Golden Richards, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver who scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XII, died Friday morning at the age of 73.
After years of battling health and substance abuse issues, Richards developed congestive heart failure. According to the Deseret News.
“My uncle Golden passed away peacefully this morning,” said Richards’ nephew, Lance Richards. Posted on Facebook. “I’ll always remember going hunting and talking about Dallas Cowboy football. He was a kind and gentle person, and I’m so glad he’s not suffering anymore.
The Cowboys selected Richards in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft, where he became a valuable deep threat to star quarterback Roger Staubach.
The former BYU and University of Hawaii standout caught a career-high five touchdowns in 1974 and averaged more than 21 yards per catch in the 1975 and 1976 seasons.
Richards emerged as a valuable asset in Dallas’ quest for its second Super Bowl championship in 1977.
He caught a 32-yard touchdown in the NFC Championship Game against the Vikings to score the first point in a 23-6 victory.
Cowboys head coach Tom Landry liked to call trick plays in big games.
In the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl against the Broncos, running back Robert Newhouse threw a pass to Richards for a 29-yard touchdown, capping off the scoring in a 27-10 victory.
“People always think of that game as the highlight of my career, but it wasn’t,” Richards told the LA Times in 1993.
“Every game I played was a highlight. The best part was having my guys support me in the huddle when I was pinned down and the wind blew me away. Every game, the camaraderie during the game. was a highlight.”
Richards was traded to the Bears during the 1978 season, but his 1979 season was cut short by injury.
He then joined the Broncos in 1980, but was injured again and retired.
He finished his NFL career with 122 receptions for 2,136 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Doug Richards told the Deseret News that his brother fell and broke his hip on Christmas Day 2022 and has since undergone four surgeries.
Richards had battled problems with prescription drugs and alcohol during and after his playing days, but had been sober for the past 10 years, the newspaper reported.
“I never took drugs to get high. I took drugs because I couldn’t stand the pain,” he said in 1993.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011.
“The 175-pound wide receiver had multiple concussions and wasted seven or eight years on the football field,” the former BYU basketball star’s brother Doug told the publication. “It obviously took its toll.”
Richards has been divorced three times and has two sons and a two-year-old grandson.
