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Former Cowboys RB Duane Thomas has passed away at 77

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Before Tony Dorsett made the number famous in Dallas, it was Cowboys running back Duane Thomas who wore the 33 jersey for the silver and blue. One of the more mercurial figures in franchise history, Thomas has passed away at the age of 77, the team announced Tuesday.

Thomas was a first-round draft pick in 1970, selected 23rd overall out of West Texas State. After leading the Cowboys in rushing as a rookie and helping guide the club to its first-ever Super Bowl, Thomas asked to have his contract renegotiated during the offseason in what became an ugly public spat between player and organization that included personal attacks made against both Tex Schramm and Tom Landry and even allegations by Thomas of racism.

The Cowboys traded Thomas to New England in the summer of 1971, but Thomas clashed immediately with coaches on his first day with the Patriots and was sent home. The deal was quickly nullified by commissioner Pete Rozelle, sending Thomas back to the Cowboys. As a result, the Dallas native refused to speak with the media, club management, or even (reportedly) his own teammates for the entire 1971 season.

Nevertheless, Thomas scored the first-ever touchdown in the new Texas Stadium and then went on to lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns that fall. He was the leading rusher in Super Bowl VI and scored a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 24-3 win over Miami.

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His performance even had him poised to win the game’s MVP honors, but Sport magazine, then the sponsor of the award, reportedly feared Thomas would be a no-show or, worse, cause a scene at the celebratory banquet and selected Roger Staubach instead.

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Thomas was traded to the Chargers in July 1972 but was immediately suspended for failure to report and never played a game for the team. He was then dealt to Washington, where he lasted two years before another contract dispute led to his release in 1975.

After a failed stint with the World Football League, Thomas was back in Dallas in the summer of 1976, but he did not make the final roster. Similar comeback bids with the CFL’s British Columbia Lions and the Green Bay Packers followed, but both were short-lived.

Thomas played in just 25 regular-season games as a Cowboy, amassing 1,596 rushing yards and scoring 16 touchdowns.

He passed away Sunday.

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