He was great... Landry stated many times that he never made mistakes on the field despite the appearance of never paying attention in meetings and such he glided along , had deceptive speed , good size, good hands, and could block well..Bob Lilly said in ways he reminded him of jim brown a bit ....too bad he couldn't overcome some issues
I played 12 years for "the love of the game" in 110 degree Texas heat. Wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world. Staubach is worth about $100 million today bc of solid work ethic in business. That's how life should reward a man.
Duane Thomas will always be known in the world of Pro Football as a tragedy. Immensely talented on the field, he did have the right to express his displeasure at the way the Dallas Cowboys organization mistreated him. However, he realized much too late that the organization was cheating not only him but all other players as well. It was wrong for him to alienate himself from the team. Not only that, he did, in fact, treat many of his potential fans and supporters with indifference and disdain during his playing days with the team. In a sense he self-destructed. And for that, he has only himself to blame.
Think it's a lot of blame to go all the way around but as usual certain groups in the society take no blame for the seeds that they plant in the weeds that they grow they only want to spray the balloon and try to kill the weed and we all know how that works
Met Duane in the 2000's and he was extremely nice, joked and posed for a picture. Never understood why both Billy Parks and Mike Montgomerys careers were so short with all their talent.
@Matt Pizzano I didn't know about Montgomery's injuries. He was a solid player. I wonder what was going on with Billy Parks. He had great hands. He was a receiver along the lines of Lance Alworth. I wonder why the Cowboys did not keep him longer than they did.
@@christophergraves6725 I remember some book said Parks was really strange. Very left-wing, for one thing. At one game he had to be restrained from...not sure... when the Secretary of Defense was introduced. His opposition to war in SE Asia could make him berserk, so he and Staubach were icy with each other. And he was also moody with other things, including when he got more playing time than the other receivers; apparently thought they were equally deserving. To sum up, he was not Landry's or the Cowboys' type of player; and if Duane Thomas didn't have enough talent to overcome that for more than one season, then Parks certainly didn't.
@@cynic2all I had no idea about Parks' political beliefs. Thanks for the information. It's a shame Parks let his beliefs interfere with his football performances.
@@cynic2all…it is funny how his left wing anti war stance is now considered more right wing.. really I guess it is more anti Establishment, that is why I love Trump and like RFK Jr, even if I dont agree with him on a couple of big issues.
#33 Duane Thomas helped Dallas win a Super Bowl and won Rookie of the Year afterwards asked to renegotiate his contract Dallas declined and the rest my friends is history. The original #33 Duane Thomas, R.I.P. 2024
I get Duane. Really what he wanted was far ahead of his time, free agency. The man understood his value and what he provided. He realized that not just him, but EVERYONE was underpaid, even the Staubachs and Lillys. A great what if on the field but I can never fault for a man for sticking with his guns in something he truly believes in.
I would be mad too if I was selected NFL rookie of the year by the league and the team only gave me a 5 thousand bonus, while another rookie for the Chiefs received 25 thousand bonus for being MVP just on his team...Duane carried the team on his back and led the Cowboys to their first 2 Super bowls....Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly were also WAY UNDER PAID !!!
John, I don't doubt what you are saying, but his actions were inexcusable and self-destructive. Duane Thomas could have been a Hall of Fame running back. It's sad that he reacted the way that he did to being underpaid. It hurt his team and himself. There is no excuse for taking it out on a little boy if this story is true.
the other guy actually played for the Cardinals...not the chiefs I believe it was don PaRRISH..Thomas knew him.... he tells that story in the americas game video the 1971 dallas cowboys... it's very good !!
@@christophergraves6725 what is also inexcusable is Tex ruling the salaries with an iron fist.. if he had paid Thomas even a third to half of what he was worth I bet his attitude would have been far better.. Tex should have known better, but no, he insisted on treating his players like dog shit.
@@christophergraves6725, I'm not sure how much it actually hurt the team, at least in its performance. The impact of Thomas' situation paled in comparison with Landry's dithering about definitively choosing between Staubach and Morton, for instance.
