Golden Richards, Super Bowl Champion WR With Cowboys, Dies at 73

Richards made one of the great plays of Super Bowl XII.

Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Golden Richards died on Friday of congestive heart failure. He was 73.

Richards’s brother Doug confirmed the news with Jay Drew at Deseret News, saying, “He has left us and gone to a better place.”

Richards’s nephew Lance also shared the news in a post on Facebook. “My uncle Golden passed away peacefully this morning,” he wrote. “I will forever remember going hunting and talking Dallas Cowboy football. He was a kind and sweet soul and I’m so happy he’s not suffering anymore.”

Richards was drafted by the Cowboys in the second round of the 1973 NFL draft. He played five seasons in Dallas, including the team’s Super Bowl run in the 1977 season. Richards may be best remembered for being on the receiving end of a trick play that resulted in a touchdown in that year’s Super Bowl XII.

With the Cowboys leading the Denver Broncos 20–10 in the fourth quarter, quarterback Roger Staubach pitched to fullback Robert Newhouse, who then threw a pass downfield to Richards for a score. The touchdown put Dallas up 27–10, sealing the championship.

#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

Richards struggled through injuries for three more seasons in the NFL, spending time with the Chicago Bears and Broncos before retiring.