Golden Richards, the former Dallas Cowboys receiver known for his flowing blond hair who famously caught a touchdown pass off a gadget play in the 1978 Super Bowl, died Friday of congestive heart failure at his home in Murray. He was 73. The former BYU star spent seven seasons in the NFL with Dallas, Chicago, and Denver, and is best known for his five-plus seasons as a deep-play threat with the Cowboys. He twice averaged more than 21 yards per catch, finishing his time in Dallas with an 18.3-yard career mark, the AP reports.
In the 1978 Super Bowl against Denver, with the Cowboys ahead 20-10 in the fourth quarter, fullback Robert Newhouse threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Richards, who got behind the defense to all but assure the Cowboys of their second championship. Richards finished his career with 122 receptions for 2,136 yards and 17 TDs before injuries prompted him to retire in 1980. A Salt Lake City native, he was a receiver and punt returner at BYU, leading the nation as a junior with four returns for TDs. Richards played his final college season at Hawaii, per the AP, catching 23 passes for 414 yards and five touchdowns. That caught the eye of the Cowboys, who drafted him in the second round in 1973.
The Deseret News reported that Richards struggled with health problems and drug addiction after retiring but was sober over his final 10 years. "Seven or eight years of wear and tear on the football field for a 175-pound wide receiver who was concussed several times, too," said his brother, Doug Richards. "That obviously took its toll." Richards was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2011 and lived with his adult sons in his later years.
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