Golden Richards, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver whose touchdown catch sealed the 1978 Super Bowl, died at his Utah home on Friday morning, his family has confirmed. He was 73.
“My uncle Golden passed away peacefully this morning,” Richards’ nephew Lance Richards posted on Facebook. “I will forever remember going hunting and talking Dallas Cowboy football. He was a kind and sweet soul and I’m so happy he’s not suffering anymore.”
After playing at BYU and University of Hawaii, the Cowboys selected Richards in the second round of the 1973 NFL draft,
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He became a club legend in the 1978 Super Bowl against Denver. With his side up 20-10 in the fourth quarter, Robert Newhouse threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Richards, which assured the Cowboys their second championship.
Richards was traded to the Bears and later joined the Broncos but retired in 1980 after suffering another injury.
Deseret News reported that Richards suffered congestive heart failure after battling health and drug abuse issues for years.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011.
Doug Richards told the outlet that his brother had undergone four surgeries after he fell and broke his hip on Christmas Day in 2022.
Richards was married and divorced three times, and is survived by two sons and a 2-year-old grandson.
