Hostile
The Duke
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By 1974 the Cowboys and Commanders had established their rivalry as one of the best in the world, and probably the best in football. It was Cowboys vs. Indians and every boy plays that game when they are young. It's quite likely that most boys have had toy guns, badges, and cowboy hats and also likely that they've had a bow, tomahawk and headdress. Those games were fun as a child, the Cowboys and Indians version of football continues to be fun into adulthood.
In 1974 the Cowboys were experiencing a down year while the Commanders were a top contender. When the 1974 Thanksgiving Day game rolled around on CBS the Cowboys were 6-5, the Commanders were 8-3. George Allen's "Over the Hill Gang" had one very definite goal going into that game. Knock Roger Staubach out of the game. Defensive Tackle and noted Cowboys hater, Diron Talbert basically announced this goal in an interview during the week leading up to the game.
Talbert's exact quote was, "if you can knock Staubach out, you've got that rookie facing you. That's one of our goals. If we can do that, it's great."
The rookie Talbert was talking about was Clint Longley, a screwball from Abilene Christian. He left school early and declared for the NFL's Supplemental Draft, which is where the Cowboys acquired him by sending the Bengals a 5th round pick. They needed a quarterback after the had traded Craig Morton to the Giants.
To say Longley was odd would be an understatement. Longley's college teammate said that Clint had three ways to answer the phone when someone called. "This is the magnificent Clint Longley." "Longley's House of Pleasure." "This is the Purple Vindicator." According to this teammate Longley also introduced himself to the ladies as "Clint Longley, ACU Quarterback." To quote this teammate, "sometimes it worked. The smart ones said no."
Upon making a place for himself in pro football as a Dallas Cowboy, Longley bought a 1957 Cadillac. He also bought something every boy dreams of having, a pony. He quickly found out that it's hard to find enough food for a pony.
Safety Charlie Waters had purchased 3 acres of land not far from where the Cowboys practiced. It had a lot of room for the pony to graze. Clint asked Charlie for permission to bring the pony to the fields, and Charlie was happy to grant him permission. Charlie waited for Longley to bring the pony and he did, in the 1957 Cadillac. The horse's head sticking out the passenger window on the driver's side, his butt sticking out the passenger window on the other side.
Longley was also remembered for taking a .22 rifle up to his dorm room in Thousand Oaks, California and shooting prairie dogs out of his dorm room window. He was also fond of capturing rattlesnakes and keeping them in trash bags in his dorm room.
And of course he will always be remembered for the sucker punch he threw at Roger Staubach so that he could get traded and become his own star. A hit on Roger Staubach caused his star to rise in Dallas. Another kind of hit on Staubach caused his star to fall in Dallas.
Longley became a Cowboys cult hero for his heroics in replacing Roger in that Thanksgiving Day game. His performance was summed up by Zero Club co-founder, Offensive Guard Blaine Nye, as the "triumph of an uncluttered mind." In short, Nye was suggesting that Longley wasn't very bright.
What he could do was huck a football a country mile. In the game the Commanders were leading 16-3 with just over nine minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Commanders Linebacker Dave Robinson fulfilled Talbert's stated team goal and knocked Roger Staubach out of the game. Into the game came a man who Archie Bunker would describe as a "meathead. Dead from the neck up."
Longley to this point had not taken a snap as an NFL quarterback. Longley was told to grab his helmet and get in the game. First he had to find his helmet. You getting the picture of this uncluttered mind?
Five plays after being inserted into the game Longley hit Tight End Billy Joe DuPree on a 35 yard score. The score was now 16-10 Commanders. The Cowboys Defense then held the Commanders and the Cowboys took over at their own 30 yard line. A Pass Interference call in the endzone on a deep pass put the Cowboys on the Commanders 1 yard line. Walt Garrison, a noted Cowboy story teller, punched it in for a 17-16 Cowboys lead.
The Commanders marched the ball back down the field led by former Cowboy turned traitor, Duane Thomas. The Commanders had regained the lead 23-17.
It was the Cowboys ball again and Longley hit Drew Pearson at the Cowboys 25 yard line. Then a Commanders DB hit Pearson and he fumbled the ball. It was recovered by the Commanders. The Defense held them out of the endzone, but with time running out a Field Goal would almost be icing on the cake. Mark Mosley, the last of the non-soccer style Kickers lined up for a chip shot 24 yard FG Attempt and the man they called "Too Tall," Ed Jones, got a big old paw on the ball for the block.
The Cowboys took over on their own 40 yard line. There was a 1:45 left on the game clock and 60 yards to go for a Touchdown to take the lead. If Staubach had been in the game the Commanders would have been sweating. Staubach had already established himself as the equivalent of a dagger in the heart if he had the ball and time left on the clock. Longley was another matter entirely.
The Cowboys found themselves 4th down and 6 yards needed for a 1st down. A lot of time had run off the clock on the previous 3 downs as the Cowboys tried in vain to move the ball. On 4th down Bob Hayes caught a pass and by the slimmest of margins got the 1st down and got out of bounds.
The ball was right at Midfield. The 50 yard line. Dead Center of the entire football world on this day of Thanks. There was less than a minute left on the clock. On first down, incomplete pass. On second down Longley found Drew Pearson wide open at the 15 yard line. Pearson beat the coverage and scored on a 50 yard play with only 28 seconds left on the clock.
After the ensuing kickoff the Cowboys held on to win the game 24-23. There was bedlam in Dallas. The mighty Commanders were devestated. It is probably best summed up by legendary Commanders Head Coach, and the greatest Cowboys hater of all time, George Allen. "I don't have very much to say. It was probably the toughest loss we ever had."
