Former Dallas Cowboy Robert Newhouse 1950-2014 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 07-22-2014, 10:02 PM

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Former Dallas Cowboy Robert Newhouse died Tuesday at the age of 64, his son, Rodd, has confirmed to FOX 4.

Heart disease led to his death.

Newhouse’s wife, two sons and two daughters were surrounding him when he died at the Mayo Clinc in Rochester, Minnesota.

“He fought to the very end, no quit,” said Rodd.

Newhouse was born in Longview, TX and went on to play football at the University of Houston before he was drafted by the Cowboys in the 1972 NFL Draft.

"House was a great football player,” NFL Hall of Famer and former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach told FOX 4 on Tuesday. “Off the field, he was a great man, kind and caring, solid as a rock. He played fullback, tailback, you name it when we needed it."

“I got to the Cowboys in 1991,” former Cowboy Russell Maryland told FOX 4. “Us young guys, when we got to the Cowboys, looked up to House. He always gave sage advice; he wasn't too animated, but he was wise. Guys didn't always follow his advice, but he gave good advice."

Mr. Television · 07-22-2014, 10:27 PM

I just heard a few minutes ago. I'm just heartbroken. He was one of my favorite Cowboys and a class guy too.

Mr. Television · 07-22-2014, 10:29 PM

He was in his prime when I first started following the Cowboys.

Mr. Television · 07-23-2014, 06:03 PM

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ar...5-51d85348b139

Sullivan: Newhouse The Definition Of Team Player

By Jeff Sullivan

The author of “America’s Team: The Official History of the Dallas Cowboys,” Sullivan also writes a new column in each issue of Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine. For subscription information, please click here.

The introduction came quickly, or maybe it didn’t. Maybe it was just the shock. I looked up from my desk, standing up in the process, expecting to see a Greek God, or as some called him, the “Human Bowling Ball.”

This was Robert Newhouse, the man with bigger thighs than Earl Campbell, some 44 inches, a mind-blowing measurement. The man who blocked for Calvin Hill and Tony Dorsett, the man who scored the first touchdown in the history of Giants Stadium, the first running back to throw a touchdown in the Super Bowl. This was a football legend, one who played all of his 168 NFL games with the Dallas Cowboys from 1972-83. This was one of the men who sacrificed himself on the field, and in the process, created America’s Team, a nickname which was bestowed on the Cowboys in 1979.

This was going to be one of those handshakes that would leave my fingers numb for hours. And then I saw him, standing in the doorway of my office. This frail little man, just 62 years old at the time, yet he looked so much older. Almost as if he was fading away. And I guess, looking back, he was. He couldn’t have been more than 150 pounds, some 18 months removed from suffering a stroke.

On Tuesday, after a lengthy battle with heart disease, Newhouse passed away at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., surrounded by his wife, Nancy, and four children. He was 64.

Newhouse is one of those rare people in life that everyone liked. After a record-setting collegiate career at Houston – his 1,757 rushing yards in 1971 is still a school mark – the Cowboys selected Newhouse in the second round, 35th overall, of the 1972 NFL Draft. Used primarily as a fullback, he played his entire 12-year career with Dallas, rushing for 4,784 yards, which ranks fifth in franchise history, and catching 120 passes. Newhouse also made history in Super Bowl XII with his pass against the Denver Broncos, across his body no less, running to his left, a 29-yard scoring strike to Golden Richards.

“When Tom called the play, I said, “I can’t believe he called this play,” Newhouse said after the game. “I was nervous about throwing the ball. In practice,

the ball had been wobbling, but Danny (White) told me to get my hip around it. I kept thinking about that when I got the ball.”

Making life more difficult for Newhouse was the fact he had recently doused his hands with Stickum, which was typical in this era before gloves were commonplace. However, when throwing the pigskin, the glue-like substance could prove most problematic for obvious reasons.

“I was shocked. I panicked,” Newhouse said. “I’ve never eaten so much stickum in my life. I started wiping it off my pants and started licking my fingers.”

After his playing career, Newhouse worked for the Cowboys until 2008, mostly as the team’s director of alumni relations. When Hall of Fame wide receiver Bob Hayes passed away in 2002, it was Newhouse who organized a group of players to travel to Jacksonville for the funeral. He was always making sure things like that were taken care of.

When Tony Dorsett joined the Cowboys as a rookie in 1977, it was Newhouse who served as a mentor, teaching him the playbook, the schemes and perhaps most importantly, how to deal with Tom Landry. That first season wasn’t an easy one for Dorsett, who wasn’t even starting after winning the Heisman Trophy the year before at Pitt.

“I am honestly not sure how that first season or even my career would have turned out without Robert. I think about that often,” Dorsett said, pausing on several occasions to fight his emotions. “Coach Landry’s system was so different from what I was accustomed to. Robert just told me to have patience, both as a running back in the system and in dealing with Coach Landry.

“I’m guessing a day didn’t go by that first season without me running to him, ‘Robert, Robert, Robert, what do I do?’ He’d just smile and say, ‘You’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it out together.’”

