REMEMBERING THE CINCINNATI KID

While being known for many things throughout his football playing days, No. 12 remains remembered for being a class act on and off the field

It was 1960. The Cameron College football team in Lawton, Okla. had just finished hearing a final scouting report on our next opponent − the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) from Roswell, New Mexico. I learned from the scouting report we might be outmanned by those guys from Roswell. They were bigger, had good speed, and they had a quarterback that was supposed to be an elite passer out of Purcell High School in Cincinnati. He had a reputation as someone special, and this guy was leading the Oklahoma JUCO Conference in passing-yardage, attempts and completions. Our coaches said he was the real deal, and we had better buckle up.

I was in my last year of playing for the Cameron Aggies, and we were looking to regain momentum and pride after a tough loss at San Angelo Junior College. The Cameron Aggies had been undefeated and leading the Eastern Division in the conference in total offense, while NMMI was leading in the Western Division. NMMI might have been a bit cocky since they had easily beaten San Angelo two weeks before. They believed they would take complete control of the game on Saturday night.

But the night we had played San Angelo, our quarterback Byron Beaver was ejected from the game because their linebacker took a cheap shot while Beaver was out of bounds. Beaver responded and was ejected from the game in the very first series of plays. We had to use an inexperienced freshman quarterback for the rest of the game, and we lost, 28-21.

The day before we were to play NMMI, we finished our light afternoon workout. Coach Montgomery told us to go to the dorm and stay there because NMMI was due to arrive shortly, and they were to use our practice field after a seven-hour bus trip from Roswell.

After hearing all the hype about their quarterback, I was very curious. So instead of staying at the dorm as told, three of us hung around the back side of the gymnasium that bordered the practice field where we hid among the shrubbery and watched NMMI workout. When their bus arrived, we saw the guys unload, and I remember how big those guys were.

After they finished their warm-ups, they ran some timing drills, and then they ran pass-patterns. Number 12 was making some really good throws and I thought…this must be the guy! The Cincinnati Kid! He looked pretty good! After watching him throw more passes, I thought, “We might be in trouble! This guy can hum it. We will have our hands full tomorrow night!”

The Cameron Aggies might be in trouble. We had a very good and solid football team, but we’d need to get ready for a tough battle the next night.

On Saturday night, the wind was calm, and the weather was perfect for football. The Aggies were all fired up and ready to go. I kicked off, and they took a touchback, starting on their own 20-yard line. Out came Number 12, “The Cincinnati Kid.” He immediately took control and came out throwing. He threw short, he threw across the middle, he threw long, and soon they were in the end zone.

We received their kickoff and immediately started driving down the field. Byron Beaver hit me on a 45-yard scoring pass, and we were tied at seven. When NMMI got the ball, Number 12 started moving his team down the field again with pinpoint passing. Cameron held, they punted, and Joe Harris ran it back for a score.

We teetered back and forth for a few series. But in the second quarter, Cameron’s defense started hammering the NMMI receivers, and they started dropping passes while trying to locate our hard-hitting defensive backs. Our defense continued to stiffen, and it seemed that NMMI had a meltdown. We scored again, we returned a punt for a score, we scored on a fumble and things continued going our way.

Number 12 fought back with his passing attack, but they never again reached the goal line. The game ended with a Cameron Aggie victory, 40-7.

Number 12, more commonly known as Roger Staubach, amassed 360 passing yards that night and put on a good aerial show. He proved to us that he was the real deal. He was a special talent. I don’t remember him running the ball a single time that night, but he lit up the sky with his passes.

If you are a Dallas Cowboy fan, you are also probably a fan of Roger Staubach. He is an authentic sports hero and has rightly earned tremendous respect from Dallas Cowboy fans. As a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Heisman Trophy winner, and an NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, Staubach remains someone youngsters can look up to and pattern themselves after. While Roger was in Dallas, I saw him as Tom Landry in a football uniform.

That Saturday night in Lawton, Oklahoma, on the field of Ron Stevens Stadium was the only time I met Number 12. I have been a fan of Roger Staubach ever since. I admire Roger Staubach as a player and as a man. I appreciate him even more because in his book, “First Down and a Lifetime to Go,” he mentioned that NMMI lost to the Cameron Aggies. He didn’t have to do that! The Cameron Aggies went on to be National JUCO Champions. But as you know, Roger went on to achieve more lofty goals in his football career as “Roger the Dodger,” “Captain Comeback” and “Captain America.”

Roger Staubach, like Tom Landry, is a class act.