In the game Longley's stat line read 11 of 20 for 203 yards, 2 TDs. His stats for his 3 year NFL career are 31 of 68, 441 yards, 5 TDs. He played in a total of 9 games for his entire NFL career.
Aren't you glad he found his helmet?
In 1974 the Cowboys were experiencing a down year while the Commanders were a top contender. When the 1974 Thanksgiving Day game rolled around on CBS the Cowboys were 6-5, the Commanders were 8-3. George Allen's "Over the Hill Gang" had one very definite goal going into that game. Knock Roger Staubach out of the game. Defensive Tackle and noted Cowboys hater, Diron Talbert basically announced this goal in an interview during the week leading up to the game.
Talbert's exact quote was, "if you can knock Staubach out, you've got that rookie facing you. That's one of our goals. If we can do that, it's great."
The rookie Talbert was talking about was Clint Longley, a screwball from Abilene Christian. He left school early and declared for the NFL's Supplemental Draft, which is where the Cowboys acquired him by sending the Bengals a 5th round pick. They needed a quarterback after the had traded Craig Morton to the Giants.
To say Longley was odd would be an understatement. Longley's college teammate said that Clint had three ways to answer the phone when someone called. "This is the magnificent Clint Longley." "Longley's House of Pleasure." "This is the Purple Vindicator." According to this teammate Longley also introduced himself to the ladies as "Clint Longley, ACU Quarterback." To quote this teammate, "sometimes it worked. The smart ones said no."
Upon making a place for himself in pro football as a Dallas Cowboy, Longley bought a 1957 Cadillac. He also bought something every boy dreams of having, a pony. He quickly found out that it's hard to find enough food for a pony.
Safety Charlie Waters had purchased 3 acres of land not far from where the Cowboys practiced. It had a lot of room for the pony to graze. Clint asked Charlie for permission to bring the pony to the fields, and Charlie was happy to grant him permission. Charlie waited for Longley to bring the pony and he did, in the 1957 Cadillac. The horse's head sticking out the passenger window on the driver's side, his butt sticking out the passenger window on the other side.
Longley was also remembered for taking a .22 rifle up to his dorm room in Thousand Oaks, California and shooting prairie dogs out of his dorm room window. He was also fond of capturing rattlesnakes and keeping them in trash bags in his dorm room.
And of course he will always be remembered for the sucker punch he threw at Roger Staubach so that he could get traded and become his own star. A hit on Roger Staubach caused his star to rise in Dallas. Another kind of hit on Staubach caused his star to fall in Dallas.
Longley became a Cowboys cult hero for his heroics in replacing Roger in that Thanksgiving Day game. His performance was summed up by Zero Club co-founder, Offensive Guard Blaine Nye, as the "triumph of an uncluttered mind." In short, Nye was suggesting that Longley wasn't very bright.
What he could do was huck a football a country mile. In the game the Commanders were leading 16-3 with just over nine minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Commanders Linebacker Dave Robinson fulfilled Talbert's stated team goal and knocked Roger Staubach out of the game. Into the game came a man who Archie Bunker would describe as a "meathead. Dead from the neck up."
Longley to this point had not taken a snap as an NFL quarterback. Longley was told to grab his helmet and get in the game. First he had to find his helmet. You getting the picture of this uncluttered mind?
Five plays after being inserted into the game Longley hit Tight End Billy Joe DuPree on a 35 yard score. The score was now 16-10 Commanders. The Cowboys Defense then held the Commanders and the Cowboys took over at their own 30 yard line. A Pass Interference call in the endzone on a deep pass put the Cowboys on the Commanders 1 yard line. Walt Garrison, a noted Cowboy story teller, punched it in for a 17-16 Cowboys lead.
The Commanders marched the ball back down the field led by former Cowboy turned traitor, Duane Thomas. The Commanders had regained the lead 23-17.
It was the Cowboys ball again and Longley hit Drew Pearson at the Cowboys 25 yard line. Then a Commanders DB hit Pearson and he fumbled the ball. It was recovered by the Commanders. The Defense held them out of the endzone, but with time running out a Field Goal would almost be icing on the cake. Mark Mosley, the last of the non-soccer style Kickers lined up for a chip shot 24 yard FG Attempt and the man they called "Too Tall," Ed Jones, got a big old paw on the ball for the block.
The Cowboys took over on their own 40 yard line. There was a 1:45 left on the game clock and 60 yards to go for a Touchdown to take the lead. If Staubach had been in the game the Commanders would have been sweating. Staubach had already established himself as the equivalent of a dagger in the heart if he had the ball and time left on the clock. Longley was another matter entirely.
The Cowboys found themselves 4th down and 6 yards needed for a 1st down. A lot of time had run off the clock on the previous 3 downs as the Cowboys tried in vain to move the ball. On 4th down Bob Hayes caught a pass and by the slimmest of margins got the 1st down and got out of bounds.
The ball was right at Midfield. The 50 yard line. Dead Center of the entire football world on this day of Thanks. There was less than a minute left on the clock. On first down, incomplete pass. On second down Longley found Drew Pearson wide open at the 15 yard line. Pearson beat the coverage and scored on a 50 yard play with only 28 seconds left on the clock.
After the ensuing kickoff the Cowboys held on to win the game 24-23. There was bedlam in Dallas. The mighty Commanders were devestated. It is probably best summed up by legendary Commanders Head Coach, and the greatest Cowboys hater of all time, George Allen. "I don't have very much to say. It was probably the toughest loss we ever had."
In the game Longley's stat line read 11 of 20 for 203 yards, 2 TDs. His stats for his 3 year NFL career are 31 of 68, 441 yards, 5 TDs. He played in a total of 9 games for his entire NFL career.
Aren't you glad he found his helmet?
