1960: Cowboys Obtain Eddie LeBaron from Redskins

On June 23, 1960 the expansion Dallas Cowboys obtained veteran QB Eddie LeBaron from the Washington Redskins for 1961 first and sixth round draft choices.

LeBaron had announced his retirement following the 1959 season in order to pursue his legal career, but indicated that he would be willing to play again provided that he was traded to Dallas, where he was setting up practice. He had gone to law school at George Washington University and received his degree in 1958.

Also involved in the deal were C Frank Kuchta, formerly of Notre Dame, who was sent by the Redskins to Dallas for ex-Maryland star tackle Ray Krouse, a nine-year veteran who had played the last two years for the Colts. Neither played beyond 1960, and Kuchta was with the new American Football League’s Denver Broncos rather than the Cowboys.

LeBaron had been surprisingly successful in the NFL, despite being only 5’7” and weighing 168 pounds. After starring at the College of the Pacific, which he had entered at age 16, he was taken by the Redskins in the 10^th round of the 1950 draft. With a strong arm and outstanding ball-handling ability, he had proven himself in the college ranks and helped engineer an upset of the NFL Champion Eagles in the College All-Star Game. But pro football would have to wait due to a military commitment in the US Marines. He came back a decorated veteran of the Korean War and joined the Redskins in 1952 – the legendary Sammy Baugh’s final year.

The diminutive quarterback took over for the all-time great as a rookie, also handling the team’s punting. LeBaron displayed great daring for a mediocre team that went 4-8. He completed 96 of 194 passes (49.5 %) for 1420 yards with 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Following the ’53 season, and unhappy under Head Coach Curly Lambeau, he jumped to Calgary of the CFL where he played for his college coach, Larry Siemering. Returning to the Redskins in 1955 (Lambeau had been replaced by Joe Kuharich), he was selected to the Pro Bowl following a year in which the club went 8-4 and finished second in the Eastern Conference.

While Washington’s best record since 1945 proved to be an aberration, LeBaron continued to play well for a losing team. Known as “The Little General”, he was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 1957 and ’58 seasons, averaging 9.0 and 9.4 yards per attempt, respectively, and leading the NFL in passing in the latter season (under the passer rating system then in use). In seven years with the Redskins, LeBaron threw for 8068 yards with 59 touchdowns and 88 interceptions. He also drew praise for his motivational ability and leadership – traits certainly attractive to an expansion team.

The 1960 Cowboys, under defensive-minded Head Coach Tom Landry, were the usual first-year assortment of up-and-coming young players and veterans either past their prime or of little interest to other teams. A promising rookie quarterback had been obtained in the person of Don Meredith, a local product out of Southern Methodist, but he was strictly a work in progress and spent the first year seeing scant action and learning from LeBaron.

The fledgling Cowboys had a veteran corps of receivers that included Pro Bowl TE Jim Doran, flanker Billy Howton, and split end Fred Dugan. However, the running game was mediocre, in addition to the offensive line. LeBaron passed for a respectable 1736 yards with 12 touchdowns, although he also gave up 25 interceptions. Dallas finished up at 0-11-1.

The Cowboys were an improved team in 1961, going 4-9-1. The addition of rookie HB Don Perkins out of New Mexico, who rushed for 815 yards and earned selection to the Pro Bowl, helped the offense. While Meredith saw increased action at quarterback, LeBaron was still the primary starter and threw for 1741 yards with more TDs (14) than in ’60 and far fewer interceptions (16). The 31-year-old Howton, who was closing in on Don Hutson’s career pass receiving record, had 56 catches for 785 yards and four touchdowns, although flanker Frank Clarke created a greater stir with his 22.4-yard average gain and 9 TDs on 41 receptions for 919 yards.

In 1962, Meredith threw more passes for the Cowboys (212 to 166) and in some instances alternated with LeBaron. But in his next-to-last season, the savvy veteran performed well, with a 57.2 completion percentage and 8.7 yards per attempt while compiling 1436 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. He spent the ’63 season as Meredith’s backup before finally leaving the NFL for a full-time legal career. LeBaron would eventually return to pro football as general manager of the Atlanta Falcons for ten years (1977-87). Adding in his four-year stint with Dallas, his passing totals were 898 of 1796 throws (50.0 percent) for 13,399 yards with 104 TDs against 141 interceptions.

Despite his small stature and not playing for contending teams, LeBaron was a well-regarded quarterback who showed great skill as a leader and play-caller. Although he typically couldn’t see over the linemen in front of him once the play started (and his receivers couldn’t see him either), he was adept at rolling out and was an effective passer. He also was generally regarded as the best ball-handler of his era. In Dallas, he made it possible for Don Meredith to be brought along slowly.

