Clint Longley Howard Clinton " Clint " Longley , Jr . ( born July 28 , 1952 ) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He played two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys ( 1974 – 1975 ) and one for the San Diego Chargers ( 1976 ) . Longley earned his nickname the " Mad Bomber " for bouncing passes off of Coach Tom Landry ' s coaching tower in the Cowboys ' training camp . He played college football at Abilene Christian University . Early years . After attending Littleton High School , he enrolled at Abilene Christian University without a scholarship . In 1973 as a junior , he led the nation ' s small colleges in passing and total offense , with 3 , 167 yards and 28 touchdown s . He set a school record by passing for 434 yards and four touchdown s in a 41 - 7 victory against Southwest Texas State University . Longley finished the year guiding his team to 11 straight victories and the NAIA championship . He would also receive Small College All - America honors and was named along with teammate Wilbert Montgomery , to the 1973 NAIA football All Star team , which backfield included Walter Payton . He passed up his senior year in 1974 to enter the NFL . Professional career . Dallas Cowboys . Because he left college before his final year of eligibility , he entered the free agent pool in 1974 where he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals and eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth round draft choice . During that season he was named the backup quarterback to Roger Staubach , after having a strong training camp and the trade of Craig Morton to the New York Giants . He is best remembered for his performance in a Thanksgiving Day game in 1974 against the Washington Redskins . Longley then a rookie , came into the game for an injured Roger Staubach with the Cowboys trailing 16 - 3 in the third quarter , and facing elimination from the playoffs . After hitting Billy Joe Dupree for a 35 - yard touchdown pass , he led the Cowboys on a 70 - yard drive capped by a 1 - yard Walt Garrison touchdown run . Finally , with the Cowboys behind 23 - 17 and with only 28 seconds left with no time outs , Longley hit Drew Pearson down the middle for a 50 - yard hail mary pass touchdown which gave the Cowboys a dramatic 24 - 23 come from behind victory . Because Longley had no expectation of playing in that game and was completely unprepared , Cowboys lineman Blaine Nye sarcastically called his winning effort " the triumph of the uncluttered mind . " The game was named the second - best in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008 . After a training room incident in which he punched Roger Staubach during the 1976 preseason , the team suspended and eventually traded him to the San Diego Chargers for a first and second draft choices , that the Cowboys would eventually use to draft Tony Dorsett . Although his exit was not graceful , he will forever be part of Cowboys lore and Thanksgiving Day football memories . San Diego Chargers . The San Diego Chargers traded for him with the intetion of creating a competition with Dan Fouts , but decided to waive him the following year during the 1977 training camp . Toronto Argonauts ( CFL ) . He spent part of the 1977 season with the Toronto Argonauts , playing in 8 games before being released . Saint Louis Cardinals . The Saint Louis Cardinals signed him in 1978 , but would eventually waived him before the season started . Hamilton Tiger - Cats ( CFL ) . After a year out of football , the Hamilton Tiger - Cats signed him in 1980 , but he couldn ' t make the roster . Roger Staubach incident . Unfortunately less than two years after his Thanksgiving Day heroics , Longley under pressure from Danny White for the back - up QB role , left the Cowboys in disgrace after he landed a blindside punch on Staubach during training camp in Thousand Oaks , California . The infamous " sucker punch " occurred after Longley and Staubach had fought over a negative remark Longley made about Staubach to fellow Cowboy teammates . Staubach was putting on his shoulder pads on the last day of training camp when Longley hit him in the face without warning and from behind , requiring several stitches to close the wound on Staubach ' s face . Longley was immediately traded to the San Diego Chargers where he finished his career with little more success . Apparently , there is more to the story . " History says Staubach ripped Longley for mouthing off about teammates , but Gil Brandt said the tiff between Staubach and Longley began with a simple game of boredom . " Roger always could bounce the football off the ground to come right back to him , " Brandt said . " He ' d do it over and over . They ' d have contests , and Clint couldn ' t do it . " Longley challenged Roger to a fight . Roger told him they were going to meet on another field after practice . " Staubach and Longley took off their helmets and pads . " They got after it , " Brandt said . " Roger beat the hell out of him . " Assistant coach Dan Reeves had to break up the fight . Later , Longley sucker - punched Staubach in the dressing room . " Tex ( Schramm ) had enough , " Brandt said . " He told me to get rid of Longley immediately , so we traded him to San Diego for a first - round pick we used to help us get ( running back ) Tony Dorsett in the next draft . " " Personal life . When the NFL Network did a " Top 10 One Hit Wonders " list that included Longley , Steve Sabol said he last heard that Longley had ended up selling carpet remnants out of the back of a van in Marfa , Texas .