Former Dallas Cowboys running back Duane Thomas, who helped lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl championship in 1972, died this week in Sedona, AZ at the age of 77.
Team officials confirmed his passing to the Dallas Morning News on Tuesday, though a cause of death was not given. Thomas' NFL career was short-lived, playing just two seasons with the Cowboys and four seasons total, but his stint was memorable. Having been drafted as a first-round pick in 1970, Thomas led the team in rushing his rookie season despite not starting until the fifth game.
During his first offseason with the Cowboys, Thomas famously demanded that his three-year contract be renegotiated. But when management denied his request, he slammed president Tex Schramm as "deceitful," player personnel director Gil Brandt a "liar," and head coach Tom Landry "a plastic man ... no man at all."
Thomas was subsequently traded to the New England Patriots in exchange for Carl Garrett. But when he refused to report for practice, in an unprecedented move NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle voided the trade and sent both players back to their original teams. During that 1971 season, though Thomas refused to speak to his teammates or the media, he became the first player to score a touchdown in the newly-constructed Texas Stadium.
Following the 1971 regular season, he also scored a touchdown in the Cowboys' 1972 Super Bowl VI 24–3 win against the Miami Dolphins. Before the championship, when asked playing in the "ultimate game," Thomas also notoriously responded: "If it's the ultimate ... how come they're playing it again next year?"
Though he became known for his surly attitude off the field, Thomas' daughter, Zalika Thomas described her father as "talker" who was "so eloquent." She said that he was also a painter who loved jazz and 1970s R&B music, particularly artists such as the Commodores, Marvin Gaye, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
"My dad was a very loving dad, and he was very strategic," Thomas recalled on Tuesday. "I’m a lot like my dad. Growing up he always said that about me. I totally got it as I started mentoring in life. He’s very strategic and analytical and very compassionate."
Thomas’ former teammate Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson likewise payed tribute in a Facebook post on Monday. "The Great Duane Thomas passed away yesterday," Henderson wrote. "He was a great Cowboy. On his comeback he was one of my roommates in Thousand Oaks. Lots of laughs and moments."
Most Popular
Comments / 0