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10 things to know about Roger Staubach: From serving in Vietnam to playing catch with a young Bill Belichick

Here are 10 things you might not know about Dallas Cowboys legend and quarterback Roger Staubach:

1. He served in Vietnam

Staubach served five years with the Navy and was in Vietnam for one of those years. He was in command of 41 men while overseas.

In a story with "Stars and Stripes," he told writer Ray Mahon that he thought he'd be a good professional football player, back in 1966.

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"I honestly feel I can make it," Staubach told Mahon. "I hope to stay in good condition, although it's difficult here because there aren't any recreation facilities. However, there are plans to build some as soon as the essential construction is completed."

Click here to read the full story.

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2. Color blindness

In "The President's Team: The 1963 Army-Navy Game and the Assassination of JFK," authors Michael Connelly and Tom Lynch wrote that Staubach shouldn't have been allowed into the Naval Academy.

"During a pre-admission eye exam," they wrote, "Staubach was passed despite being color blind. If the malady had been properly identified by the clerk, the midshipman-to-be's assignment would have been immediately revoked."

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The reason? Determining the difference from the port and starboard lights, which are red and green.

3. He's one of four to win Heisman *and* Super Bowl MVP

Those four are the following:

Staubach: Heisman in 1963 with Navy, Super Bowl VI MVP with Dallas

Jim Plunkett: Heisman in 1970 with Stanford, Super Bowl XV MVP with Oakland

Marcus Allen: Heisman in 1981 with USC, Super Bowl XVIII MVP with Los Angeles

Desmond Howard: Heisman in 1991 with Michigan, Super Bowl XXI MVP with Green Bay

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4. He rushed for a touchdown in his first career NFL game

On Sept. 21, 1969, Staubach started in his first career NFL game with a 75-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lance Rentzel. He also rushed for a touchdown later in that game as the Cowboys defeated the Cardinals 24-3. Staubach finished with 20 rushing touchdowns for his career. The most he ever had in a season was four in 1975.

According to Pro Football Reference, Staubach is 12th all-time in rushing touchdowns for the Cowboys. His 20 rushing touchdowns are two more than running back Julius Jones, nine more than Felix Jones and 15 more than Tony Romo. DeMarco Murray, now with the Eagles, finished with 28 in his career with the Cowboys.

Don't believe us? Eat your hearts out.

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5. His impact on Brett Favre

Favre is a Hall of Fame quarterback, as is Staubach. And while Favre spent most of his professional career in a Packers jersey, he really wanted to be a Cowboy growing up. Why?

Staubach.

"I wanted to be the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback," Favre said on the Doomsday Podcast with Matt Mosley and Ed Werder. "When I was a little kid, my favorite player -- and still my favorite player of all time -- was Roger Staubach. There was nothing about the Cowboys I could not tell you.

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"To have a chance first of all to play in the National Football League is a tremendous honor. And although I didn't get to play for the Cowboys, I got to play against them, and I got to meet Roger Staubach. I'd like to call him -- I think it's OK to say a good friend. I still get goosebumps when I talk to him."

Favre might've  liked being a Cowboy so he wouldn't have had to play them on the road. He went winless in his career at Texas Stadium going 0-6. He didn't get a road win against Dallas until he joined Minnesota and the Cowboys switched to play at AT&T Stadium.

6. Real estate

Alexandra Wolfe wrote a feature for the Wall Street Journal on Staubach in August 2014. She writes that the former Cowboys quarterback's real-estate firm helped corporations locate facilities, like moving offices. He created the company in 1977. That means he had the company for his final two years of his professional football career.

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His company had 68 offices and about 1,800 employees, according to Wolfe, in 2008. Staubach sold his company that year for $613 million.

7. He knew Bill Belichick before he was, well, Bill Belichick

Yes, both men are Super Bowl champions -- but there is another connection between the two. While Staubach was playing football at Navy, Bill's father, Steve Belichick, was an assistant coach for the Midshipmen.

Staubach said to KRLD-FM 105.3 The Fan that he would throw the ball with Bill.

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"Well, I grew up at the Naval Academy and Bill Belichick's dad was a coach there. So Bill was a kid there," Staubach said. " ... Steve Belichick, Bill's father, was at the Academy when I was. When they won the Super Bowl that first time, Steve had retired and was on the sideline. He came running over to me before the game and gave me a big hug. After the game, he said winning that Super Bowl next to his son was the most excited he's ever been. Bill idolizes his dad and rightfully so."

Bill Belichick had high praise of Staubach to Gene Wang of the Washington Post:

"For a guy who won the Heisman, he was such a humble guy, a hard-working guy," Bill Belichick told Wang. "First one on the field, last one off. Just had everybody's respect. Everybody knew that he was obviously the star on the team and had a million demands, but he never put himself above the team. He was always just one of the guys."

8. Did he coin the "Hail Mary" pass?

In 1975, the Cowboys played the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs. They won 17-14 on a late 50-yard touchdown heave from Staubach to Drew Pearson. Reporters asked him what happened after the game. "Well, I guess you could call it a Hail Mary. You throw it up and pray," Staubach said.

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9. In the news with U.S. Presidents

Bob Dole took home the most votes at the 1976 Republican National Convention for the Vice Presidential nomination. That was good for 85.04 percent of the vote. Staubach, who was still playing for the Cowboys, received one vote. That equaled the total for George H.W. Bush, who later became the 41st President of the United States, as well as the Vice President under Ronald Reagan.

Check out the full vote tally here.

This wasn't the first time he was in news pertaining to U.S. President. In Nov. 2018, President Donald Trump bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Staubach.

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"They just can't catch him. He is something," President Donald Trump said during the East Wing ceremony, recalling the exceptional talent Staubach displayed on the field. "What a career it was."

10. He's like Joe Namath ... in a non-football way

The following interview took place in 1975. Staubach's message about himself and Joe Namath was … revealing.

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Mobile users, click here to watch the video.

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