Roger the Dodger.  Captain America.  Captain Comeback.  Heisman Trophy Winner.  Hall of Famer.  Incredible teammate.

The legend of Roger Staubach is permanently etched in the football record books. Few have achieved so much success and so many accolades in their sports career.

Yet football is only one facet of his story.  Loyal son.  Devout Catholic.  Naval Academy graduate.  Vietnam Veteran.  Successful business man.  Husband.  Father of five. Grandfather of 15. Great grandfather of two.  These are also a huge part of the legacy of Roger Staubach.

And one simple philosophy brings all aspects of his legacy together.  A mindset that encapsulates his life as a teammate, businessman and family man.  One simple quote that has allowed him to lead such a successful and balanced life:

You just have to give a darn about someone other than yourself.

–Roger Staubach

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Feeling the Love

Roger Staubach grew up as an only child but was always surrounded by love and support.   He lived with his parents and his grandmother on a quiet street in the Cincinnati suburb of Silverton, Ohio.

“My parents were the best.  And all I wanted to do was make them proud of me.”

Mission accomplished.

As a boy, Roger attended St. John the Evangelist Catholic School, where he excelled at baseball, basketball and football.  But his parents constantly stressed education and balance.    So, in addition to sports, he also took piano lessons (at his mother’s insistence) as he studied under the watchful eye of Sister Aloysius.

But the most impactful day of his St. John’s years occurred in the fourth grade. That is the day he met Marianne Hoobler.  And some 13 years later, on September 4, 1965, Marianne Hoobler became Marianne Staubach.  Now that is feeling the love!

It was also during this formative time that Roger learned the importance of actions over words.  His mother was constantly admonishing against the evils of discrimination.  But she backed up those words with actions.

“I can still vividly remember my mother defending the African American families who had recently moved into the neighborhood. She took a public stand and wasn’t afraid.  I will never forget her courage. And that had a huge impact on me.”

Actions over words. It would become an important part of Roger Staubach’s legacy.

And Roger’s faith would be another important part of his legacy. Roger’s dad was a devout Catholic.  And growing up, Roger’s mom and dad taught him the importance of saying prayers and attending Church regularly.  It would be a practice Roger would continue throughout his college years, his early family years and right up through the present.  Faith was the bedrock of Roger’s formative years (and his constant reciting of the “Hail Mary” played a huge role later in his life).

Roger’s faith kept him grounded and humble.  It would always be a central part of his life.  And his faith helped Roger keep his priorities in place, even as success washed over him.

As he approached high school and his athletic achievements piled up, Roger Staubach remained balanced and grounded .

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“Always Look Down the Road”

Roger studied hard at Purcell High School and was eventually elected President of his Class.  He continued to excel in sports, but it was his prowess in baseball that would have the most profound impact on his life.

Roger was a standout defensive back for the football team.  But going into his senior year, his position coach, Bob Kruger, noticed his incredible arm on the baseball field.  He took a chance and strongly encouraged Roger to switch to quarterback.  He then convinced Head Coach Jim McCarthy to make it happen.  (Spoiler alert: It was a smart move!)

Without any previous experience, Roger dove right in and led his team to multiple victories as a mobile and accurate quarterback.  College scouts were late to the party but a few (Northwestern and Purdue) started to take notice.

Then fate struck again.  An assistant football coach at The Naval Academy, Rick Forzano, came to Purcell High to recruit Roger’s friend, Jerry Momper.  Jerry was a burly center on the team and Coach Forzano wanted to see him in action.  Naturally he needed a quarterback to take the snaps.  One look at Roger’s commanding presence and smooth delivery and Coach Forzano knew he may have stumbled upon something special.

Roger received a handful of college offers and had to weigh his options.  He had a few uncles join the military and loved the idea of serving his country, but it was still a tough decision.  Once again, mom always knows best.

“My parents placed a such a high value on education.  And it was my mom who always taught me to look down the road.  This was not a football decision.  She wanted me to go the school that would put me in the best position for the long haul.”

It was all set.  After he completed his first season as a high school quarterback, Roger Staubach committed to The United States Naval Academy.

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Life as a Midshipmen

Prior to attending the Naval Academy, Roger took a post-grad year at New Mexico Military Institute.

“My time in New Mexico was special.  That year set the foundation for my football, education and military training.  I will always be grateful for that year.”

After successfully completing the year, Roger entered the Naval Academy as a Plebe (Freshman) in the Fall of 1961.  Back in those days, you were only allowed to play three years of Varsity Football.  So after starring on the Plebe Football Team, Roger got his shot at big-time college football in the Fall of 1962.  As usual, he made the most of his opportunities.

