Duane Thomas

First Duane, then only a little over a month later we lost his college teammate and friend fellow great running back Mercury Morris. Also OJ Bill Walton, Jerry West Pete Rose and only recently Ricky Henderson. Other have left us also I'm sure that I don't know about yet. Its like your youth dies a little with each of your childhood sports heros deaths.So sad it's been a rough 2024

In 1960s growing up on Amarillo, Dad , and alum of West Texas State took me to many home games, I remember Duane and Mercury Morris playing together.
WT and local fans were all proud he was selected by the Cowboys.
Rip from an long time fan.
Armand Smith

I had the honor to know Duane over coffee on many mornings .
He was a man's man and a really good person. We had many laughs together.
He stopped coming and I missed our conversations.
Today, I was thinking about him and discovered he passed in August.
The world lost a good soul but heaven gained a warrior for good.
My condolences to Duane's family
He is with our Lord now.
Miss you Duane...your friend Chris Dolan

To the family, many, many friends, and fans of this great person who played and loved the game of football. Mr. Duane Thomas was an NFL running back and 1970 Rookie of the Year Award winner who played on the Dallas Cowboys' first Super Bowl-winning team. He had a wonderful career in football. May you find comfort in your wealth of fond memories together with Mr. Duane Thomas. May the God of comfort bless your grieving hearts with strength, loving kindness and peace as the world copes with the loss of Mr. Duane Thomas. We will never forget his tremendous goal and accomplishment.

I was a little girl in the late 60's watching football. I remembered when Duane Thomas when he jumped over a pile of men and svore for Dallas. I said then when I have my 1st son I will name him after Duane Thomas and I did
Ispelled it a little differently but it's the same Dewane Thomas Prioleau is my son's and his son name is Aamir Thomas Prioleau. I will always be a Cowboy fan because of Duane Thomas #33. He will always be missed. I do have his shirt pictures, player card. He was one of the best ever.
Rest in Peace our brother. Gone but not forgotten.

Duane have not seen or been in touch forever but the duane Thomas I met years back was a hella a guy. I hope you kept that sweet wife of yours from philly and if you did then you had a good life. RIP Duane Thomas

My condolences are with the Thomas family during this time of grief and sorrow. May the fond memories of your dear loved one always be remembered. Also may Almighty God comfort and strengthen you all in the coming days, months and years to come.

I´m completely devastated. I became a sports and football fan in the late 60s / early 70s . My earliest memories are the Ice Bowl in 67 . Dallas vs Green Bay . My two favorite teams . Heartbreaking loss for Dallas . The next two years playoff losses to the Cleveland Browns despite being the better team . 68 and 69 very painful endings . Enter 1970 . A very sad topsy tervy year for me as a young kid . My grandmother had passed away in December of that year , and I was on my own for the first time . Was still a cowboys fan . They were known as next years champs because of all the playoff losses .The game with the Kansas City Chiefs was when I became aware of number 33 . He practically won the game for them by himself, I remember a long touchdown run and another long touchdown that was called back by a penalty. Think Duane had over 150 yards rushing against the defending super bowl champs . That was just the beginning of a tremendous two season run . He was then a starter replacing Calvin Hill and the team took off . When they got to the playoffs Duane was typically spectacular. Basically carried the team to the super bowl . He had almost 300 yards total in playoff wins vs Detroit and Sanfrancisco. Scored a touchdown in the super bowl loss to the colts . 1971 was his final season in Dallas and oh what a year it was . Despite contract disputes and not speaking the entire season, Duane was a man possessed. His play did the talking. I´m tearing up as I write this as 71 was a very sad year for me generally speaking. Those 71 cowboy memories are what kept me sane and going . Duane and Roger Staubach were the catylists. Leading Dallas back though the playoffs and into the super bowl where they defeated the Miami Dolphins. Duane should have been the MVP , but was robbed of the award because of his refusal to speak to reporters all season . Then just like that he was gone before the next season started . Traded to San Diego whom he never played for . 73 and 74 he was with the Washington Redskins , but saw very little action. Why they kept him on the bench for the most part is still a mystery all these decades later . I kept praying that he´d make peace and come back to Dallas one day . I thought I was going to happen when they sighed him before the 76 season, but he was cut before the regular season started . Perhaps he was no longer the player he had been . Duane in his prime was the best running back to this day I have ever seen . He could do it all . Run , catch , block and was very smart , rarely made mistakes on the field . To me he was better than Dorsett , Better than Emmitt , Better than OJ , Payton , Barry Sanders , Eric Dickerson . Better that all of them . He just never got the chance to prove it with longevity, because of unfortunate circumstances that robbed him of a long career. My memories of 70 and 71 will always be there as long as I live . Thank you Duane for those great memories at a time in my life when I felt lost . lonely and uncertain of the future. Forever 33 Rest In Peace . My heat is broken William Edwards

Rest in peace Duane, your teammate at West Texas State. Curley Watters.

Ivory Garrett-Price

Rest in peace, my condolences to the family.
My all time favorite Dallas Cowboy for his excellence on the field, and his dignity to not compromise his principles off the field.

We were buddies in Sedona Az and chatted about our sports memories.

RIP Duane

Condolences to his family

Rest in Peace Cowboy, one of my favorite still. When I see #33 I think of you first. I loved watching you run. Your jersey was the 1st jersey I had as a kid.
Thank you for taking the time to write back to me many years later.

PEACE
your fan
WALTER

An amazing superstar caliber running back, who was a key player in some big games for Dallas. Though his talent was clearly remarkable, and he had the ability (when he played for the Cowboys) to perform at a high level in clutch situations, his markedly reticent nature was reportedly very perplexing to many. Especially given that, while in his more outgoing phases, Duane often came across as being quite interesting, intelligent, and likable.

I, like so many, would have loved to have seen Duane's brilliant play for many more years. His pro football career was relatively short, but when he was on his game he was really something!

My first memory of Duane was him running down my street in Highland Hills as he would workout at Bishop College. We became good friends from Dallas to Hollywood, California, he would visit my family when he also played in San Diego, my kids loved him! We will never forget him!

Your heart soon will be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.