Former Dallas Cowboys running back Duane Thomas, who ran for 95 yards in the team’s first Super Bowl victory, has died at the age of 77. According to the Dallas Morning News:.
The cause of Thomas’ death has not been disclosed.
“The great Duane Thomas passed away yesterday,” Thomas’ former teammate, Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson, posted on Facebook on Monday. “He was a great Cowboy. After his return he became one of my roommates in Thousand Oaks. Lots of laughs and moments. May Duane Thomas rest in peace.”
As a rookie in 1970, Thomas led the Cowboys with 803 yards rushing and had 100-plus-yard performances in the playoffs against the Lions and 49ers.
However, during the offseason, he criticized Cowboys management for refusing to renegotiate his contract, calling head coach Tom Landry a “plastic man.”
He was traded to the Patriots, but then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle rescinded the trade between Dallas and New England.
Thomas returned to Dallas but vowed not to speak to teammates, coaching staff or the media for the duration of the season.
“I’m remembered for my silence,” he admitted in 1988. “Everywhere I go, people say, ‘Duane, why didn’t you say something?’
Thomas excelled on the field in 1971, leading the league in rushing touchdowns (11) and total touchdowns (13).
He scored touchdowns in Dallas’ three postseason victories, including Super Bowl VI, a 24-3 victory over the Dolphins that earned the Cowboys their first Super Bowl title.
After the game, CBS announcer Tom Brookshire asked Thomas if he was as fast as he looked, to which Thomas replied, “Definitely.”
Years later, Sports Illustrated’s Paul Zimmerman wrote that reporters almost unanimously selected Thomas as the Super Bowl MVP, but because the winner was scheduled to give a speech, the magazine announced quarterback Roger Staubach as the winner.
It was Thomas’ final game with the Cowboys.
He signed with the Chargers in 1972, but was suspended by the team for failing to report and never played for San Diego.
Thomas spent two seasons with Washington and also played for the Hawaiians of the World Football League.
His returns with the Cowboys and Packers were unsuccessful.
According to a 2004 Sports Illustrated article, he also did carpentry and moving work.
Ironically, when asked about the Super Bowl, Thomas uttered one of football’s greatest quotes: “That’s the ultimate [game]Why are you performing again next year?”