Can you imagine, coats and ties a requirement for all players to go on a plane trip, otherwise you're fined? At the time, a lot of coaches wore coats and ties on the sideline while coaching a game, not a hoodie in sight.
pay Thomas a third to half of what he was actually worth and I bet his attitude is far better. maybe the Best back in football and treated like dog squeeze by Tex
It's funny I know three guys named Mike Montgomery . One of them was my college roommate. One day he got a call from the Texas Longhorn coach (Fred Akers) and asked him to go hunting...he got the wrong Mike Montgomery. Fred was cool and asked him to go hunting with them anyway but Mike didn't.
This unfortunate but a reality I think Dwayne Thomas had a lot to say and didn'how to express itself it was a '70s black people were realizing our social economic place in this country would only get better if we spoke up and fought for our rights he had an enormous talent he probably felt smothered wanted to be a team player but having the face the racism that existing NFL then and now
Landry once said that if he would of had Duane Thomas against the Steelers they would of won X and XIII. I believe that if he would of stayed with the Cowvoys yes it would have happened!! But after playing with the Skins and Chargers and with his attitude it just wasnt to be!!! Little known fact is that in 1976!!! he came back to the Cowboys but just wasnt the same at the young age of 27!!! I wish he would have stayed it would have been different!! But didnt happen!!! Rip potentially the greatest running back ever!!!!
No it was drug use and character issues. He was a prima donna. Tom gave him all the breaks. Story goes he holed up in his room and Tom went up and meet him. After an hour or so Tom said to Tex Schramm to trade him. Apparently Duane was high on drugs and that was the reason he couldn't attend. Besides if it was money he would have done what they did at the time. HOLD OUT.
Out of town trips the players wear coats and ties as per club policy. Awesome! Back when the players dressed as civilized humans rather than today where they dress as thugs, punks and criminals. Which is what most of them are anyway.
I"agree back in the days when i was kid in the early 70"s.I,liked his running style even through he had bad issues with the Dallas Cowboys on the playing field.
I really didn't know Duane Thomas went to another team, if he didn't want to be in the Cowboys organization, get the heck out, why did you come back with and attitude and not speak to any of the teammates that had nothing to do with the head shed and your paycheck. I've been a Dallas Cowboy fan since they came into the NFL, and Mr. Thomas just seemed to hate everything and everybody who had anything to do with the Cowboys, including the Dallas Cowboy fans, I tried to understand his point of view thru the years but never understood why he just didn't leave the Cowboys, I'm sure the Cowboys would have accommodated him, and it wouldn't have broken my heart anyway. THE SARGE
DUANE THOMAS ASKED HALL OF FAME DT BOB LILLY WHAT WAS HE MAKING . LILLY SALARY WAS SO LOW COMPARED TO HIS PEERS .THOMAS COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT DALLAS WOULD HAVE SUCH A LOW REGARD FOR A PLAYER SUCH AS LILLY. ENOUGH SAID!
If Tex hadn’t been running his plantation on the cheap the Cowboys win two more Super Bowls and DT is in the HoF. Hey, but he ‘won’ on principle. All for a stupid bonus sum that Tex pissed away on a few barbecues with his pals. Schramm cattily said to executive director of the NFLPA Gene Upshaw "Gene, here’s what you have to understand: we're the ranchers and you're the cattle, and we can always get more cattle." DT was just the first to try and cross the good olde boy publicly. In the meantime Tex ran the Cowboys into the ground and was removed.
Tex ran them into the ground and was removed. After 20 straight winning seasons and two titles. The Cowboys weren't the only team to call out Thomas on being a locker room cancer.
Bullsh** Thomas quickly wore out his welcome on the Chargers and later Wsh and there is no excuse for shoving a 8yr kid seeking an autograph. Tex Schramm built the Dallas Cowboys into 'America's team' 5 SB appearance in the 70's winning 2 from 1966 to 1983 playoffs every yr but 1974 Lilly's last. Best gm ever. Oh your icon of that nutjob John brown (the abolishinist) is typical,that religious zealot was rightly hung!
