The most recognized team in the National Football League is the Dallas Cowboys.. America's Team ! I have been a Cowboy fan since 1959 when the announcement was made that Dallas would be awarded a franchise in the NFL. There was even a contest to name the new team from Dallas; I submitted Dallas Wrangler's but obviously did not win. Actually, Dallas and Minnesota both were awarded franchises at the same time, but Minnesota decided to wait for the 1960 College Draft and begin play in 1961. Dallas elected to take the castoffs of existing teams and begin play in 1960.. BUT who was the first quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys?
Some very knowledgeable fans will maintain that Eddie LeBaron was first, .. close, but no cigar.
Don Heinrich was quarterback for the University of Washington and led the nation in passing in 1950 and 1952. A broken bone in his leg caused him to miss most of the 1951 season. He was the third round pick of the New York Giants in the NFL College Draft. He would carry a clipboard and learn under Giant quarterbacks Charlie Connerly and Y.A. Tittle.
The Korean War was going on at this time and Heinrich was called into the Army in late 1953 and all of 1954. He spent his time playing football for the team at Fort Ord in California. In 1955 Heinrich rejoined the Giants at training camp and was part of the team when the Giants won the NFL Championships in 1956, 1958, and 1959.
In the 1960 expansion draft each team could protect all but the bottom three players on their roster. Dallas picked Heinrich off the roster of the Giants, and he was reunited with one of his former assistant coaches at New York. Tom Landry was the defensive backfield coach of the Giants and he had been picked to be Head Coach of the new team from North Texas.
At Dallas, Heinrich would be among three quarterbacks on the roster as Eddie LeBaron came from the Washington Redskins and rookie Don Meredith had been signed by Dallas owner Clint Murchison before the franchise had been officially granted to him. Coach Landry did not know that much about the other two, so it was Heinrich who would start for Dallas' first game...which they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-28.
In 1962 the contract of Heinrich was purchased outright by the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League when their starting quarterback, Tom Flores, broke his leg in a game. The following year would see Heinrich join the Los Angeles Rams as a player/backfield coach. He became first assistant to the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he also called all offensive plays. From 1969 to 1970 he was on the staff of Tom Flores at the New Orleans Saints. 1971 thru 1975 Heinrich was the passing and receiving coach for the San Francisco 49's under former Cowboy Assistant Coach Dick Nolan.
1976 would begin a new phase in the life of Don Heinrich as he started his broadcasting career. He was the booth analyst for the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. This would last until 1983 when he became a color commentator for ESPN and ABC Sports in their coverage of the United States Football League. That would last just one more year as the USFL folded in 1984. From 1985 through 1991 he published "Don Heinrich's College Football Magazine" and another magazine that covered Pro Football.
Don Heinrich died in 1991 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 61 years of age. He had a long and fruitful life around his love of football.
So the next time the water cooler conversation centers around 'the Dallas Cowboys first quarterback'... You will be able to go to the head of the class.