Dorsett ended up cracking the starting lineup by season’s end and winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, rushing for 1,007 yards. Thing is, the previous two seasons, before Dorsett’s arrival, Newhouse rushed for 1,380 yards combined, easily tops on the team. There was never any animosity, though. Newhouse just wanted what was best for the Cowboys.

“In nearly 60 years of being around the NFL, Robert is one of the best people I’ve ever been around,” former Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt said. “He did everything you asked.

“Let me tell you, don’t ever ask a tailback to become a fullback. That’s the cardinal sin of football right there. We would alternate Robert back and forth, and he never complained. Not once. Imagine going from being our leading rusher, almost 1,000 yards in 1975, and then being the lead blocker the next few seasons. Who does that? Robert did. He was the very definition of a team player. He loved his teammates so much.

“There was nothing in Robert’s makeup to dislike the guy. Nothing. There aren’t many like him in this world.”

Even though Newhouse’s health had been failing for several years now, and he had been in the Mayo Clinic since last November, his former teammates were holding out hope for a miracle. Dorsett spoke with his longtime backfield mate just a few weeks ago on the phone.

“His son, Rodd, called and handed me the phone,” Dorsett said. “He sounded so weak, so we didn’t talk much. I told him he was our big, strong man, and he was going to beat this. I told him I loved him.

“I knew he wasn’t doing well, I understood that, but he was 64. Man, that’s young, too young. Robert Newhouse was supposed to live a long time, grow old with us. I just never expected this. I’m so, so sorry for his family. He was such a wonderful man, a great father, a great husband.

“Robert was our peacemaker. If I ever heard him raise his voice, it wasn’t more than a few times. We were of the same mind on the field. We were always thinking each other’s thoughts. We could just look at each other and we understood. He was such a blessing to me, as a teammate and one of my great friends. Robert just wanted to care of everyone. He was that kind of guy.

“The Lord works in mysterious ways, I’m not sure sometimes why this sort of thing happens. I’m just not sure … but, you know, Robert’s home now. And he’s nice and healthy again. Maybe he’s playing some football. He’s Robert again.”

Retro4Life · 07-23-2014, 06:17 PM

Oh, wow, I remember watching him in the 70's; that guy was just pure muscle and grit. The way he would just bounce off of tacklers, spin around and struggle for a few more yards...he was a machine!

RIP Mr. Newhouse, you were a real classic

ponytail · 07-24-2014, 06:15 AM

I was sadden to hear that. He was a favorite of mine back when I was a Cowboy fan. Yes, they were fun to watch in the 70's.

07-22-2014, 10:02 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,500	Former Dallas Cowboy Robert Newhouse 1950-2014 Link Former Dallas Cowboy Robert Newhouse died Tuesday at the age of 64, his son, Rodd, has confirmed to FOX 4. Heart disease led to his death. Newhouse’s wife, two sons and two daughters were surrounding him when he died at the Mayo Clinc in Rochester, Minnesota. “He fought to the very end, no quit,” said Rodd. Newhouse was born in Longview, TX and went on to play football at the University of Houston before he was drafted by the Cowboys in the 1972 NFL Draft. "House was a great football player,” NFL Hall of Famer and former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach told FOX 4 on Tuesday. “Off the field, he was a great man, kind and caring, solid as a rock. He played fullback, tailback, you name it when we needed it." “I got to the Cowboys in 1991,” former Cowboy Russell Maryland told FOX 4. “Us young guys, when we got to the Cowboys, looked up to House. He always gave sage advice; he wasn't too animated, but he was wise. Guys didn't always follow his advice, but he gave good advice."
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

07-22-2014, 10:27 PM	#2
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	I just heard a few minutes ago. I'm just heartbroken. He was one of my favorite Cowboys and a class guy too.
	__________________ Sonny

07-22-2014, 10:29 PM	#3
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	He was in his prime when I first started following the Cowboys. Attached Images

07-23-2014, 06:17 PM	#5
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Oh, wow, I remember watching him in the 70's; that guy was just pure muscle and grit. The way he would just bounce off of tacklers, spin around and struggle for a few more yards...he was a machine! RIP Mr. Newhouse, you were a real classic
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