@@kennethprice8710 still smoking the white media propaganda. Here’s a clue cupcake, the journos need access so they toe the plantation line. Oh and it’s ab·o·li·tion·ist. Go read a book reb.
No doubt Duane Thomas was a man who possessed amazing football talent, but he was a very angry man at the time. Landry did the right thing by jettisoning this cancer off the ball club. I had thought he was traded to the Boston Patriots for Bill Thomas, but I might be wrong.
Thomas was first traded to the Patriots for another running back, Carl Garrett the year before. Mr. Garrett didn't hide his feelings about the trade, expressing how happy he was to be going from a losing team to a contender. Unfortunately for him, the trade was voided, because of Duane's troubling antics-this time with the Patriots at their practice field. Pete Rozelle vetoed the trade-and both players were then returned to their original teams.
Daffy's Looney; You’re right and Carl Garrett did eventually win a Super Bowl ring with the Oakland Raiders in 1976 after having played for the Bears and Jets.
@@midnightrider1100 No doubt he was a trip but was he ever paid what we’d consider good money to play? If you watch the America’s Game Episode for the 1971 Cowboys it’s amazing how little even the stars were paid. The episode is hilarious including the interviews with Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach & of course Duane Thomas.
@@r.williamcomm7693 maybe he deserved more but he signed a three year contract he wouldn't honor, he went to the Patriots and was such a problem there, they sent him right back to the Cowboys.
@@midnightrider1100during team role call Dan reeves would call off each players name and they would say here. The only player that wouldn't was Duane Thomas. Reeves would just keep calling his name. Then eventually Thomas would yell " can't you see me? I'm right in front of you "
why would you expect Thomas' attitude to improve with another team? His track record with the Cowboys spoke for itself, he lead the Cowboys to 2 Super Bowls in 2 years! the Cowboys blew it, the guy was incredible in those playoff runs.@@midnightrider1100
They just should've paid him and other teammates for there Services🤔Management want's the Glory of Rings but when it's time to Anti-Up there Asses get tight and then they F.Up loose all the key elements and become the 95 Cowboys till now...Raiders,ect,ect
He was great... Landry stated many times that he never made mistakes on the field despite the appearance of never paying attention in meetings and such he glided along , had deceptive speed , good size, good hands, and could block well..Bob Lilly said in ways he reminded him of jim brown a bit ....too bad he couldn't overcome some issues
I played 12 years for "the love of the game" in 110 degree Texas heat. Wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world. Staubach is worth about $100 million today bc of solid work ethic in business. That's how life should reward a man.
I remember Verne. This brings back some old memories
Duane Thomas will always be known in the world of Pro Football as a tragedy. Immensely talented on the field, he did have the right to express his displeasure at the way the Dallas Cowboys organization mistreated him. However, he realized much too late that the organization was cheating not only him but all other players as well. It was wrong for him to alienate himself from the team. Not only that, he did, in fact, treat many of his potential fans and supporters with indifference and disdain during his playing days with the team. In a sense he self-destructed. And for that, he has only himself to blame.
Logan
The second-half of your article I definitely agree with. But I TOTALLY disagree with the first half.🏈
Think it's a lot of blame to go all the way around but as usual certain groups in the society take no blame for the seeds that they plant in the weeds that they grow they only want to spray the balloon and try to kill the weed and we all know how that works
Met Duane in the 2000's and he was extremely nice, joked and posed for a picture. Never understood why both Billy Parks and Mike Montgomerys careers were so short with all their talent.
@Matt Pizzano I didn't know about Montgomery's injuries. He was a solid player. I wonder what was going on with Billy Parks. He had great hands. He was a receiver along the lines of Lance Alworth. I wonder why the Cowboys did not keep him longer than they did.
