Clint Longley
Encyclopedia
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
.
Longley is probably best remembered for his performance in a Thanksgiving Day game in 1974 for the Cowboys against the Washington Redskins
. Longley, then a rookie
, came into the game for an injuried Roger Staubach
with the Cowboys trailing 16-3 in the third quarter. He hit 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. And then, 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 touchdown pass which gave the Cowboys a dramatic 24-23 victory. The game was named the second-best in the history of Texas Stadium
by ESPN
in 2008. 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."
Unfortunately for Longley, the story doesn't end there. Less than two years later 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.
After his NFL career, Longley went to Canada
and played with the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
for six games in 1977. 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.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He played two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
(1974–1975) and one for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1976). Longley earned his nickname the "Mad Bomber" for bouncing passes off of Coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
's coaching tower in the Cowboys' training camp. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...
.
Longley is probably best remembered for his performance in a Thanksgiving Day game in 1974 for the Cowboys against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. Longley, then a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
, came into the game for an injuried Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
with the Cowboys trailing 16-3 in the third quarter. He hit Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe DuPree is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League who played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:DuPree was born and reared in Monroe, Louisiana...
for a 35-yard touchdown pass. He led the Cowboys on a 70-yard drive capped by a 1-yard Walt Garrison
Walt Garrison
Walter Benton Garrison is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys...
touchdown run. And then, with the Cowboys behind 23-17 and with only 28 seconds left with no time outs, Longley hit Drew Pearson
Drew Pearson (American football)
Drew Pearson is a sportscaster and former American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-Early years:...
down the middle for a 50-yard touchdown pass which gave the Cowboys a dramatic 24-23 victory. The game was named the second-best in the history of Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 2008. Because Longley had no expectation of playing in that game and was completely unprepared, Cowboys lineman Blaine Nye
Blaine Nye
Blaine Francis Nye is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League and founder and president of Stanford Consulting Group, Inc...
sarcastically called his winning effort "the triumph of the uncluttered mind."
Unfortunately for Longley, the story doesn't end there. Less than two years later Longley, under pressure from Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
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
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak....
. 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
Shoulder pads
Shoulder pads are a piece of protective equipment used in many contact sports such as American football, Canadian football, lacrosse and hockey. Most modern shoulder pads consist of a shock absorbing foam material with a hard plastic outer covering. The pieces are usually secured by rivets or...
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
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
where he finished his career with little more success.
After his NFL career, Longley went to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and played with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
for six games in 1977. 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.