Clint Longley

Howard Clinton "Clint" Longley, Jr. (born July 28, 1952) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. He played two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys (1974–1975) and one for the San Diego Chargers (1976). Longley earned his nickname the "Mad Bomber" for bouncing passes off of Coach Tom Landry's coaching tower in the Cowboys' training camp. He played college football at Abilene Christian University.

Early years
After attending Littleton High School, he enrolled at Abilene Christian University without a scholarship. In 1973 as a junior, he led the nation's small colleges in passing and total offense, with 3,167 yards and 28 touchdowns. He set a school record by passing for 434 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 victory against Southwest Texas State University.

Longley finished the year guiding his team to 11 straight victories and the NAIA championship. He would also receive Small College All-America honors and was named along with teammate Wilbert Montgomery, to the 1973 NAIA football All Star team, which backfield included Walter Payton.

He passed up his senior year in 1974 to enter the NFL.

Dallas Cowboys
Because he left college before his final year of eligibility, he entered the free agent pool in 1974 where he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals and eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth round draft choice. During that season he was named the backup quarterback to Roger Staubach, after having a strong training camp and the trade of Craig Morton to the New York Giants.

He is best remembered for his performance in a Thanksgiving Day game in 1974 against the Washington Redskins. Longley then a rookie, came into the game for an injured Roger Staubach with the Cowboys trailing 16-3 in the third quarter, and facing elimination from the playoffs. After hitting Billy Joe Dupree for a 35-yard touchdown pass, he led the Cowboys on a 70-yard drive capped by a 1-yard Walt Garrison touchdown run. Finally, with the Cowboys behind 23-17 and with only 28 seconds left with no time outs, Longley hit Drew Pearson down the middle for a 50-yard hail mary pass touchdown which gave the Cowboys a dramatic 24-23 come from behind victory. Because Longley had no expectation of playing in that game and was completely unprepared, Cowboys lineman Blaine Nye sarcastically called his winning effort "the triumph of the uncluttered mind." The game was named the second-best in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008.

After a training room incident in which he punched Roger Staubach during the 1976 preseason, the team suspended and eventually traded him to the San Diego Chargers for a first and second draft choices, that the Cowboys would eventually use to draft Tony Dorsett.

Although his exit was not graceful, he will forever be part of Cowboys lore and Thanksgiving Day football memories.

San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers traded for him with the intetion of creating a competition with Dan Fouts, but decided to waive him the following year during the 1977 training camp.

Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
He spent part of the 1977 season with the Toronto Argonauts, playing in 8 games before being released.

Saint Louis Cardinals
The Saint Louis Cardinals signed him in 1978, but would eventually waived him before the season started.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL)
After a year out of football, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed him in 1980, but he couldn't make the roster.

Roger Staubach incident
Unfortunately less than two years after his Thanksgiving Day heroics, Longley under pressure from Danny White for the back-up QB role, left the Cowboys in disgrace after he landed a blindside punch on Staubach during training camp in Thousand Oaks, California. The infamous "sucker punch" occurred after Longley and Staubach had fought over a negative remark Longley made about Staubach to fellow Cowboy teammates. Staubach was putting on his shoulder pads on the last day of training camp when Longley hit him in the face without warning and from behind, requiring several stitches to close the wound on Staubach's face. Longley was immediately traded to the San Diego Chargers where he finished his career with little more success.

Apparently, there is more to the story. "History says Staubach ripped Longley for mouthing off about teammates, but Gil Brandt said the tiff between Staubach and Longley began with a simple game of boredom.

"Roger always could bounce the football off the ground to come right back to him," Brandt said. "He'd do it over and over. They'd have contests, and Clint couldn't do it.

"Longley challenged Roger to a fight. Roger told him they were going to meet on another field after practice."

Staubach and Longley took off their helmets and pads. "They got after it," Brandt said. "Roger beat the hell out of him."

Assistant coach Dan Reeves had to break up the fight. Later, Longley sucker-punched Staubach in the dressing room.

"Tex (Schramm) had enough," Brandt said. "He told me to get rid of Longley immediately, so we traded him to San Diego for a first-round pick we used to help us get (running back) Tony Dorsett in the next draft.""

Personal life
When the NFL Network did a "Top 10 One Hit Wonders" list that included Longley, Steve Sabol said he last heard that Longley had ended up selling carpet remnants out of the back of a van in Marfa, Texas.