As a postscript, the Redskins used the 1961 draft choices they obtained for LeBaron to choose QB Norm Snead out of Wake Forest in the first round and Illinois DB Joe Krakoski in the sixth. While Snead initially showed great promise and played a total of 16 seasons in the NFL, he failed to achieve his potential in three years with Washington and was dealt to Philadelphia in a celebrated trade for Sonny Jurgensen. Krakoski was with the Redskins for one year and intercepted four passes, but was waived prior to the ’62 season and went on to play for Oakland in the AFL.

1960: Cowboys Tie Giants for Only Non-Loss of First Season

It had been a rough first year for the expansion Dallas Cowboys as they took on the New York Giants on December 4, 1960. Under Head Coach Tom Landry, who had previously been defensive coach of the Giants, the team was 0-10. The Cowboys had a capable quarterback in diminutive (5’9”, 168) Eddie LeBaron (pictured at right), formerly of the Redskins and dissuaded from retiring in order to lead the offense until rookie Don Meredith was ready. There were some capable veterans to throw to, such as flanker Billy Howton and TE Jim Doran, and the defense had a star in MLB Jerry Tubbs, but for the most part the new team was awash in mediocre players.

New York, coached by Jim Lee Howell, had won the Eastern Conference the previous two years, but the aging and injury-riddled club was 5-3-1 and coming off of back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia Eagles that had assured they would not finish first a third time. 39-year-old QB Charlie Conerly was one of the injured players, and backup George Shaw was behind center against the Cowboys. HB Alex Webster was also out, as was star HB Frank Gifford, who had been finished for the year – and the whole next season – after a noteworthy tackle by LB Chuck Bednarik in the first loss to Philadelphia.

There were 55,033 fans at Yankee Stadium, the smallest home crowd of the year for the Giants on a sunny afternoon. New York scored quickly on its first possession, taking just four plays with Shaw completing a 41-yard pass to end Bill Kimber and then throwing 10 yards to FB Mel Triplett for the touchdown. HB Joe Morrison followed up with a one-yard scoring plunge and the Giants had a 14-0 lead.


However, before the first quarter was over, HB L.G. Dupre (pictured at left) ran in for a five-yard TD to get the Cowboys on the board. Still, Shaw extended New York’s margin in the second quarter as he connected with end Kyle Rote on a 28-yard scoring play.

Dallas continued to fight back. LeBaron, who nearly sat the game out with a rib injury, tossed a pass to Dupre for a 21-yard TD and Fred Cone kicked an 11-yard field goal to narrow the score to 21-17 at halftime.

Pat Summerall posted the only points of the third quarter with a 26-yard field goal that gave the Giants a seven-point lead. The Cowboys knotted things up in the fourth quarter thanks to a 56-yard drive capped by LeBaron throwing again to Dupre for a 23-yard touchdown, followed by Cone’s extra point.

First-year backup QB Lee Grosscup put the Giants back ahead 5:45 into the final period with a 26-yard touchdown pass to end Bob Schnelker. With five minutes to go, Dallas DT Bill Herchman recovered a fumble by Morrison. LeBaron passed to Doran for 32 yards to the New York nine and two plays later connected with Howton for an 11-yard TD. Cone kicked the tying extra point, and that was it. The game ended in a 31-31 draw, the first non-losing game in Dallas franchise history.

The statistics reflected the evenness of the score. The Cowboys outgained New York by just one yard (328 to 327) and each team had 19 first downs. The Giants turned the ball over three times, to two by Dallas.


Eddie LeBaron completed 17 of 35 passes for 267 yards with three touchdowns and two intercepted. Billy Howton (pictured at right) caught 6 passes for 78 yards and a TD and Jim Doran added three receptions for 62 yards. The game’s scoring star, L.G. Dupre, accumulated the most receiving yards, however, with 82 on three catches that included two touchdowns while also rushing for 27 yards on 8 carries with another TD. HB Don McIlhenny was the leading ground gainer for the Cowboys with 34 yards on 8 attempts.

For the Giants, George Shaw was successful on 8 of 16 throws for 149 yards and two TDs against one interception. Lee Grosscup added five completions in 11 attempts that gained 75 yards and a touchdown (his only one of the season). Bob Schnelker hauled in 5 passes for 69 yards and a TD and Kyle Rote also gained 69 yards on his three receptions that included a score. HB Ed Sutton topped the running attack with 62 yards on 7 carries.

The Cowboys lost their season finale at Detroit and finished at the bottom of the Western Conference with a record of 0-11-1 (they shifted to the Eastern Conference in ’61). New York split its last two games and placed third in the conference at 6-4-2.

Eddie LeBaron had a respectable season for a bad team, although he led the NFL by tossing 25 interceptions. Still, he was in the top five in pass attempts (225), yards (1736), and yards per completion (15.6). L.G. Dupre’s accomplishments were more modest as he led the club in rushing with just 362 yards and caught 21 passes for 216 more. His three touchdowns against the Giants accounted for most of his season total of five.

