Roger Staubach Knows How Difficult a Comeback Can Be

If there is somebody who understands what Michael Vick is going through on the field, it's former Cowboys quarterback and Hall of Famer Roger Staubach.

Vick, who is expected to play for the Eagles in Thursday's preseason finale against the Jets, has just started his comeback after serving a two-year prison term on dogfighting charges.

Staubach underwent a similar, more honorable absence from the game. After finishing his playing career for the Naval Academy in 1964, Staubach had to fulfill his military commitment. The Cowboys selected him in the 10th round of the 1964 draft, but Staubach did not actually debut until 1969 because he was serving with the U.S. Navy.

"You have to have the confidence," Staubach told FanHouse this week. "If you're physically able to do it a few years ago, why can't you get back into it? If you have the talent and you can hang in there, and if you haven't lost speed or strength, you can make it happen again."

---

---

Staubach always had a goal of playing pro ball so he stayed in shape during his time in the service and received a leave to play in a college all-star game in 1965 with future teammates Bob Hayes, Craig Morton and Lance Rentzel.

In 1968, Staubach received another leave, this time to practice for two weeks at Cowboys training camp, to see if he still had it. When his commitment with the Navy was officially up, then-Dallas coach Tom Landry welcomed him to training camp for the 1969 season. Staubach, 27, was backing up Craig Morton.

"I felt like I was a rookie as a player," Staubach said. "I was trying to get up to speed on the system. The year before when I left Pensacola for training camp, I think that really helped me. I had two weeks there, and then I went back the next year, and I think coach Landry realized I could still play again."

Staubach said he had to make the adjustment to the speed of the game and deal with getting hit again. His age at the time and the two training camps he had under his belt helped prepare him, Staubach said. But Morton was hurt in the preseason and Landy, who did not like using rookie quarterbacks, had to turn to Staubach as the Cowboys starter for their season opener against St. Louis.

Staubach wasn't physically ready for it, but mentally believed he could do it.

"I figured when I was 27, I was stronger and a little smarter -- that if I could play at 23, I could play at 27," Staubach said. "The speed is different, and I think what really helped me though it was I had this reputation for running all the time, but I had a strong arm and I could get the ball where I had to."

Staubach succeeded in that first start, going 7 for 15 for 220 yards with one touchdown in a 24-3 win over the Rams. Staubach threw a 75-yard touchdown pass in the game to Rentzel, checking off Hall of Fame safety Larry Wilson in the process. He also rushed for a touchdown.

That week, the Cowboys simplified the offense so Staubach wouldn't have so much pressure on him to produce. Dallas had a complex system in place at the time, which led Landry to use only veterans as starters, but Morton's injury left him no choice.

Staubach's athleticism made it possible for Landry to use him -- and gave Staubach an opportunity to play well, despite still trying to adjust to the NFL's pace.

"That's one of the issues between college and pro football, is speed," Staubach said. "There's not any weak players over there, and you have to get rid of the football and get it between people, and you have to have a pretty strong arm to be successful in the National Football League."

Vick's skill set is similar to the one Staubach possessed: strong arm, scrambling ability, confidence. Yet, Staubach was a more accurate passer who played within a very set system. That's something Vick is trying to do now with the Eagles -- while Vick played in a West Coast offense back in Atlanta, the Falcons' game plan wasn't as complex as the Eagles'.

Vick is responsible for more reads than when he was with the Falcons. Of course, with the addition of the wildcat formation to the NFL, Vick should be able to use his running ability more often as well.

In Thursday's preseason finale, Vick will be asked to stay in the pocket more, in the hope that he'll gradually get more comfortable playing quarterback again.

"I don't think he'll have any problems getting back to the level where he played before," Staubach said of Vick. "He was developing as a quarterback. He has a strong arm -- he's had some accuracy problems before, but he was a quarterback on the rise. I will be interested to see how they play him. Once he's back in football shape, he won't have any problems."