@@christophergraves6725 I remember some book said Parks was really strange. Very left-wing, for one thing. At one game he had to be restrained from...not sure... when the Secretary of Defense was introduced. His opposition to war in SE Asia could make him berserk, so he and Staubach were icy with each other. And he was also moody with other things, including when he got more playing time than the other receivers; apparently thought they were equally deserving. To sum up, he was not Landry's or the Cowboys' type of player; and if Duane Thomas didn't have enough talent to overcome that for more than one season, then Parks certainly didn't.
@@cynic2all I had no idea about Parks' political beliefs. Thanks for the information. It's a shame Parks let his beliefs interfere with his football performances.
@@christophergraves6725 Probably reminded them too much of Lance Rentzel on a fly pattern?
@@cynic2all…it is funny how his left wing anti war stance is now considered more right wing.. really I guess it is more anti Establishment, that is why I love Trump and like RFK Jr, even if I dont agree with him on a couple of big issues.
#33 Duane Thomas helped Dallas win a Super Bowl and won Rookie of the Year afterwards asked to renegotiate his contract Dallas declined and the rest my friends is history. The original #33 Duane Thomas, R.I.P. 2024
Never knew Verne Lundquist was ever that young.
I get Duane. Really what he wanted was far ahead of his time, free agency. The man understood his value and what he provided. He realized that not just him, but EVERYONE was underpaid, even the Staubachs and Lillys. A great what if on the field but I can never fault for a man for sticking with his guns in something he truly believes in.
free agency has ruined the game
@@michaelnivens6267
I TOTALLY agree with you Michael 👍🏈
I know Verne had a lot of great moments such as the Masters, NCAA and other but I think this was his best work because of the lead up.
Wow - haven't thought of Mike Montgomery in years...
He still a bum
I would be mad too if I was selected NFL rookie of the year by the league and the team only gave me a 5 thousand bonus, while another rookie for the Chiefs received 25 thousand bonus for being MVP just on his team...Duane carried the team on his back and led the Cowboys to their first 2 Super bowls....Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly were also WAY UNDER PAID !!!
John, I don't doubt what you are saying, but his actions were inexcusable and self-destructive. Duane Thomas could have been a Hall of Fame running back. It's sad that he reacted the way that he did to being underpaid. It hurt his team and himself.
There is no excuse for taking it out on a little boy if this story is true.
the other guy actually played for the Cardinals...not the chiefs I believe it was don PaRRISH..Thomas knew him.... he tells that story in the americas game video the 1971 dallas cowboys... it's very good !!
@@christophergraves6725 what is also inexcusable is Tex ruling the salaries with an iron fist.. if he had paid Thomas even a third to half of what he was worth I bet his attitude would have been far better.. Tex should have known better, but no, he insisted on treating his players like dog shit.
Cowboys Were CHEAP !!!
@@christophergraves6725, I'm not sure how much it actually hurt the team, at least in its performance. The impact of Thomas' situation paled in comparison with Landry's dithering about definitively choosing between Staubach and Morton, for instance.
"...roller coaster emotions..."
Original 33
Of course it was a good thing. He went from the 6-8 Chargers to the defending champions.
Rumor has it that when Verne returned to Dallas his wife kicked his ass for wearing her favorite sweater on the air.
Verne would think that is funny.
Hilarious!
The last time without a donkey trade the Cowboys actually did things the right way. And addressed the defense.
In his first season with the Cowboys, ex-Charger Mike Montgomery scored a TD against his old team at San Diego Stadium.
They should have paid him, this never would have happened
Vern Lundquist was the voice for KRLD radio which did play by play.
Can you imagine, coats and ties a requirement for all players to go on a plane trip, otherwise you're fined?
At the time, a lot of coaches wore coats and ties on the sideline while coaching a game, not a hoodie in sight.
Snake what a amazing man 🏀
pay Thomas a third to half of what he was actually worth and I bet his attitude is far better. maybe the Best back in football and treated like dog squeeze by Tex
Facts
Duane Thomas made the mistake of not understanding that the Cowboys screwed all of there players Thomas blamed his teammates
It's funny I know three guys named Mike Montgomery . One of them was my college roommate. One day he got a call from the Texas Longhorn coach (Fred Akers) and asked him to go hunting...he got the wrong Mike Montgomery. Fred was cool and asked him to go hunting with them anyway but Mike didn't.
