Duane Thomas, former Dallas Cowboys running back who helped lead the team to victory in Super Bowl VI, has died, according to the Dallas Morning News. He was 77 years old.
A Dallas native, Thomas starred at West Texas State in college and made his hometown team as the 23rd overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft. His next two seasons were eventful.
There was undoubtedly 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 803 total rushing yards and five touchdowns. He finished second in the AP Rookie of the Year poll and was poised for early NFL stardom.
He had even more success in his second season, leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 11 and total touchdowns with 13. One of them was the first touchdown in Texas Stadium history. Then he was arguably the best player on the field in Super Bowl VI, rushing for 95 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts in the Cowboys’ first championship.
Roger Staubach, who threw for 119 yards with two touchdowns, won Super Bowl MVP.
Off the field, however, Thomas I saw a lot of friction in Dallas. After that great debut season, he tried to renegotiate his contract. When the Cowboys refused, he was quoted as calling Tom Landry “a plastic man…no man” and legendary executive Gil Brandt “a liar.”
Thomas refused to report to 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 TDs) and didn’t speak to the media all 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 accumulated a total of 442 rushing yards.
After a stint in the World Football League, Thomas re-signed with the Cowboys, but was released before the start of the season.
