4. As the wild card team we then beat Minnesota (12-2) with the hail mary, Rams (12-2) who always gave us trouble, and we came close to beating Steelers (12-2) in SB.

Landry at his best

 

[mrmojo]

Haha, and having to use needle nose pliers to adjust the volume cause the knob was lost

We had the antenna on the roof so every tv timeout someone would hop up there to turn it for better reception especially on a windy day....and God forbid mom turned on the vacuum cleaner Lol...good times.