He finally got into the action in the third game of the season against The University of Minnesota.  At the time, Minnesota had a suffocating defense anchored by future Hall of Famers Bobby Bell and Carl Eller.  Halfway through the contest, Coach Wayne Hardin turned to Roger for a much-needed spark.  Roger went 0-2 passing and was sacked twice en route to a 21-0 loss.

“Things didn’t start off so hot”, Roger recalled.

That’s okay, things finished pretty hot.

The next game, against Cornell, Coach Hardin once again brought his future star off the bench.  This time Roger responded by leading Navy to six touchdown drives.  Roger remained the starting quarterback for the rest of his time at The Naval Academy.

And his junior year was the stuff of dreams.  The team was captained by center/linebacker Tom Lynch, and the two developed a friendship and respect that lasts until this day.

“Tom Lynch is the best. He was the heart and soul of that team.”

And the quarterback and center were in perfect synch all season. Roger threw for over 1,700 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for over 400 yards and another eight touchdowns.  More importantly to Roger, the team had unprecedented success, catapulting to #2 in the country while racking up huge rivalry wins against Army and Notre Dame.

“It took us 44 years to do that to Notre Dame again!”

Staubach’s heroic efforts made him the runaway Heisman Trophy favorite. In fact, one game before the season ended, they announced that Staubach had won the prestigious award by the largest margin in history!

“To me, The Heisman was a team award. That was a really good team with really good players.”

Actions, not words. Class all the way.

The Midshipmen went on to lose to Texas in the National Championship that year. But they had never tasted such unbridled success.   And the bonds from that team will never be broken.

“Friends such as Pat Donnelly and Skip Orr mean the world to me.  I still stay in touch with a number of players from that team.”

(Editor’s note: The 1963 team will be gathering at the Naval Academy this Fall to commemorate the 55th Reunion of that dream season.)

Roger’s senior season was marred by injury but he was still able to come back to play in the Army-Navy game. Army was led by legendary quarterback Rollie Stichweh.  And the two battled back and forth.  Ultimately,  Rollie’s heroics vaulted Army to a narrow victory in a defensive battle.

But Roger had finished the season strong. He was selected to Co-Captain the College All-Star game, along with Dick Butkus, and played with Gayle Sayers and other college legends of the time. They took on the Cleveland Browns (imagine that happening today!) and held their own against the professional players.

“After that game, I knew I could play at the next level. Of course I owed my time in the service, but the confidence I gained from that game sustained me during those years.”

Roger Staubach graduated from The Naval Academy in the late Spring of 1965. His life was just beginning.

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Serving with Pride

In September of that same year, Roger and Marianne married. Before embarking on their military adventure together, the professional scouts and representatives came calling.   Lamar Hunt, founder of the “new” American Football League and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, was a true gentleman and a master businessman. He made a personal pitch and Roger had a deep respect for him.

But a year earlier, Gil Brandt, vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys had visited the Staubach Family to inquire about Roger leaving the Naval Academy early.  Since he had completed a year at New Mexico Military Institute, that could potentially count toward his four year commitment.  Why not forgo his senior year and get a head start on his professional career?

Mrs. Staubach wasn’t keen on that idea.  She threw Gil out of the house!

But ultimately, the Staubach Family came to love Gil Brandt.  And after checking with Captain Paul Borden, his Navy Legal Officer, Roger signed with The Dallas Cowboys of the more traditional National Football League.

“The Cowboys offered me a $10,000 signing bonus. I gave my parents $2,000, Marianne’s parents $2,000, and we kept the rest. With my $500 a month stipend from the Navy, it was more money than I ever could have hoped for.”

Those were the days.

When it came time to start his service, Roger was commissioned into the Supply Corps. He discovered he was partially color-blind while at the Academy so he was not allowed to serve on a ship. He could have spent his entire 4 years in the U.S. but he volunteered to go to Vietnam instead.  Actions, not words.

Once there, he worked at the Naval Support Group in Da Nang and had over 100 enlisted men an Vietnamese working for him in ammunition and supplies. During that time, he lived at Camp Tien Sha. He then spent his next six months at Chu Lai.

One day, at Chu Lai, fellow teammates and Naval Academy classmates Larry Graham and Eddie Gill returned from a mission for the newly-formed SEAL unit.  Staubach asked them what they did in the field.

“We can’t tell you what we did”, Gill replied.  “But it sure was a helluva lot more than you ever did!”

Ouch.  Boys will be boys.

And football took a backseat as Roger hunkered down and served with pride.

