American Football Database
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Doug Cosbie
No. 84     
Tight end
Personal information
Date of birth: (1956-03-27) March 27, 1956 (age 68)
Place of birth: Palo Alto, California
High School: Saint Francis
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Weight: 236 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College: Santa Clara
NFL Draft: 1979 / Round: 3 / Pick: 76
Debuted in 1979 for the Dallas Cowboys
Last played in 1988 for the Dallas Cowboys
Career history
* Dallas Cowboys ( 1979 1988)
*Inactive and/or offseason member only
Roster status: Retired
Career highlights and awards
* Honorable Mention All-Pacific Coast (1978)
Games     144
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Douglas Durant Cosbie (born March 27, 1956) is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft. A 6'6", 236-lb. tight end from Santa Clara University, Cosbie played his entire NFL career for the Cowboys from 1979 to 1988. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection from 1983 to 1985.

Early years[]

Cosbie is a graduate of Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California. In 1973, he helped the Lancers reach the finals of the Central Coast Section playoffs, before losing the title game 32-30 to Saratoga High School. In 1974, he was part of the first Santa Clara Valley All-Star Football Game, playing with the North team.

College career[]

After high school he moved on to De Anza College. He transferred to the College of the Holy Cross but lasted less than a year there, before transferring again to Santa Clara University, where he was a three-year starter at a tight end for head coach Pat Malley. In the 1978 Spring Game, he ran over the strong safety (Dan Keefe) twice, knocking him unconscious both times. Coach Malley insisted that Cosbie had actually let up just before impact. He finished his college career as Santa Clara's top receiving tight end with 120 receptions, 1,721 receiving yards, 14.3 yards per reception and 10 touchdowns.[1] His records were eventually broken by Brent Jones.[2] For his achievements, Cosbie was inducted into the Santa Clara University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Professional career[]

Dallas Cowboys[]

Cosbie was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft.[3] That year, the Cowboys were placed in the third round just ahead of the San Francisco 49ers. The Cowboys' draft strategy through that time was to take the highest-ranked player on their draft board, regardless of position. When the Cowboys' turn came up in the third round, the highest rated player on their board was Joe Montana. However, feeling that the quarterback position was in excellent shape with Roger Staubach and Danny White, and needing a tight end, the Cowboys went off their strategy and drafted Cosbie.[4] The 49ers ended selecting Montana.

By his third season in Dallas, he was sharing the starting tight end spot with Billy Joe DuPree and eventually replaced him in 1982.

Although he was an effective blocker, he became more of a receiving threat than any previous Cowboys tight end. He caught over 60 passes in a season twice during his career, and set team records for a tight end with catches and yards per season and career, which have since been broken by Jay Novacek and Jason Witten. In 1982, he lost his starting job to Thornton Chandler.

Cosbie caught 300 passes for 3,728 yards and 30 touchdowns and also had 22 catches for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns in 7 playoff games. He still ranks seventh in franchise history in receptions. He made three straight Pro Bowls from 1983 to 1985. In 1985, he was named to the UPI All-Pro NFC team.[5]

He is part of the Cowboys franchise's legacy of great tight ends that includes: Jim Doran, Lee Folkins, Pettis Norman, Mike Ditka, Billy Joe DuPree, Jackie Smith, Jay Novacek and Jason Witten.

Denver Broncos[]

In 1989, he was left unprotected by the Cowboys in Plan B free agency and signed with the Denver Broncos.[6] He decided to retire during training camp that season, after playing for 10 years in the NFL and also in three NFC Championship games.[7]

Coaching career[]

Business career[]

Cosbie worked in Hollywood from 2006 to 2010 for Shangri-La Entertainment. He is also co-owner of The La Jolla Group, along with fellow Santa Clara University athletes, Rich Brown and Kurt Rambis.

References[]

External links[]

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