Doug Cosbie
Encyclopedia
Douglas Durant Cosbie 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.
, 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.
at Santa Clara University
.
Cosbie started for four seasons as a tight end
for head coach Pat Malley.
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. His records were eventually broken by Brent Jones
.
For his achievements, Cosbie was inducted into the Santa Clara University
Athletic Hall of Fame.
. 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. The 49ers selected Montana.
By his third season in Dallas, he was sharing the starting tight end
spot with Billy Joe DuPree
and eventually replaced him.
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, which have since been broken by Jay Novacek
(catches) and Jason Witten
(catches and yards).
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 Bowl
s from 1983-85.
He is part of the Cowboys franchise's legacy of great tight end
s that includes: Pettis Norman
, Mike Ditka
, Billy Joe DuPree
, Jackie Smith
, Jay Novacek
and Jason Witten
.
, he was left unprotected by the Cowboys in Plan B free agency
and signed with the Denver Broncos
. He decided to retire during training camp that season, after playing for 10 years in the NFL and also in three NFC Championship game
s.
.
1993-1994, assistant to head coach
Bill Walsh at Stanford University
.
1995-1996, athletic director and head football coach of Division III Menlo College
.
1997-1998, offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach of Division I California University
.
2000, head football coach of the XFL
Los Angeles Dragons
.
2006-2010, head football coach of the Sacramento High School
.
2010, head football coach of semi-professional team in Italy.
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...
player 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...
who was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by 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...
in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft
1979 NFL Draft
The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979...
. A 6'6", 236-lb. tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
from Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
, Cosbie played his entire NFL career for the Cowboys from 1979 to 1988. He was a three-time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection from 1983 to 1985.
Early years
He is a graduate of Saint Francis High School (Mountain View)Saint Francis High School (Mountain View)
Saint Francis High School, founded in 1954 by the Brothers of Holy Cross, is a Roman Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory secondary school located in Mountain View, CA. The Brothers of Holy Cross serve both on the faculty and on the Board of Directors...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
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
Saratoga High School
Saratoga High School is a high school in Saratoga, California, United States, part of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District. The school is jointly accredited by the California Department of Education and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Student enrollment averages...
.
In 1974, he was part of the first Santa Clara Valley All-Star Football Game, playing with the North team.
College career
He received a scholarship offer to play footballAmerican 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...
at Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
.
Cosbie started for four seasons as a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for head coach Pat Malley.
He finished his college career as Santa Clara's top receiving tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
, with 120 receptions, 1,721 receiving yards, 14.3 yards per reception and 10 touchdowns. His records were eventually broken by Brent Jones
Brent Jones
Brent Michael Jones is a former American Football tight end who played almost his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1987 to 1997. He was selected in the 5th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1986 NFL Draft...
.
For his achievements, Cosbie was inducted into the Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dallas Cowboys
He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft1979 NFL Draft
The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979...
. That year, the Cowboys were placed in the third round just ahead of the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. 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
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
. However, feeling that the 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...
position was in excellent shape with 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'...
and 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...
, and needing a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
, the Cowboys went off their strategy and drafted Cosbie. The 49ers selected Montana.
By his third season in Dallas, he was sharing the starting tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
spot with 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...
and eventually replaced him.
Although he was an effective blocker, he became more of a receiving threat than any previous Cowboys tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
. He caught over 60 passes in a season twice during his career, and set team records for a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
with catches and yards per season, which have since been broken by Jay Novacek
Jay Novacek
Jay McKinley Novacek is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys . Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995...
(catches) and Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
(catches and yards).
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 Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s from 1983-85.
He is part of the Cowboys franchise's legacy of great tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s that includes: Pettis Norman
Pettis Norman
Pettis Burch Norman is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League from 1962-1973 for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Diego Chargers.-College career:...
, Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
, 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...
, Jackie Smith
Jackie Smith
Jackie Larue Smith is a former professional American football player in the National Football League. He played tight end for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys from 1963 to 1978. He has career marks of 480 receptions, 7,918 yards, and 40 touchdowns...
, Jay Novacek
Jay Novacek
Jay McKinley Novacek is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys . Novacek was a five-time Pro Bowler, who was selected to play each year from 1991 through 1995...
and Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
.
Denver Broncos
In 19891989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
, he was left unprotected by the Cowboys in Plan B free agency
Plan B free agency
The Plan B free agency was a type of free agency that became active in the National Football League in February 1989. Plan B free agency permitted all teams in the NFL to preserve limited rights of no more than 37 total players a season...
and signed with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He decided to retire during training camp that season, after playing for 10 years in the NFL and also in three NFC Championship game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
s.
Coaching career
1990 volunteer assistant coach at Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
.
1993-1994, assistant to head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Bill Walsh at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
1995-1996, athletic director and head football coach of Division III Menlo College
Menlo College
Menlo College, often referred to as Menlo, is a private, four-year baccalaureate college specializing in business located in the Silicon Valley town of Atherton, California.-Campus:...
.
1997-1998, offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach of Division I California University
California University
California University can refer to:* California University of Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh suburb of California, Pennsylvania* Fictional universities featured in television shows and movies such as Beverly Hills, 90210, Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Legally Blonde and The L WordThe State...
.
2000, head football coach of the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
Los Angeles Dragons
Los Angeles Dragons
The Los Angeles Dragons were a professional football team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Spring Football League in 2000. They would be coached by former Dallas Cowboys Doug Cosbie. The Dragons would play their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum....
.
2006-2010, head football coach of the Sacramento High School
Sacramento High School
Sacramento Charter High School is an independent public charter high school located in the Alhambra Triangle, adjacent to the Oak Park neighborhood in Sacramento, California. Its charter was approved by the Sacramento City Unified School District's Board of Trustees on July 21, 2003...
.
2010, head football coach of semi-professional team in Italy.