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The NCAA News -- December 6, 1999

Staubach to be honored with 2000 Teddy Award

Former Heisman Trophy winner and U.S. Naval Academy three-sport great Roger Staubach is this year's recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed on an individual by the NCAA.

Currently the president of The Staubach Company, the Hall of Fame quarterback becomes the 33rd person to receive the "Teddy," which will be awarded at the NCAA Convention's annual honors dinner January 9 in San Diego.

Known primarily for his football heroics while at Navy, Staubach also earned three letters in basketball and one in baseball. In addition to the 1963 Heisman, he also won the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy, the Maxwell Trophy and was consensus all-America. At one time the holder of 28 Navy school records, he led the Midshipmen to the 1964 Cotton Bowl, where he set then-Cotton Bowl records for completions (21) and passing yards (228) for second- ranked Navy. Both an outstanding passer and runner, Staubach led the 1962 team in scoring with 42 points, and had team bests in longest run from scrimmage (68 yards) and yards rushing in a game (113), in addition to leading the team in all passing statistics.

He played center field, left field and pitched for the Academy's baseball team, too, displaying versatile talents similar to those he showed in the fall. As a senior, Staubach led the Middies in runs batted in and stolen bases. An outstanding fielder, he played errorless baseball as a junior. He hit .420 in 1963, and .481 in Eastern League games, which ranked third in the circuit. A defensive specialist in basketball, he lettered in 1963.

That same year, he became the first sophomore to win the Thompson Trophy Cup, which honors the midshipman who has done the most during the year for the promotion of Navy athletics and became the only three-time winner of the award by receiving it in each of his next two seasons. In 1965, he won the Naval Academy Athletic Association Sword, becoming the fourth midshipman since 1900 to win both the Thompson Cup and NAAA Sword.

After serving active naval duty from 1965-69, Staubach began a professional football career that would make him one of the National Football League's all-time quarterbacks, leading the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories, winning two National Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year awards and leading the NFL in passing four times. In his eight years as a starter during his 11-year career, he led Dallas to a 90-31 won-lost record. His best year may have been 1971, when he was the NFL's Most Valuable Player and The Sporting News Player of the Year, then was the Most Valuable Player in the 1972 Super Bowl. Inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1985, he had previously been inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

His other honors as a pro included the 1985 Walter Camp Man of the Year, 1979 Byron "Whizzer" White Humanitarian Award, 1975 Vince Lombardi Sportsman of the Year, 1975 Texas Pro Athlete of the Year and the 1971 Bert Bell Award.

Staubach paved the way for a successful post-football career during the offseason by serving as vice-president of the Henry S. Miller Company from 1969-80. He was chairman and chief executive officer of The Holloway-Staubach Corporation from 1977-81. Since 1981, he has been chairman of the board and CEO of The Staubach Company, a full-service real estate strategy and services firm.

The former football star is or has been active in numerous business and community organizations, including serving on leadership boards for the United Way of America; Brinker International; Children's Scholarship Fund; American Advantage Funds; International Home Foods, Inc.; The Salvation Army; and the Institute for Aerobics Research. He is the former chair of the Children's Cancer Fund.

His charitable/community awards include, among others, the 1998 Mission Award from St. Edward's University, 1992-93 Oak Cliff Lions Club Humanitarian Award, 1990 Dallas/Fort Worth Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 1988 Henry Cohn Humanitarian Award, 1989 Distinguished Service Award, 1979 Brian Piccolo Award and the 1976 Dallas Jaycees Man of the Year.