Roger Staubach

The star quarterback for the National Football League Dallas Cowboys, Roger Staubach, made his fifth visit to the Harding College campus for the Citizenship Seminar. Staubach led the Cowboys to the

1975 Super Bowl and was selected for the NFC All-Pro team.

The seven-year veteran of the NFL is an active participant in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

His appearance at the seminar was an obvious highlight for the more than 300 delighted students as he spoke on "The Role of Responsible Leadership."

A 1965 graduate of the Naval Academy who joined the Cowboys in 1969, Staubach provided an insight to students in dealing with success and failure in daily living. From the standpoint of his job, religious faith and family life, he outlined a personal formula for keeping life in perspective and stressed the need for individuals to strive to reach their full potential in personal initiative and individual responsibility.

"Personal attitude is so important," Staubach told the delegates. "Your attitude is especially important within your families, your schools, your businesses and within our government."

Staubach announced that another requirement for a successful life and career is confidence. "You've got to believe that you're going to accomplish something. Sometimes you're going to be thrown back and you won't accomplish it, but if you have that positive attitude, time and time again you will succeed in your goals."

The Heisman Trophy winner encouraged the participants to take stock in their lives as to who they are, where they have been and where they are going. "Our country stands for a lot of good things, but a lot of times we don't practice it. We need to tear down the personal boundaries of criticism and show love, care and concern for our fellow man and grow."

Another area of growth the Superbowl quarterback mentioned is example. Staubach told the delegates that "we have the responsibility to exhibit an influence for good to all that we come in contact with. The problem of example is especially difficult when peer pressure is involved and we don't want to be 'different' or 'square'. It takes a pretty strong person to overcome this temptation," Staubach said, "but when you do you will grow."

Another area Staubach mentioned is the maintenance of a positive example in situations an individual can't control. He mentioned personal experiences such as the birth of a stillborn child and the death of his mother who was ravaged by cancer as examples of things that made him temporarily have a negative attitude. But looking back, he pointed out the futility in blaming things not under one's control.

"The concept of the life and sacrifices of Jesus Christ is a primary reason for my good outlook on life,"

Staubach said, "and that has helped me grow more than any other thing. I throw this idea out to encourage you to be strong in the faith."