I'd been happy bout the trade too
Duane Thomas once referred to Tom Landry as "plastic man"🏈🏈🏈
This unfortunate but a reality I think Dwayne Thomas had a lot to say and didn'how to express itself it was a '70s black people were realizing our social economic place in this country would only get better if we spoke up and fought for our rights he had an enormous talent he probably felt smothered wanted to be a team player but having the face the racism that existing NFL then and now
Landry once said that if he would of had Duane Thomas against the Steelers they would of won X and XIII. I believe that if he would of stayed with the Cowvoys yes it would have happened!! But after playing with the Skins and Chargers and with his attitude it just wasnt to be!!! Little known fact is that in 1976!!! he came back to the Cowboys but just wasnt the same at the young age of 27!!! I wish he would have stayed it would have been different!! But didnt happen!!! Rip potentially the greatest running back ever!!!!
Duane Thomas wanted a new contract from Dallas Cowboys, but they wanted him to shut up and play for the same money that took them to the super bowl.
No it was drug use and character issues. He was a prima donna. Tom gave him all the breaks. Story goes he holed up in his room and Tom went up and meet him. After an hour or so Tom said to Tex Schramm to trade him. Apparently Duane was high on drugs and that was the reason he couldn't attend. Besides if it was money he would have done what they did at the time. HOLD OUT.
The Dallas Cowboys were the lowest paid team, while the Oakland Raiders were the highest paid.
Wasn't it Duane Thomas who once said about
the Super Bowl: "If it's the all-important, ultimate game they say it is, why do we have to play it again?"
@Coogan He said "Why do they play it every year?"
Out of town trips the players wear coats and ties as per club policy. Awesome! Back when the players dressed as civilized humans rather than today where they dress as thugs, punks and criminals. Which is what most of them are anyway.
Simple solution.... Stop supporting NFL. NBA. All major sporting THUGS.
Not likely on your behalf....
@@jmpoutboi Try full sentences next time.
MrOneHotDog - You expressed exactly what I was thinking.
Yea well at least back then they dressed up nice while doing off field shenanigans in the Dallas night life. 😉👍
There was obvious mental illness going on.
So sad because he was a truly gifted runner.
I"agree back in the days when i was kid in the early 70"s.I,liked his running style even through he had bad issues with the Dallas Cowboys on the playing field.
@@larryjackson499 I believe he was a malcontent
I really didn't know Duane Thomas went to another team, if he didn't want to be in the Cowboys organization, get the heck out, why did you come back with and attitude and not speak to any of the teammates that had nothing to do with the head shed and your paycheck. I've been a Dallas Cowboy fan since they came into the NFL, and Mr. Thomas just seemed to hate everything and everybody who had anything to do with the Cowboys, including the Dallas Cowboy fans, I tried to understand his point of view thru the years but never understood why he just didn't leave the Cowboys, I'm sure the Cowboys would have accommodated him, and it wouldn't have broken my heart anyway. THE SARGE
He doesn't have the right , to treat young people anyway he wants , custodial interference shouldn't be tolerated .
DUANE THOMAS ASKED HALL OF FAME DT BOB LILLY WHAT WAS HE MAKING . LILLY SALARY WAS SO LOW COMPARED TO HIS PEERS .THOMAS COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT DALLAS WOULD HAVE SUCH A LOW REGARD FOR A PLAYER SUCH AS LILLY. ENOUGH SAID!
If Tex hadn’t been running his plantation on the cheap the Cowboys win two more Super Bowls and DT is in the HoF. Hey, but he ‘won’ on principle. All for a stupid bonus sum that Tex pissed away on a few barbecues with his pals.
Schramm cattily said to executive director of the NFLPA Gene Upshaw "Gene, here’s what you have to understand: we're the ranchers and you're the cattle, and we can always get more cattle."
