MURRAY, Utah (AP) — Golden Richards, the renowned receiver for the Dallas Cowboys who scored a touchdown pass off a gadget play in the 1978 Super Bowl and was noted for his flowing blond hair, passed away on Friday at his Murray, Oklahoma, home from congestive heart failure. He was seventy-three.
Lance Richards, the nephew of Richards, posted on Facebook to confirm the death.
#RIPGoldenRichards
Super Bowl XII
Robert Newhouse throws a TD pass to Golden Richards#DallasCowboys
pic.twitter.com/xq0NdT7L5O— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) February 24, 2024
Lance Richards commented, “My uncle Golden passed away quietly this morning. “I’ll never forget going hunting and having conversations about Dallas Cowboy football. He had a gentle and loving spirit, and I’m glad he’s no longer in pain.
Having played for seven seasons in the NFL with Dallas, Chicago, and Denver, the former standout player from BYU is most remembered for his more than five years as a deep-play threat with the Cowboys. He twice ended his career in Dallas with a lifetime average of 18.3 yards per reception, averaging over 21 yards per catch.
That was particularly clear when Denver was the opponent in the 1978 Super Bowl. Richards went behind the defense to catch a 29-yard touchdown pass from fullback Robert Newhouse with the Cowboys leading 20-10 in the fourth quarter. The play all but guaranteed the Cowboys their second championship.
Before being forced to retire in 1980 due to injury, Richards concluded his career with 122 receptions for 2,136 yards and 17 touchdowns.
He was born and raised in Salt Lake City. After excelling at Granite High School, he went on to play receiver and punt return, leading the country in returns for touchdowns as a junior at neighboring BYU.
Golden Richards, the former Dallas Cowboys receiver who caught a touchdown pass off a gadget play in the 1978 Super Bowl, died Friday of congestive heart failure at his home in Murray, Utah. He was 73.https://t.co/E8MUIwnFrU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 24, 2024
While playing for Hawaii in his final season of college, Richards caught 23 passes for 414 yards and five touchdowns. The Cowboys were drawn to that and selected him in the second round of the 1973 draft.
According to the Deseret News, Richards battled drug addiction and health issues after retirement, but he spent the last ten years of his life sober.
The newspaper was informed by brother Doug Richards, a former BYU basketball player, that there had been seven or eight years of wear and tear on the football field for a 175-pound wide receiver who had also suffered many concussions. “That clearly had an impact.”
After receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2011, Richards spent his latter years living with his adult sons, Jordan and Goldie Jr. Doug Richards reported that on Christmas, his brother shattered his hip.underwent four hip operations in 2022.
Doug Richards declared, “He has left us and gone to a better place.” “Until it was his turn, he fought very good there to the end.”