Duane Thomas, the former Dallas Cowboys running back who helped lead the team to victory in Super Bowl VI, has died. According to the Dallas Morning NewsHe was 77 years old.
A native of Dallas, Thomas starred at West Texas State University and joined his hometown team as the 23rd overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft. His next two seasons were eventful.
There was certainly success on the field. Thomas ascended to the starting role midway through his rookie season and ended up leading the league with 5.3 yards per attempt, with a total of 803 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He finished second in AP Rookie of the Year voting and was poised for early NFL stardom.
In his second season, he had even more success, leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 11 and total touchdowns with 13. One of those was the first touchdown in Texas Stadium history. He then was arguably the best player on the field in Super Bowl VI, rushing for 95 yards and scoring a touchdown on 19 attempts in the Cowboys’ first championship.
Roger Staubach, who threw for 119 yards with two touchdowns, won the Super Bowl MVP award.
However, off the field, Thomas I saw a lot of friction in DallasAfter that breakout rookie season, he attempted to renegotiate his contract. When the Cowboys refused, he is quoted as calling Tom Landry “a plastic man… no man at all” and legendary executive Gil Brandt “a liar.”
Thomas refused to report to training camp after that and was traded to the New England Patriots. That trade was voided by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle after Thomas left Patriots training camp. He then didn’t report to Dallas until October (the same year he led the NFL in touchdowns) and didn’t speak to the media for the entire season. He was arrested for marijuana possession two weeks after the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys were apparently ready to move on after that. They traded him to the San Diego Chargers the following summer. He missed the entire 1972 season after refusing to report to the team. He played his final two seasons in Washington, where he totaled 442 rushing yards.
After one season in the World Football League, Thomas re-signed with the Cowboys, but was waived before the start of the season.