DT was just the first to try and cross the good olde boy publicly.
In the meantime Tex ran the Cowboys into the ground and was removed.
Tex ran them into the ground and was removed. After 20 straight winning seasons and two titles. The Cowboys weren't the only team to call out Thomas on being a locker room cancer.
@@jeremydobbs9308 DT just wasn’t going to be Tex’s UT. The “cancer” was just the retribution rap. Politics.
Bullsh** Thomas quickly wore out his welcome on the Chargers and later Wsh and there is no excuse for shoving a 8yr kid seeking an autograph.
Tex Schramm built the Dallas Cowboys into 'America's team' 5 SB appearance in the 70's winning 2 from 1966 to 1983 playoffs every yr but 1974 Lilly's last.
Best gm ever.
Oh your icon of that nutjob John brown (the abolishinist) is typical,that religious zealot was rightly hung!
@@kennethprice8710 still smoking the white media propaganda. Here’s a clue cupcake, the journos need access so they toe the plantation line. Oh and it’s
ab·o·li·tion·ist. Go read a book reb.
No he wouldn't stand.
No doubt Duane Thomas was a man who possessed amazing football talent, but he was a very angry man at the time. Landry did the right thing by jettisoning this cancer off the ball club. I had thought he was traded to the Boston Patriots for Bill Thomas, but I might be wrong.
He was traded to the Patriots the year before, but the Patriots sent him back. They decided he was more trouble than he was worth.
Thomas was first traded to the Patriots for another running back, Carl Garrett the year before. Mr. Garrett didn't hide his feelings about the trade, expressing how happy he was to be going from a losing team to a contender. Unfortunately for him, the trade was voided, because of Duane's troubling antics-this time with the Patriots at their practice field. Pete Rozelle vetoed the trade-and both players were then returned to their original teams.
@@daffyslooney2867 Be careful what you say.
Daffy's Looney; You’re right and Carl Garrett did eventually win a Super Bowl ring with the Oakland Raiders in 1976 after having played for the Bears and Jets.
He was like LT if LT was mean and hateful.
The Dallas Cowboys had a superstar running back in Duane Thomas, but they wanted to pay him slave wages.
Duane wasn't having it !
All the Cowboys had to do was pay Thomas & they would’ve won more Super Bowls.
If you think this was just a Cowboys pay thing, look at his track record with subsequent teams he went to. He was the problem.
@@midnightrider1100 No doubt he was a trip but was he ever paid what we’d consider good money to play? If you watch the America’s Game Episode for the 1971 Cowboys it’s amazing how little even the stars were paid. The episode is hilarious including the interviews with Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach & of course Duane Thomas.
@@r.williamcomm7693 maybe he deserved more but he signed a three year contract he wouldn't honor, he went to the Patriots and was such a problem there, they sent him right back to the Cowboys.
@@midnightrider1100during team role call Dan reeves would call off each players name and they would say here. The only player that wouldn't was Duane Thomas. Reeves would just keep calling his name. Then eventually Thomas would yell " can't you see me? I'm right in front of you "
why would you expect Thomas' attitude to improve with another team? His track record with the Cowboys spoke for itself, he lead the Cowboys to 2 Super Bowls in 2 years! the Cowboys blew it, the guy was incredible in those playoff runs.@@midnightrider1100
Cowboys should trade Zeke for him.
Hahaha
He has the right to do with young boys as he seems? What!
I know! That was an awkward thing to say.
This is why the Cowboys did not repeat.
They just should've paid him and other teammates for there Services🤔Management want's the Glory of Rings but when it's time to Anti-Up there Asses get tight and then they F.Up loose all the key elements and become the 95 Cowboys till now...Raiders,ect,ect
Duane Thomas had a bad attitude.
Duane was a very bright articulate man.
He didnt like life in Dallas as.much as he thought he would.
What? he was a star high school player in Dallas, so I don't know what you are talking about@@saralemirande3504
Thomas was a racist. Good riddance into obscurity mofo.