MURRAY, Utah (AP) — Golden Richards, the former Dallas Cowboys receiver known for his flowing blonde hair who famously caught a touchdown pass on a gadget play in the 1978 Super Bowl, died Friday. , died at his home in Murray of congestive heart failure. He was 73 years old.
Richards' nephew, Lance Richards, confirmed the death. facebook post.
“My Uncle Golden passed away peacefully this morning,” Lance Richards wrote. “I'll always remember going hunting and talking about Dallas Cowboy football. He was a kind and gentle person, and I'm so glad he's not suffering anymore.”
The former BYU star is best known as a deep-playing threat who spent seven seasons in the NFL with Dallas, Chicago and Denver, and over five seasons with the Cowboys. He averaged more than 21 yards per catch twice and finished his Dallas career with 18.3 yards per catch.
That was especially true in the 1978 Super Bowl against Denver. With the Cowboys leading 20-10 in the fourth quarter, fullback Robert Newhouse threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Richards, who outmaneuvered the defense and gave the Cowboys their second victory. almost certain.
Richards finished his career with 122 receptions for 2,136 yards and 17 TDs before retiring in 1980 due to injury.
The Salt Lake City native was a star at Granite High School and later starred as a receiver and punt returner at nearby BYU, where he led the nation with four return touchdowns as a junior.
Richards played his final college season at Hawaii, catching 23 passes for 414 yards and five touchdowns. That caught the attention of the Cowboys, who drafted him in the second round in 1973.
After retiring, Richards struggled with health problems and drug addiction, but had been sober for the last 10 years, according to the Deseret News.
“The 175-pound wide receiver had multiple concussions and wasted seven or eight years on the football field,” his brother Doug Richards, a former BYU basketball player, told the paper. “It obviously took its toll.”
Richards was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2011 and lived with her adult sons Goldie Jr. and Jordan in her later years. Doug Richards said his brother broke his hip on Christmas 2022 and underwent four hip surgeries.
“He left us and went to a better place,” Doug Richards said. “He fought pretty well there until the end, until his turn came.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