Roger returned to the US in 1967 and resumed playing football on the military base in Pensocola with pilots and former college football players.  They played against small colleges and other military teams and it was great competition. In 1968, Roger used up his entire amount of leave to join the Dallas Cowboys in Texas for their rookie camp. It was another huge confidence booster and reminder that, after his commitment to the military was up, he could still play the game.

In July of 1969, Staubach resigned his naval commission and officially joined the Cowboys in training camp as a 27 year-old rookie. One chapter had closed. But a glorious one was only just beginning.

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Climbing to the Top

Roger Staubach expected to begin his professional football career as the third-string quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. But fabled quarterback Don Meredith abruptly retired just before training camp and only Craig Morton remained on the roster. It was the first of many fortuitous turns for Staubach.

Prior to the Cowboys’ first game of the 1969 season, starting quarterback Craig Morton hurt his finger. Roger started in his very first eligible game in the National Football League. And it was a good start. Staubach completed the first touchdown pass of his career to Lance Renztel on a 75-yard score to take the lead for good against the St. Louis Cardinals.

“That was a big game for me. I was confident I could play but to actually go out and do it after four years felt good.”

But Morton came back the next game and took over the for the rest of the season. The following season, Staubach played in only three games, and the Cowboys made a run to the Super Bowl with Morton at the helm. They ultimately lost the game but the starting quarterback in Dallas was very much up in the air as the Cowboys entered the 1971-’72 football season.

Head Coach Tom Landry gave both quarterbacks a fair look in training camp.

“Coach Landry was a great man. He was always prepared and he had specific measurable goals for every player. He was like an engineer with his methodical process. But he didn’t take emotion into play.”

And Staubach was an emotional player. Pouring his heart into every snap. Scrambling for every yard. Urging his teammates on and making them better. Roger had waited four years in the service and then two full seasons for his shot. He wanted to make his mark. But he stayed patient and resilient.

Staubach started the first game of the ’71-’72 season but was knocked out in second game against the Philadelphia Eagles.  Morton started the next few games but after a loss to the New Orleans Saints, Staubach became the starter. Back and forth it went.  The next game, against the Chicago Bears, Morton and Staubach not only alternated every series, they alternated every play! The Cowboys lost the game and dropped to 4-3 on the season. Things couldn’t go on like this.

Staubach went about his business. He had little control over the situation. So he practiced as hard as he could and left it up to the coaches.

“On Monday night of that week, (Receivers Coach) Ray Renfro gave me a heads up. He called me aside and told me the coaches decided that I was going to finish the year off.”

The next morning Coach Landry made it official. Roger Staubach was named the starting quarterback and, outside of injury, he would not relinquish that role for the rest of his Dallas Cowboys career.

“Craig Morton was incredibly supportive and a true class act.  I can’t thank him enough for that.”

Staubach led the Cowboys to 7 straight regular season victories and then marched them through three 3 more wins in the post-season to secure the Cowboys first-ever Super Bowl Championship! And for his heroics, Roger was named MVP of Super Bowl VI.

“I don’t know why they gave me the MVP. I only threw 19 passes.”

Maybe because you completed 12 of them for two touchdowns and no interceptions while calmly leading your team to the most lopsided win in Super Bowl History?

As part of his MVP accolades, Staubach also earned a brand-new Dodge Charger Sports Car. But it didn’t suit him and he turned it in for a more practical station wagon.

“I had three little kids at the time. We would have two more before we were done. How was I going to fit everyone into that Charger?”

Always looking down the road. It was a no-brainer for Roger, and he really didn’t think his life had changed.

“Then a few weeks later, Marianne and I are lying in bed watching ‘The Tonight Show’. All of the sudden, comedian Don Rickles comes on and starts laying into me about taking that station wagon. He called me the most boring man in the world! I couldn’t believe it!”

That’s when Roger knew that winning a Super Bowl was a pretty big deal.

Having waited over six years to compete for a starting position in the NFL, Roger Staubach had climbed to the top of the professional football world. And the rest is history (literally).

Staubach went on to play in three more Super Bowls (winning one more). His acrobatic and elusive scrambling technique (“Roger the Dodger”) and knack for heroic come-from-behind victories (“Captain Comeback”) further cemented his legend. And of course, his “Hail Mary” pass (remember his devout upbringing) in the last seconds of the 1975 playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings (featuring Carl Eller) is still regarded as one of the greatest plays in NFL history.

Roger Staubach retired from professional football in 1980 after 11 NFL seasons. When he finished, he was the highest rated passer of all time and the only player to ever win the Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl MVP. And five years later, he became a first-ballot NFL Hall of Famer.

 But, again, he was only getting started.

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Building a New Future

Upon retirement, most NFL players crave the rush of the cheering crowds and the adoring fans. Transition to life outside of football was often painful.   But not for Roger.

