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The Greatest Villain In the History of All 32 NFL Teams

By Erik Lambert

of the New York Jets of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on November 22, 2007 in Irving, Texas
of the New York Jets of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on November 22, 2007 in Irving, Texas /
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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – FEBRUARY 04: Roger Staubach, former NFL quarterback, speaks to members of the media at a press conference where the new Super Bowl logo is unvieled at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center as part of media week for Super Bowl XLIV on February 4, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – FEBRUARY 04: Roger Staubach, former NFL quarterback, speaks to members of the media at a press conference where the new Super Bowl logo is unvieled at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center as part of media week for Super Bowl XLIV on February 4, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

San Francisco 49ers

Dallas Cowboys. Roger Staubach . 28. player. 42. . QB

Would the San Francisco 49ers have won a Super Bowl a decade before they actually got their first if not for Roger Staubach? That’s a legitimate question. In the early 1970s, the 49ers were a true contender. The problem is they kept running into the Dallas Cowboys during that time and couldn’t beat them when it mattered. The primary crusher of their dreams was Staubach.

In 1971, the 49ers reached their first NFC championship game. Staubach wasn’t spectacular but he threw for 103 yards, rushed for another 55 and engineered two TD drives to put the game out of reach 14-3. The next year though felt like San Francisco’s time. Staubach had been injured most of the season and was on the bench when two teams met again in the divisional round.

The 49ers built a 28-13 lead going into the 4th quarter. Their eyes were already on the next round. Dallas, with nothing left to lose, put Staubach in. In a span of mere minutes, he engineered three-straight scoring drives including two touchdown passes to stun San Francisco 30-28. That loss crippled the franchise. They wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1981, two years after Staubach retired.

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