Percy Howard Percy Lenard Howard ( born January 21 , 1952 in Savannah , Georgia ) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys in 1975 . He was an unlikely star for the Cowboys in Super Bowl X . Early years . Howard attended Dillard High School where he played basketball and football . He went on to play college basketball at Austin Peay University , where he averaged 12 . 4 points and 7 . 3 rebounds per game during three varsity seasons ( 1972 - 73 through 1974 - 75 ) . The 6 - 4 , 215 - pound forward was an All - OVC selection in 1974 - 75 and averaged seven points and seven rebounds per game in four NCAA Tournament contests in 1973 and 1974 . He was also a teammate of the legendary James " Fly " Williams . Professional career . Although Howard didn ' t play football at Austin Peay University , the Dallas Cowboys saw a tremendous athlete and signed him to an undrafted free agent contract in 1975 . Becoming one of only a handful of college athletes to reach the NFL without playing any college football . In the first preseason game , while returning a kick against the Los Angeles Rams , his cheekbone was fractured when one of his teammates knocked a defender into his path just as he was speeding toward a hole . The injury delayed his development several weeks , but he still made the team as a wide receiver and kickoff returner . Howard was the third receiver on the Cowboys during the 1975 season , unfortunately for him , the top two receivers Drew Pearson and Golden Richards played virtually every offensive snap , and the Cowboys did not use formations with three receivers . He played primarily on special teams during the regular season , and his only statistical contributions were a pair of kickoff returns for 51 total yards . That season the team reached Super Bowl X , which ended up being something of a homecoming for Howard , because the Cowboys were encamped in Fort Lauderdale . In fact , when the Dallas charter landed at the airport , the Dillard High School marching band was there to greet him . Late in Super Bowl X , Howard got a rare opportunity to play on offense , when Richards broke a rib . With the Pittsburgh Steelers leading by 11 points with less than two minutes to go , Howard caught a 34 - yard touchdown pass from Roger Staubach over Mel Blount , cutting the deficit to four points . A late turnover by the Steelers gave the Cowboys a shot to win the game at the end , and Howard was again involved on a last - second Hail Mary pass by Staubach , however he had three Steelers on him , and when he leaped to make the catch , the ball was tipped away . The following year big things were expected from Howard , but in a 1976 preseason game against the Denver Broncos , he severely injured his right knee while running a reverse . He spent the rest of the season rehabilitating the knee , only to be injured again during a practice in the 1977 training camp , causing him to miss the entire season . He would never recover from his injury and the Cowboys eventually released him in 1978 . The 34 yard touchdown catch in Super Bowl X , turned out to be Howard ' s only career reception and his last game in the NFL . Still , he would become part of the Cowboys lore and was named # 6 on NFL Top 10 ' s " Top Ten One - Shot Wonders " .