He was taught to always look down the road. And he had done exactly that to prepare for his first retirement.

Starting in 1970, Roger interned for his friend and mentor, Henry Miller, in the offseason.

“Henry was a lot like Coach Landry. Classy. Smart. Fair. He gave me my first shot in the business world.”

Eventually, Roger transitioned from insurance to real estate within Henry’s firm. He learned everything he could about the transactions and the business side of the deals. He was promoted to Vice President in the off-season after being named Super MVP (yet another perk!) and eventually partnered with his office mate, Robert Holloway, to form Holloway/Staubach Real Estate.

Upon retiring from the NFL, Roger already had his business up and running. In 1982, he bought out Holloway and formed The Staubach Company. He then made a strategic decision to focus less on real estate development and more on representing large tenants looking for office space. It was a very unique angle and his timing and execution were perfect.

He needed a landmark early client for his business and he found it in Commercial Metals Company (CMC) out of Irving, Texas.  Hard-working broker Kay Cotter forged a great relationship with CMC real estate head Bob Meier.  And when dynamic CMC CEO Stan Rabin gave his blessing, it was a match made in heaven.  (CMC is still trusted client today).

That gave The Staubach Company momentum.  And signature clients such as Steak & Ale and International Paper followed.  Then MCI came on as a client, allowing the company to eventually expand out of Dallas and open a second office in Washington, DC (the irony!).  His business grew exponentially from there.

“I believe if you get the right people in the right places, working together, miracles can happen.”

Teamwork was the key. And under Roger’s leadership, miracles kept on happening.

“Earning trust from your client comes from balance. You have to give back as much as you take out.”

And isn’t that true of all our relationships.

Just as it was always about his teammates, it was now always about the client. It was all about effort. This relentless focus on the client, and giving a darn about someone other than yourself, paid huge dividends.

The Staubach Company exploded into a multi-million dollar real estate corporation over the next twenty-five years. They added multiple service lines and expanded from two offices in the US to 68 offices around the globe. And with this success, like most businesses, came tough decisions.

“I never wanted to fire anyone. But if you put your own personal gains above the client’s needs, you were gone. ‘Adversity reveals genius, prosperity conceals it’.”

Amen, Roger.

The Staubach Company kept on expanding and kept on doing business the right way. The culture of winning and respect was unparalleled and the real estate world took notice. On July 11, 20o8, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) bought The Staubach Company for a tidy sum of money. But Roger wasn’t about to abandon ship.

“We could have structured that deal a lot of ways. But I really didn’t deserve to walk away with all the money.”

Roger agreed to stay on as Executive Vice Chairman of JLL Americas to help ensure a smooth and profitable transition.

“The folks at JLL were really good to me. And so many folks I worked with were so loyal. I wanted to make sure the partnership worked for everyone in the long run.”

Now, almost 10 years later, Roger Staubach still serves as Executive Chairman of JLL. And former Staubach executives John Gates and Greg O’Brien still serve in executive leadership at JLL.  The culture and the company are as strong and vibrant as ever. Roger has now spent 47 years in real estate. Almost five times as long as his NFL career.

And after all the accolades, all the rewards, and all the success, how does Roger Staubach want to be remembered?

“As a good husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather”.

Mission accomplished, Roger.

“Marianne and I couldn’t be luckier to have five great kids, fifteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren.  What a blessing!” 

Absolutely.  And your own parents would be proud.

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“I Can Still Throw”

As I was leaving Roger Staubach’s beautiful office, I had one final question. I had heard he used to go Jesuit High School, Texas Stadium, and AT&T Stadium over the years on Thanksgiving Day to throw the football around for some of the local kids. I asked him if he still carried on that tradition.

“Absolutely. But I just can’t move around as well as I used to”.

It was classic Staubach, aw shucks, modesty.  

Then his expression changed and he looked directly at me.

“But I can still throw!”

It was the look of a confident, decorated athlete. It was the look of a military veteran who had served his country with pride. It was the look of someone who has always looked down the road. It was the look of someone who has lived his life through actions, not words. It was the look of a businessman with a relentless focus on the customer.  It was the look of a man of faith who always kept his priorities straight.

It was the look of someone who always gave a darn about someone other than himself.

That one look said it all.

How many of us stay focused on the present but look down the road for opportunities?

How many of us back up our words with actions?

How many of us take the time to truly care about our teammates?

How many of us always put the customer first?

How many of us give back as much as we take out from life?

How many of us prioritize our family relationships?

It’s all about feeling the love.

Thank you, Roger, for showing us all the path to a resilient, balanced life!