From the "They Just Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To" File (U.S. Naval Academy Edition)

News out of Annapolis:

Former Navy receiver takes a pass on military obligation

Jason Tomlinson should be a commissioned officer preparing to begin a Naval career in surface warfare. Instead, the standout football player is still a midshipman and is working at the Naval Station facility on the Severn River.

Tomlinson elected not to graduate from the Naval Academy last May, a personal decision that stunned his coaches and fellow players with the football program. By all accounts, Tomlinson was on course - both academically and militarily - to graduate and simply chose not to do so.

"I came to realize during my senior year that the military just was not for me. I had been thinking about it for a long time, I prayed about it a lot and I had to do what I felt was right in my heart," Tomlinson said yesterday when contacted by The Capital.

"I did not think it would be fair to the men I would be serving alongside and leading to go into this with reservations and misgivings. My heart wasn't in it."

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Lt. Candice Tresch, a Navy spokesperson at the Pentagon, said the options available to a Naval Academy midshipman who voluntarily does not graduate are limited. According to numerous sources, Tomlinson could be required to repay the cost of his education (approximately $140,000) or to serve in the fleet as an enlisted man.

[More]

I'm sure our friend Victor will be along eventually to dispute my rendering of the facts, but I seem to recall a certain former center for the San Antonio Spurs who balked at serving his entire 5-year commitment to the Navy following his graduation from the Naval Academy. There was also a running back for the Raiders who, despite his martial-sounding name, similarly sought to avoid doing his duty.

So, the young man who is the subject of the above story is not alone.

But it wasn't always thus. Once upon a time, there was a MAN who didn't shirk his duty. A Catholic MAN. A MAN who put his God and his country before personal glory and monetary gain.

A MAN from Ohio who is now and always will be beloved in his adopted Texas. A MAN named Roger:

ROGER STAUBACH

Roger Thomas Staubach. . .1963 Heisman Trophy winner. . . Four-year Navy service preceded pro play. . .Noted for last-minute heroics, guided Dallas to four NFC titles, Super Bowl VI, XII wins. . .MVP in Super Bowl VI. . .All-NFC five years . . .Career stats: 22,700 yards, 153 TDs passing; 2,264 yards, 20 TDs rushing. . .83.4 NFL passer rating best ever at time of retirement. . .Four-time NFL passing leader. . . Born February 5, 1942, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Roger Staubach joined the Dallas Cowboys as a 27-year-old rookie in 1969 and didn't win the regular quarterbacking job until his third season in 1971. But for the nine seasons he was in command of the potent Cowboys attack, Dallas played in six NFC championship games, winning four of them, and also scored victories in Super Bowls VI and XII.

The 6-3, 200-pound Staubach wound up his career after the 1979 season with an 83.4 passing rating, the best mark by an NFL passer up to that time. His career chart shows 1,685 completions in 2,958 passing attempts, which were good for 22,700 yards and 153 touchdowns.

Making Staubach particularly dangerous was his ability to scramble out of trouble – his 410 career rushes netted him 2,264 yards for a 5.5-yard average and 20 touchdowns. He led the NFL in passing four times. He was also an All-NFC choice five times and selected to play in six Pro Bowls.

Staubach first starred as a quarterback at the U. S. Naval Academy, where he was a Heisman Trophy winner as a junior in 1963. Following his graduation, he spent a mandatory four years on active duty, including service in Vietnam, before he was able to turn his attention to pro football.

During his finest years with the Cowboys, Roger had the reputation for making the big play. He was the MVP of Super Bowl VI and provided the offensive spark in a defense dominated Super Bowl XII victory.

In 1972, he missed most of the season with a separated shoulder but he relieved Craig Morton in a divisional playoff against San Francisco and threw two touchdown passes in the last 90 seconds to defeat the 49ers, 30-28. With that performance, he won back his regular job and did not relinquish it again during his career.

(emphasis added in red)

And if that weren't enough, he is the man famous for the "Hail Mary pass". Sorry about that, Vikings fans.