Dallas Cowboys helmet shown on field.Dallas Cowboys helmet (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Former Dallas Cowboys star running back Duane Thomas, a key contributor in the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship-winning season, has passed away at the age of 77.

According to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Cowboys team officials confirmed that Duane Thomas passed away on Sunday. The cause of death was not revealed.

After starring at Texas State, Thomas was drafted 23rd overall by the Cowboys in 1970. Thomas lasted only two seasons in Dallas, but he led them to consecutive Super Bowl appearances.

In his rookie season, Duane Thomas rushed for 805 yards and five touchdowns. The Cowboys lost to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 5, but Thomas helped them to championship glory the following year.

As a sophomore, Thomas rushed for 793 yards and a league-leading 11 rushing scores. He added 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the postseason, leading Dallas to a Super Bowl 6 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Thomas’ promising career with Dallas ended abruptly, however, following a contract dispute with head coach Tom Landry, team president Tex Schramm and executive Gil Brandt. The Cowboys wound up trading him to the San Diego Chargers in the 1972 offseason.

Duane Thomas never wound up playing a snap for the Chargers and instead finished his NFL career with Washington. In two seasons there, he compiled 442 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Thomas and the Dallas Cowboys’ organization during this difficult time.

Duane Thomas Holds A Special Legacy In Dallas

While old-timer Cowboys fans will always be left wondering what could have been if Thomas never left America’s Team, he still holds a valuable place in the history of this storied NFL franchise.

Without Thomas, perhaps the Cowboys wouldn’t have won a Super Bowl in the 1971 season. And if he didn’t leave in the first place, maybe Dallas wouldn’t have landed future Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett, who played a pivotal role in their second Super Bowl championship-winning season.