Roger Staubach's name flies under the radar when it comes to speaking on the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. Yet, Staubach was a crucial contributor to "America's Team's" success throughout the '70s. While his tenure in the NFL was considerably short, he left a lasting impact on the league and the Dallas Cowboys organization that will be memorialized forever. Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio Staubach played his college football at the United States Naval Academy from 1962 to 1964. In at quarterback for the very first time, Staubach was sacked twice and went 0-2 for -24 yards. However, Hall of Fame coach, Wayne Hardin, kept his faith and continued to play Staubach who eventually won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy his junior year after leading the Navy Midshipmen to a 9-1 record in 1963. Following his tenure at the Academy, Staubach joined the military and even did a tour in Vietnam.
Roger Staubach was selected 129th overall in the tenth round of the 1964 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys as a 'future' pick due to Staubach's military commitment. Staubach wouldn't play a single snap of professional football until the age of 27-years-old. Staubach wouldn't become the Cowboys starting quarterback until 1971 where he would lead the Texas-based football franchise to their first-ever Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl VI against the Miami Dolphins also winning Super Bowl MVP honors for his performance as well. After suffering a severe shoulder injury and missing most of the 1972 season, Staubach would return and lead the Cowboys to three more Super Bowl appearances (X, XII, and XIII). While the Cowboys lost both Super Bowls X and XIII to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Staubach was able to help his team secure a second ring at Super Bowl XII. After eleven seasons in the NFL, Staubach retired a Cowboys legend in 1980.
When you fly by private jet charter, you experience travel comfort known only to those who know private jets. And nothing illustrates this luxury better than celebrity private jets. Stars with their own private aircraft fly fancy.
John Travolta, the star of 70s cult movies like “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever”, is not only one of the most famous Hollywood actors, but also one of the best celebrity pilots. John Travolta is a bonafide aviation enthusiast with five private planes total, which he parks on his front lawn. His most impressive aircraft is a customized Boeing 707-138 (as pictured above), a beast of a plane that he acquired in 1998 upon his promotion to an honorary pilot of Qantas, the Australian airline.
Oprah Winfrey’s production company HARPO bought her custom-built Global Express XRS VIP business jet to provide the media mogul and her associates with maximum aviation comfort. Oprah’s private jet features designer fixtures in the bathroom and galley, along with an exquisite all-leather interior. The aircraft was designed by Bombardier Aerospace to perform as a premier long-range business jet. Custom design allowed for an enhanced cabin layout with nine cushy leather seats, aesthetically-placed lighting, and additional luxury amenities. The jet cruises through the air at high speeds, made possible by two Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines, which produce enough power to send HARPO clear across the map with only one refuel stop
Tom Cruise played an elite naval fighter jet pilot in the blockbuster movie “Top Gun”, and he now indulges his real love for flying in his own Gulfstream IV, one of the finest celebrity private jets around. Cruise’s beautiful business jet accommodates up to 19 passengers, providing comfort and class with state-of-the-art furnishings and aircraft technology. The jet even automatically refreshes the air inside the cabin every two minutes. Designed by Gulfstream Aerospace, Cruise’s jet is powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8 engines, propelling the aircraft to a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet over a maximum range of 7,820 km, zipping through the air at speeds up to Mach 0.80.
Mark Cuban, business mogul and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, landed himself in the Guinness Book of World Records for purchasing his Boeing 767-277 online in 1999, making “the largest single e-commerce transaction”. Cuban modified the jet with large, custom seats to give his team’s lengthy players plenty of room while flying.