Luck and life — Roger Staubach

First, an explainer.

By luck, I mean nothing other than random chance. I'm not talking about an allegedly metaphysical element.

Anyway, what prompted this?

I just got done reading a (cheap knockout) bio of Roger Staubach.

I had forgotten both the Kansas City Chiefs AND the Dallas Cowboys drafted him as a "futures" player, similar to the Boston Celtics with Larry Bird.

Cowboys took him in the 10th round, the Chiefs in the 15th of the AFL draft.

That said, late in his senior year at the Naval Academy, the Chiefs first approached him with the idea of signing a player services contract during the years he was still in the Navy.

He said he'd have to talk to Navy officials, to make sure it wasn't unethical or illegal. They said it was OK, and word got back to Dallas. Gil Brandt then offered a similar contract at better money.

Roger said he didn't want a bidding war, and, looking at the NFL as more glamorous, accepted.

OK, forward to 1969. Roger gets big break No. 1 when Don Meredith retires from the Cowboys. That's part of a luck two-parter. He could have been in Kansas City watching Len Dawson start to burnish his credentials for the Hall of Fame by leading the Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl IV Roger's rookie season.

Or, he could have been in Dallas with an nonretired Dandy Don perhaps taking Dallas into that Super Bowl as well, with a slightly more mellowed Tom Landry at the helm.

So, remember, luck plays a big, big role in life.

(And, no, no posts here telling me that God wanted Staubach where he wound up, and as a heroic starter for the Cowboys.)