1950: Justice & LeBaron Lead College All-Stars to Win Over Eagles

The 17th installment of the College All-Star Game on August 11, 1950 was notable for being the first to be televised nationally across a network of 29 stations. However, not much of a contest was anticipated.

The reigning NFL champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, had won the previous year by a decisive 38-0 score and, having repeated as league champions, were 14.5-point favorites coming into the game. Coached by Earle “Greasy” Neale and featuring the running of HB Steve Van Buren on offense as well as a stingy defense, the Eagles were a solid veteran club.

The College All-Stars, coached by Eddie Anderson of Holy Cross, had an outstanding group of players that included many who would go on to star in the NFL. At quarterback was the undersized (5’7”) Eddie LeBaron of the College of the Pacific. Linemen included ends Gordie Soltau of Minnesota and Notre Dame’s Jim Martin and Leon Hart, tackle Lou Creekmur from William & Mary, and Minnesota’s tackle Clayton Tonnemaker and center Leo Nomellini. And while Heisman-winning HB Doak Walker of SMU was in the backfield, it was another halfback, North Carolina’s Charlie “Choo-Choo” Justice (pictured above), who would have the most notable impact on the game.

There were 88,885 in attendance at Soldier Field for the Friday night game - even at that number, it was the lowest crowd total since the game was played at Northwestern University in 1944, and while the game was blacked out on Chicago-area television, there were writers who blamed the broadcast for hurting attendance.

The All-Stars scored first, on their second possession, putting together a seven-play, 54-yard drive in the opening quarter that was highlighted by runs of 31 and 12 yards by Justice and that ended with 230-pound FB Ralph Pasquariello of Villanova scoring from the one yard line.

In the second quarter, the All-Stars got a break when DB Hall Haynes of Santa Clara recovered a fumble by Eagles HB Clyde “Smackover” Scott at the Philadelphia 35. From there, LeBaron, fading far back to evade Eagles tacklers, fired a pass to Justice that went for a 35-yard touchdown, with Oklahoma end Jim Owens throwing a key block along the way. That put the All-Stars improbably ahead by 14-0 with less than five minutes remaining in the half.

There was no scoring in the third quarter as the NFL champs had difficulty moving the ball against the fired-up All-Star defense. Finally, in the fourth quarter the Eagles got on the board. Starting at their 43 yard line, QB Tommy Thompson completed a pass to FB Joe Muha that covered 20 yards. A few plays later Van Buren plunged into the end zone from a yard out and, with Cliff Patton’s successful extra point, the score was 14-7.

The All-Stars responded with a scoring drive of their own. Taking over at their 17, Justice took a handoff and, reversing field, ran for a 28-yard gain to the 45. LeBaron passed to North Carolina end Art Weiner to get to the Philadelphia 20. After the diminutive quarterback ran the ball to the 15, the drive stalled, but Soltau, who had kicked both of the extra points, was successful on a 24-yard field goal attempt that essentially put the game away. The last gasp for the Eagles ended with an interception of a Thompson pass by Cornell DB Hillary Chollet at the All-Star three yard line. The College All-Stars came away with the 17-7 win, their first in three years.

The All-Stars outgained the Eagles on the ground, 221 yards to 85, although the Eagles led in first downs, 14 to 8. While the All-Stars intercepted three Philadelphia passes without surrendering any of their own, they also fumbled the ball away three times, to one suffered by the Eagles.

The MVP for the All-Stars was Charlie Justice, who gained 133 yards on just nine carries, including runs of 47, 31, and 28 yards, and had the one touchdown reception. Eddie LeBaron played impressively at quarterback, running well and making effective use of pitchouts to his backs. While he completed just two of 9 pass attempts, they were big ones and covered 75 yards, including the one TD.

For the Eagles, Tommy Thompson completed 15 of 28 passes for 131 yards and was intercepted three times. Steve Van Buren was held to just 32 yards on 13 carries.

“Little LeBaron’s pitchouts to both the right and left were the plays that beat us,” said Greasy Neale afterward. “The All-Stars were keyed awfully high. We didn’t run our plays good at all, and we weren’t thinking too good, either.”

“It was the greatest All-Star team I ever saw,” summed up NFL Commissioner Bert Bell afterward.


LeBaron (pictured at left) left to report for active duty with the Marines the day after the game, but would join the Washington Redskins in 1952. Despite his small size, the ball-handling skill that he showed against the Eagles served him well as a pro, and he lasted 11 seasons with the Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. One of LeBaron’s teammates in Washington was Justice, who went directly to the NFL in 1950 and played four seasons.

The sluggish performance by the Eagles proved to be a harbinger of things to come. After winning three consecutive Eastern Division titles and two league championships, they dropped to 6-6 in 1950.

At this point in the series, the win over Philadelphia was the sixth, against nine losses, for the All-Stars, and there had been two ties. It would not remain competitive for much longer as the All-Stars won just three more of the remaining 25 games before the series ended in 1976.