07-23-2014, 06:03 PM	#4
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/ar...5-51d85348b139 Sullivan: Newhouse The Definition Of Team Player By Jeff Sullivan The author of “America’s Team: The Official History of the Dallas Cowboys,” Sullivan also writes a new column in each issue of Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine. For subscription information, please click here. The introduction came quickly, or maybe it didn’t. Maybe it was just the shock. I looked up from my desk, standing up in the process, expecting to see a Greek God, or as some called him, the “Human Bowling Ball.” This was Robert Newhouse, the man with bigger thighs than Earl Campbell, some 44 inches, a mind-blowing measurement. The man who blocked for Calvin Hill and Tony Dorsett, the man who scored the first touchdown in the history of Giants Stadium, the first running back to throw a touchdown in the Super Bowl. This was a football legend, one who played all of his 168 NFL games with the Dallas Cowboys from 1972-83. This was one of the men who sacrificed himself on the field, and in the process, created America’s Team, a nickname which was bestowed on the Cowboys in 1979. This was going to be one of those handshakes that would leave my fingers numb for hours. And then I saw him, standing in the doorway of my office. This frail little man, just 62 years old at the time, yet he looked so much older. Almost as if he was fading away. And I guess, looking back, he was. He couldn’t have been more than 150 pounds, some 18 months removed from suffering a stroke. On Tuesday, after a lengthy battle with heart disease, Newhouse passed away at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., surrounded by his wife, Nancy, and four children. He was 64. Newhouse is one of those rare people in life that everyone liked. After a record-setting collegiate career at Houston – his 1,757 rushing yards in 1971 is still a school mark – the Cowboys selected Newhouse in the second round, 35th overall, of the 1972 NFL Draft. Used primarily as a fullback, he played his entire 12-year career with Dallas, rushing for 4,784 yards, which ranks fifth in franchise history, and catching 120 passes. Newhouse also made history in Super Bowl XII with his pass against the Denver Broncos, across his body no less, running to his left, a 29-yard scoring strike to Golden Richards. “When Tom called the play, I said, “I can’t believe he called this play,” Newhouse said after the game. “I was nervous about throwing the ball. In practice, the ball had been wobbling, but Danny (White) told me to get my hip around it. I kept thinking about that when I got the ball.” Making life more difficult for Newhouse was the fact he had recently doused his hands with Stickum, which was typical in this era before gloves were commonplace. However, when throwing the pigskin, the glue-like substance could prove most problematic for obvious reasons. “I was shocked. I panicked,” Newhouse said. “I’ve never eaten so much stickum in my life. I started wiping it off my pants and started licking my fingers.” After his playing career, Newhouse worked for the Cowboys until 2008, mostly as the team’s director of alumni relations. When Hall of Fame wide receiver Bob Hayes passed away in 2002, it was Newhouse who organized a group of players to travel to Jacksonville for the funeral. He was always making sure things like that were taken care of. When Tony Dorsett joined the Cowboys as a rookie in 1977, it was Newhouse who served as a mentor, teaching him the playbook, the schemes and perhaps most importantly, how to deal with Tom Landry. That first season wasn’t an easy one for Dorsett, who wasn’t even starting after winning the Heisman Trophy the year before at Pitt. “I am honestly not sure how that first season or even my career would have turned out without Robert. I think about that often,” Dorsett said, pausing on several occasions to fight his emotions. “Coach Landry’s system was so different from what I was accustomed to. Robert just told me to have patience, both as a running back in the system and in dealing with Coach Landry. “I’m guessing a day didn’t go by that first season without me running to him, ‘Robert, Robert, Robert, what do I do?’ He’d just smile and say, ‘You’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it out together.’” Dorsett ended up cracking the starting lineup by season’s end and winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, rushing for 1,007 yards. Thing is, the previous two seasons, before Dorsett’s arrival, Newhouse rushed for 1,380 yards combined, easily tops on the team. There was never any animosity, though. Newhouse just wanted what was best for the Cowboys. “In nearly 60 years of being around the NFL, Robert is one of the best people I’ve ever been around,” former Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt said. “He did everything you asked. “Let me tell you, don’t ever ask a tailback to become a fullback. That’s the cardinal sin of football right there. We would alternate Robert back and forth, and he never complained. Not once. Imagine going from being our leading rusher, almost 1,000 yards in 1975, and then being the lead blocker the next few seasons. Who does that? Robert did. He was the very definition of a team player. He loved his teammates so much. “There was nothing in Robert’s makeup to dislike the guy. Nothing. There aren’t many like him in this world.” Even though Newhouse’s health had been failing for several years now, and he had been in the Mayo Clinic since last November, his former teammates were holding out hope for a miracle. Dorsett spoke with his longtime backfield mate just a few weeks ago on the phone. “His son, Rodd, called and handed me the phone,” Dorsett said. “He sounded so weak, so we didn’t talk much. I told him he was our big, strong man, and he was going to beat this. I told him I loved him. “I knew he wasn’t doing well, I understood that, but he was 64. Man, that’s young, too young. Robert Newhouse was supposed to live a long time, grow old with us. I just never expected this. I’m so, so sorry for his family. He was such a wonderful man, a great father, a great husband. “Robert was our peacemaker. If I ever heard him raise his voice, it wasn’t more than a few times. We were of the same mind on the field. We were always thinking each other’s thoughts. We could just look at each other and we understood. He was such a blessing to me, as a teammate and one of my great friends. Robert just wanted to care of everyone. He was that kind of guy. “The Lord works in mysterious ways, I’m not sure sometimes why this sort of thing happens. I’m just not sure … but, you know, Robert’s home now. And he’s nice and healthy again. Maybe he’s playing some football. He’s Robert again.”

07-24-2014, 06:15 AM	#6
ponytail Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 20, 2004 Location: In Happy, Healthy, Wealthyville Posts: 4,273	I was sadden to hear that. He was a favorite of mine back when I was a Cowboy fan. Yes, they were fun to watch in the 70's.